I was first introduced to Junji Ito in high school art class, not by a teacher, but by one of my friends. The funny thing about this interaction was that it wasn't Tomie or Uzumaki or Gyo that my super cool artsy goth (at the time) friend pulled out to show me, but [book:Ito Junji's Cat Diary|59705725] ! I remember being so enthralled by the illustrations and the way Ito took something as simple as playing with a pet and made it into something unnerving and strange. I was hooked immediately.

Unfortunately, my very next foray into Ito's world was not as innocent as cats catching horrifying bugs and dropping them in their owner's lap. The next thing I read was The Enigma of Amigara Fault. Or rather, I watched a motion comic version of it on Youtube that had animations... and sound effects. That particular short story has never left the darker reaches of my brain. I was horrified and in love.

Over the years, I've devoured more and more of Ito's works. This year, I even made a sort of tribute to Ito's creations at the library where I work by creating a display and drawing some of his most famous (or infamous) characters. Of course I had to include the cats.

When I saw this book, I was super excited. I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I was not disappointed.

This book is a fascinating look into Ito's life as well as some of his inspirations and influences. I didn't know much about Ito before reading this beyond the fact that he wrote some of my most favorite horror manga. It was so cool getting to read about his past and how different media helped him learn and develop his style. As someone who draws myself and hopes to one day make comics, it was very inspiring to learn that his success wasn't something that just happened. I think sometimes we forget that all of our favorites started somewhere and built their way up.

Aside from being a really cool read, the design of the book is also amazing. I love all of the illustrations- Ito's art is always brilliant and terrible to behold in the best way - and I liked getting glimpses of some of the works that he enjoyed. Panels from mangas that he read when he was younger that inspired him. It was also cool to see illustrations of some of the stories he told in the book.

All and all, this was amazing and I loved it! I am probably going to buy myself a copy eventually so I can stare at all of the art whenever I please. But for now, thank you to NetGalley and VIZ Media for the digital ARC!

I received an ARC from Viz Media via NetGalley. As a fan of Junji Ito this autobiography was a fun way to understand the man behind such amazing horror manga stories. I liked learning about how he became a manga artist, his motivations and his creative process. I was less interested in areas that were specific to creating manga because I’m not looking to become a manga artist or storyteller. I’m glad I read this as a fan of so many of his stories. It also gave me a list of additional stories to checkout too.

With Adult Swim’s Uzumaki finally on its way, and Halloween just around the corner, we have Junji Ito on the brain yet again. The horror manga master has thrilled and terrified generations of fans. And if you’ve ever wondered how his mind works, a new book coming next month will give you all the answers.

Uncanny: The Origins of Fear is equal parts memoir, art book, and manga writing master class. Readers will get the inside scoop on how Ito created his most memorable stories and characters, as well as his creative process. He also talks about his life before manga, from his childhood as a horror fan to his time as a dental assistant.


The History

The first part of Uncanny: The Origins of Fear is largely memoir. Junji Ito discusses his childhood, interspersing memories with brand-new artwork. Never-before-seen art depicts the layout of his childhood home, a particularly unpleasant hospital procedure from his youth, and more. Naturally, he discusses his love of Kazuo Umezz; but we also get insight into his love of sci-fi films, tokusatsu, and other genres of film and manga.

We also learn more about his time as a dental assistant, and how a foreboding image of his future led him to set aside his tooth-sculpting tools and follow his dream. Even if you’ve read every interview, you will learn something you never knew before.


The Characters

A major part of the latter half of the book covers the memorable characters and stories of Junji Ito. We learn about how he conceives these characters—from his humanoid horrors to his doomed protagonists. Better still, the book features original sketches and notes from the character creation process, showing how figures like Tomie evolved from a fleeting concept to a memorable manga character.

While each major character gets their own section in the book, these stories run throughout the memoir section as well. Seeing how childhood fears and fascinations evolved into the stories we enjoy is immensely rewarding.


The Process

More than anything, though, Uncanny: The Origins of Fear is a must-read thanks to Junji Ito’s perspective on story crafting and art. Throughout the book’s different sections, he talks at length about how he approaches storytelling and character building. While full of the self-effacing tone we’ve come to expect from Ito, these perspectives are enlightening—both in terms of appreciating his work and for media in general. His elaboration on the line between sci-fi and horror (a distinction he first quotes from Umezz) is intriguing, especially when considered alongside his love of both genres.

