Junji Ito

Junji Ito 伊藤 潤二
Born	July 31, 1963(1963-07-31) Gifu Prefecture
Nationality	Japanese
Area(s)	Writer, Penciller, Inker, Manga artist
Notable works	Tomie Uzumaki

Junji Ito (伊藤 潤二, Itō Junji, born July 31, 1963) is a Japanese horror manga artist best known for his horror stories. Some of his most notable works includes a series of stories about Tomie, an immortal girl who drives her stricken admirers to madness, Uzumaki, a three-volume series about a town obsessed with spirals, and Gyo, a single-volume story where fish are controlled by a death stench.

Biography

Junji Ito was born in the Gifu prefecture of Japan in 1963. He was inspired from a young age by both his older sister's drawings and the work of Kazuo Umezu. Ito first began writing and drawing manga as a hobby while working as a dental technician in the early 90's. In 1987, he submitted a short story to Gekkan Halloween that won an honorable mention in the Kazuo Umezu Prize (with Umezu himself as one of the judges).

In addition to Kazui Umezu, Ito has cited Hideshi Hino, Shinichi Furuka, Yasutaka Tsutsui, and H.P. Lovecraft as being major influences on his work.

Some of the recurring themes of Ito's work include body horror, seemingly ordinary characters who begin to act out of irrational compulsion, the breakdown of society, deep sea organisms, and the inevitability of one's demise.

Bibliography

Manga

• Museum of Terror (恐怖博物館, Kyōfu Hakubutsukan)
  • Tomie (富江)
  • Flesh-Colored Horror (肉色の怪, Nikuiro no Kai)
  • Kakashi (案山子)
  • Lovesick Dead (死びとの恋わずらい, Shibito no Koi Wazurai)
• Uzumaki (うずまき)
• Gyo (ギョ)
  • The Enigma of Amigara Fault (阿弥殻断層の怪, Amigara Dansō no Kai)
• Cat Diary: Yon & Moo (猫日記 よん&むー, Neko Nikki Yon to Mū)
• Black Paradox (ブラックパラドクス, Burakku Paradokusu)
• Hellstar Remina (地獄星レミナ)
• Yami no Koe (闇の声)
• Shin Yami no Koe Kaidan (新・闇の声 潰談)
• Mimi no Kaidan (ミミの怪談)
• Yuukoku no Rasputin (憂国のラスプーチン)

Adaptions

Following the success of the film Ringu, Tomie was adapted into a series of films, beginning in 1999. Several other works of Ito's have subsequently been adapted for film and television:

• The Fearsome Melody - (戦慄の旋律 senritsu no senritsu), 1992
• Tomie - ( 富江 Tomie), 1998
• Tomie: Another Face - (?富江:アナザフェイス), 1999
• Tomie Replay - ( 富江:re-play Tomie: re-play), 2000
• Uzumaki - (うずまき Uzumaki), 2000
• Gravemarker Town (film) - (墓標の町 bohyou no machi), 2000
• The Face Burglar (film)- (顔泥棒 kao dorobou), 2000
• The Hanging Balloons - (首吊り気球 kubitsuri no kikyuu), 2000
• Long Dream - (長い夢 nagai yume), 2000
• Oshikiri - (押切 Oshikiri), 2000
• Kakashi - (案山子 Kakashi), 2001
• Lovesick Dead (also known as Love Ghost) - (死びとの恋わずらい shibito no koiwazurai), 2001
• Tomie: Rebirth - (富江:Rebirth Tomie: Rebirth), 2001
• Tomie: The Final Chapter - Forbidden Fruit - (富江 最終章 ?禁断の果実 Tomie: Saishuu-sh? - kindan no kajitsu), 2002
• Marronnier - (マロニエ Marronnier), 2002
• The Groaning Drain - (うめく排水管), 2004
• Tomie: Beginning 2005
• Tomie: Revenge 2005
• Tomie Vs. Tomie 2007
• Tomie: Unlimited 2011

Trivia

In English-speaking countries, Junji Ito's manga has been subject various internet memes in particular a walking shark creature from Gyo with the English translated sound effect of "gashunk", and the translated sound effect "DRR DRR DRR" from the climax of the Enigma of Amigara Fault. The game Minecraft references the Enigma of Amigara Fault meme, with the "DRR DRR DRR" sound effect appearing as one of the random yellow messages over the title logo that pops up on logging in to the game. The line from Enigma of Amigara Fault "this is my hole, it was made for me" has also become a meme. Other characters and icons from Ito's work show up as memes in various forms, as Ito's work continually proves to be popular among western readers exposed to it.

References

• Ito, Junji (October 2007) [1998]. Uzumaki, Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). Viz Media. ISBN 1-4215-1389-7. 

External links

• Junji Ito at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
• Junji Ito at the Internet Movie Database
• English Fansite
• Junji-ito on listal.com
• September 2007 Video Interview with Junji Ito