How a dental technician became the master of modern horror

How this artist turns your own brain against you.


Junji Ito Reading Guide

Beginner’s Guide:

Uzumaki - https://amzn.to/3FoVsNY

If you’re just getting into Ito, Uzumaki is a great starting place. It begins as almost self-contained short stories, but they do gradually build into an ongoing narrative, so it gives you a taste of his larger narrative arcs as well.

Shiver - https://amzn.to/48ZHfUZ

I personally feel that Ito’s talents are best on display in his many short story collections, and this one is a “best of” selected by Ito himself along with commentary on each story. A must have.

Tomie - https://amzn.to/46Rx3w3

Ito’s earliest work, Tomie is an example of Ito’s approach to some series, where stories are independent but feature recurring themes or characters.


Advanced Guide:

The rest of Ito’s work generally breaks down into longer works like Uzumaki, and short story collections. I haven’t read all of it, but I’ve read a lot, and nothing has ever been a letdown, so it’s really about choosing what format you like and diving in.

Short Story Collections:

Fragments of Horror - https://amzn.to/46RxZk3
Tombs - https://amzn.to/46Zhse5
Smashed - https://amzn.to/3FlGjg3
Deserter (early stories) - https://amzn.to/3ZYLegH
Venus in the Blind Spot (includes his best story) - https://amzn.to/3rXuN7G
The Liminal Zone - https://amzn.to/46AlAkO
Frankenstein (Adaptation of the novel + other stories) - https://amzn.to/3rZNAPN

Longer Works:

Black Paradox - https://amzn.to/490n2i8
Gyo - https://amzn.to/3M8UIjD
Remina - https://amzn.to/3rVz1N2
Dissolving Classroom - https://amzn.to/3tBoqHN
Sensor - https://amzn.to/3tIOmB0

Interconnected Short Stories:

Soichi - https://amzn.to/3S8nLHR
Lovesickness - https://amzn.to/45DUgRx

Other:

The Art of Junji Ito - https://amzn.to/3FlSmKn
Junji Ito’s Cat Diary (yes, a manga about his cats) - https://amzn.to/46TY023
No Longer Human (novel adaptation) - https://amzn.to/491v3De


Non-Ito Comics I mention

Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud - https://amzn.to/3Q1LTcv

This book changed my life when I read it 20 years ago and still blows my mind every time I reread it since then.

Kazuo Umezu’s The Drifting Classroom (Perfect edition complete in 3 volumes)

1 - https://amzn.to/3Qoela6
2 - https://amzn.to/3rVSwFc
3 - https://amzn.to/3QwIvYR

Hideshi Hino

Sadly, while there ARE solid translations of Hino’s work, they are all out of print. If you work for a publisher please fix this!! Someone tweet at Viz or something. If anyone publishes them I will promote it for free.

Sources

   • Drawing Inspired by "Enigma of Amigara Fau...  
   • A Talk with Junji Ito | Creator Interview ...  
   • Conversation with Junji Ito | TCAF 2019 | VIZ  
   • Junji Ito Live Drawing Session | TCAF 2019...  
https://web.archive.org/web/202011020...
https://web.archive.org/web/202107301...
https://web.archive.org/web/201903061...
https://web.archive.org/web/201603101...
http://alienexplorations.blogspot.com...

Credits

Nic Cage Illustration by Laura Racero: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dphuonq...