But there’s so much more to enjoy, from the surprisingly simple reason for his intense line-work to his philosophy for creating horror characters. Aspiring manga artists will also gain a lot from his discussions of storyboarding and pacing, as he details how to build tension or orchestrate a jumpscare on the page.

Whether you’re a fan of Junji Ito specifically or horror generally, Uncanny: The Origins of Fear belongs on your bookshelf. It’s an eye-opening look not just at what makes Ito great, but at how to make great horror ourselves.

Junji Ito is one of my favorite manga authors ever and definitely my favorite horror creator. I have read a solid chunk of his works and love every second of them. I was very excited to see Ito finally working on a memoir of sorts, so I requested this right away.

This memoir (or whatever you want to call it) does not disappoint. Ito starts off describing his childhood and the manga authors he discovered then, including Kazuo Umezz, one of his biggest influences, and tells the story of his life and relationship with horror, terror, and the bizarre.

I will definitely be buying a physical copy of this and reading it again. Recommended for all horror manga fans.

Junji Ito is a genius and his imagination is unmatched. I was so excited to delve into this autobiography and it did not disappoint! Ito delved into his entire process of his work, including sketches and notes and this is just an absolutely fascinating look at an artists process. Ito is very honest in what he wishes he had changed or done better in his work, which is also something that aspiring artists will be interested to see, as even a master sees where he could improve works widely considered masterpieces.

This book serves as Junie Ito's memoir in part, outlining his story of becoming a horror manga artist.

At the same time, it explores the craft and what it takes to become a successful manga artist (12 hours days and constant stress of deadlines. We learn how he came up with specific stories, how he creates his characters, and what inspires him in general.

Ito shares his observations on what we fear most and how to bring it to the page. He gives very good examples and advice for potential visual artists or even authors in general. I certainly took some notes on story outlining and character creation.

The chapters are well organized, and the art is beautiful and creepy - as expected.

Thank you, NetGalley and VIZ Media, for an early reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.
The book is out on October 15.

I always love that Junji Ito is one of the sweetest people you'll ever meet, and he draws the most nightmarish horrorscapes in modern literature. Compare that to Hayao Miyazaki, whose art is some of the most delicate and beautiful ever crafted, but who is as curmudgeonly and difficult as they come.

Uncanny is a fascinating look into the life and works of Junji Ito, penned by the man himself. Any fans of the horror genre, or manga more widely, will find something to enjoy here.

Loved this insight into the personal life and works of my favorite manga artist ever: Junji Ito. I knew some details about his life before reading this ARC but learning more about what shaped him as a child and gave him inspiration when he became a professional manga artist was great. The conversational tone made it an easy read and I enjoyed the references to things that inspired him (many of which are now on my TBR).

A fascinating looks inside the mind of the modern master of horror manga. This will appeal to Ito's fans, manga/horror enthusiasts, and those interested in the creative process.

Junji Ito is an utterly adorable man, despite the unsettling content of his horror manga, and it was a total blast to read about his childhood, his inspirations, and his artistic processes in this book! A must read for fans of the author and horror in general.

Super cool new look into the mind of Junji Ito. Part-memoir, part guide to the craft, this book is a good mix sure to excite fans of Ito’s work. I didn’t realize how long ago his work was originally penned. The memoir part is lackluster, but the explanation of the craft has some gems for horror writers and illustrators alike.

an exploration of the weird little mind behind such classic weird little stories. Part memoir of how Junji Ito got into making manga, part writing tips for if you want to make your own horror manga (though some of the tips are pretty universal for writing in general), and part annotations of some of his greatest works and how he feels about them now. I loved finding out some fun facts about him and seeing his process

In this part memoir part stylistic exploration, Junji Ito cements himself as one of the elder statesmen of horror.

A fascinating look into the mind and works of Junji Ito. This book discusses the life of Junji Ito, the works that influenced him growing up, his creative process, and his experience with the horror genre. He discusses where his ideas, characters, and artwork come from as well as the process of writing manga, which was all super interesting. I particularly enjoyed learning about his process coming up with his stories. He isn't afraid to talk about what worked, what didn't, and how he changed his ideas to make them work. This will be a great book for anyone interested in Junji Ito, the horror genre, or the creative process in general. The design of the book was also great with a little flip book illustration along the edge and some of his unnerving illustrations in the background.