The legendary horror mangaka Junji Ito will bring his macabre artwork to the cover of a new horror anthology manga.
As reported by ICv2, the upcoming Viz Media book Betwixt: A Horror Manga Anthology will feature a cover designed by Ito and a foreword from the iconic artist. This introduction will guide readers into the manga which is a collection of six short stories written by various Japanese and American artists. The book is set to release on Oct. 10, 2023.
The project is advertised as an “international showcase of horror,” with the featured artists including Ryo Hanada (Devil’s Line, Blackguard), Aki Shimizu (Qwan, Suikoden III), Shima Shinya (Lost Lad London, Star Wars: The High Republic: The Edge of Balance), Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad (Wonder Woman, Batgirls), Leslie Hung (Snotgirl, Green Hair Don’t Care) and Sloane Leong (Prism Stalker, Granveneye) and Hua Hua Zhu (The Red Sun, The Seagull). There is no word yet on the titles or synopsis of the shorts.
Ito Is a Manga Legend
The work of Ito is widely considered to be some of the most influential in horror manga. He began his career in 1987 after submitting a short story to Monthly Halloween. This short would be the beginnings of one of his most well-known works, Tomie, which ran for 13 years and became a pillar of his career. Besides this, he has produced many iconic one-shots, including “The Hanging Balloons,” “The Enigma of Amigara Falls,” “The Bully,” and “The Long Dream,” as well as complete books such as Gyo and, what is often considered his magnum opus, Uzumaki.
Ito’s work has been the subject of many adaptations, with almost all receiving negative responses. His stories were compiled into the anime anthology series Junji Ito Collection, which was criticized for its poor animation and direction. 2023 saw another attempt at this in Netflix’s Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre. This was received better but was still labeled as having the same problems as the previous attempt. An anime series based on Uzumaki is also on the way with no confirmed release date at the time of writing.
Ito will also release two compilation books in 2023, launching on May 11 and Aug. 31, respectively. Both books are installments of the Junji Ito Story Collection, with the first titled Tombs and the second Soichi. The Ito Story Collection currently has five volumes, including titles like Frankenstein, Smashed, and Lovesickness.
Source: ICv2
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