Junji Ito thread

[Robert Adam Gilmour]

There is already threads about specific works but I wanted a general thread for him.

Fragments Of Horror is out this week, his first new book in English since 2006! It's been far too long. Cat Diary is coming out later this year. All this after the recent omnibus reissues of Uzimaki and Gyo.
French readers have a way better selection.

Oddly enough Fragments Of Horror was only just released in Japan last year and it's unusual that something so recent gets a translation. I got my copy today and it has a great dustjacket image with a completely different image embossed into it.

It's a mystery to me why it taken so long for more to be translated. Museum Of Terror stopped after 3 volumes but was supposed to be much longer. Apparently it didn't sell well enough.
Either people were bored of Japanese horror comics or maybe the third volume of unrelated short stories killed the interest of most buyers after the Tomie series of the first two volumes was finished?

With all those Hideshi Hino and Kazuo Umezu books in addition to Junji Ito, it was a really great time for that stuff. Admittedly some of the Hino books were samey and some of the Umezu could be a bit dull but it was a real shame that after so much it just suddenly stopped for a long time. I think we did actually get the majority (18 books) of Hino's work but it would be nice to have the rest.
But with Ito it never made sense because he had a bigger audience and reputation.

I hope after Cat Diary that more keeps coming.

[Michael]

I fought reading Uzumaki for years. I'm not a Manga fan and erroneously lumped Ito into the Manga camp. Then I read it and was blown away. I was so happy to see Fragments coming out. Junji Ito is a master of the genre. Thanks for starting a thread for him specifically.

[Frater_Tsalal]

What a coincidence, I just read Gyo last night (along with purchasing Fragments yesterday). He certainly does have a vivid imagination.

[Robert Adam Gilmour]

Jonathan Ross interview with him from probably a decade ago.
Junji Ito Interview - YouTube

[Coa]

I've read somewhere that Ito suffers from some kind of 'hand-condition' which is typical for illustrators, so his output decreased significantly over the years.

[Robert Adam Gilmour]

In the afterward to Fragments Of Horror he does mention something about losing strength but he didn't specifically mention his hands. But he did mention being unable to explain the extent of his decreased productivity.

Bernie Wrightson had hand troubles, plenty of musicians get them and it's a scary idea for anyone who needs their hands for creativity.

[Robert Adam Gilmour]

My favourite story in Fragments Of Horror was the one about the blackbird woman. I quite like it when there is a sexual element in horror that isn't just standard abuse, but something strange and fascinating.

The story about the quirky novelist seemed like it was referring to an existing trend. I'd like to know if any of you knew about something like this.

It seems to me that his work is getting increasingly surreal.

[david]

Did you all see that Viz released a new deluxe copy of Gyo? Picked up a copy and it is gorgeous.

[symbolique]

nil

[Robert Adam Gilmour]

Extensive study of Fragments Of Horror.
Fragments of Horror | The Comics Journal