Danica Davidson
July 28, 2025 
Over the weekend at San Diego Comic Con, horror manga creator Junji Ito received a major accolade when he was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Awards Hall of Fame.
VIZ Media, Ito’s main American publisher, shared a subtitled video of the creator sharing his thanks.
“Hello, I’m Junji Ito, manga creator,” he began. “At this time I’d liked to express my heartfelt gratitude for being inducted into the Eisner Hall of Fame. I first received the Eisner Award in 2019 for Frankenstein: Junji Ito Story Collection, and again, later in total, four times . . . more than I deserve.”
He continued, “Furthermore, to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, is the greatest honor. This honor inspires me, though I don’t know how long I will continue being a manga artist, to continue for as long as I can in a way that doesn’t rest on one’s laurels, to continue to strive to be a better creator. I would like to thank the selection committee of the Eisner Awards, my readers who have continuously supported me, and the publishing community, for their longstanding support. And a special thanks to VIZ Media, with their wonderful designs of my book covers.”
And then he paid homage to another influential horror mangaka, one who came before him. Continuing his list of people to thank, he said, “Also, to the person who gave me the reason to become a manga artist, who sadly passed away last year at 88 years old, the great horror manga creator Kazuo Umezz, and everyone who gave me the energy and motivation to create manga . . . I would like to convey my deepest gratitude. Thank you very much for this honor!”
Junji Ito Inducted into the Eisner Hall of Fame
His next book from VIZ Media is Moan: Junji Ito Story Collection, which is due out in October.
You can check out Otaku USA’s reviews on some of Ito’s titles, including Tombs, Uncanny, Dissolving Classroom, and Twisted Visions.
Source: Press release
____
Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
