How this artist turns your own brain against you.
*Junji Ito Reading Guide*
Beginner’s Guide:
Uzumaki - [ Ссылка ]
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 - [ Ссылка ]
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 - [ Ссылка ]
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 - [ Ссылка ]
Tombs - [ Ссылка ]
Smashed - [ Ссылка ]
Deserter (early stories) - [ Ссылка ]
Venus in the Blind Spot (includes his best story) - [ Ссылка ]
The Liminal Zone - [ Ссылка ]
Frankenstein (Adaptation of the novel + other stories) - [ Ссылка ]
Longer Works:
Black Paradox - [ Ссылка ]
Gyo - [ Ссылка ]
Remina - [ Ссылка ]
Dissolving Classroom - [ Ссылка ]
Sensor - [ Ссылка ]
Interconnected Short Stories:
Soichi - [ Ссылка ]
Lovesickness - [ Ссылка ]
Other:
The Art of Junji Ito - [ Ссылка ]
Junji Ito’s Cat Diary (yes, a manga about his cats) - [ Ссылка ]
No Longer Human (novel adaptation) - [ Ссылка ]
*Non-Ito Comics I mention*
Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud - [ Ссылка ]
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 - [ Ссылка ]
2 - [ Ссылка ]
3 - [ Ссылка ]
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*
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*Credits*
Nic Cage Illustration by Laura Racero: [ Ссылка ]
