The plot follows an earthquake that reveals several human-shaped holes on the side of a fault. As people travel to see the spectacle, they realize that the holes were specifically made for individual people. They then become hypnotized into going through their holes, emerging months later on the other side of the mountain, hideously deformed.
Adult Swim/Toonami even created an anime based on Junji’s work “Uzumaki” that’s been in-process for the past 4 years.
His older sister’s used to read manga by Kazuo Umezu, who is considered the "god of horror manga", which later influenced Junji himself.
Kazuo Umezu
Despite drawing manga since he was four years old, Junji originally studied to become a dental technician.
Junji Ito looking shockingly calm while drawing absolute fucked up shit.
In an attempt to stay connected with his artistic side Junji would study his fellow student’s medical illustrations to learn how to draw muscles and even learned how to whittle pencils like dentures.
Influences
As previously mentioned Junji was influenced early on by the art and stories of Kazuo Umezu, but was also very impacted by an anti-war sentiment instilled in him by his parent’s tragic war stories of WWII.
From The Atlantic: “Hiroshima, Japan, one month after the first atomic bomb ever used in warfare was dropped on the city by the U.S.”
Junji was also a fan of H.P. Lovecraft and many consider Junji’s obsession with spirals to have derived from Lovecraft’s similar obsession.
In Lovecraft’s writings, spirals initially figure visible cosmic order and scientific discovery, as suggested by his excited responses to early photographic images of the spiral nebula.
In Lovecraft’s writings as of 1918, however, beginning with “The Poe-et’s Nightmare,” spirals increasingly come to figure disorder and chaos, an association intensified by Lovecraft’s gradual acceptance of the cosmic consequences of the second law of thermodynamics, contemporaneously with what he called the “maelstrom” of the First World War’s chaotic violence.
Shocking that so much horror inspiration comes from the trauma and senseless violence of war.
(sarcasm translation: not shocking and worth reflection).
Smashed
The collection above, “Smashed”, I will admit are the only comics I own / have read of Junji’s works.
I bought it when I was on my honeymoon in Japan back in 2017.
The second I opened the book and flipped through the pages I was like:
“This shit is fucked up. Where’s the cash register?”
I must impart to all:
If you have any inclination toward manga/comics/horror the works of Junji Ito are an absolute must-read.
Comments (Let’s Chat!):
Are you a fan of the horror genre or is it just too much?
I am very particular in my horror preferences, so I understand being sensitive to it.
Had you previously been familiar with Junji Ito and his work?
Do you read manga or watch anime?
If so are you interested in watching the Adult Swim/Toonami mini-series when it releases later this year?
Bring a leaf blower the latrine….😎
Hey you might appreciate this, it looks pretty Ito-tastic
https://store.steampowered.com/app/913740/WORLD_OF_HORROR/