Manga Horror Master Junji Ito to Make First North American Appearance

Toronto Comics and Arts Festival (TCAF) has announced that their special guest is none other than the master of horror manga himself, Junji Ito! Happening on May 11-12 at the Toronto Reference Library, Ito is not only a special guest but the artist of the event’s official poster as well. Check it out below:

Among his activities in the TCAF will be participating in a special onstage interview, live drawing and ticketed autograph sessions. He will also launch his newest horror story collection, Smashed, which will be published by VIZ Media in April. Containing thirteen stories and 416 pages long, the horror collection is officially described as such:

“Try not to be noticed when you eat the secret nectar, otherwise you’ll get smashed… what horrific events happened to create the earthbound—people tied to a certain place for the rest of their short lives? Then, a strange haunted house comes to town, but no one expects it to lead to a real hell… Welcome to Junji Ito’s world, a world with no escape from endless nightmares.”

Besides Smashed, VIZ Media has also announced that they licensed Ito’s No Longer Human, a manga adaptation of Osamu Dazai’s classic novel. It is planned for a fall release this year. Ito first released No Longer Human in Shogakukan’s Big Comic Original magazine in May 2017.

Best known for works such as Uzumaki and Tomie, Junji Ito’s works have been adapted into several movies. Most notable is his work Tomie, which has been adapted into several films since 1999. In 2017, an anime adaptation of his works, the Junji Ito Collection, was released.

Source: : Toronto Comics and Arts Festival official website, Anime News Network