Kara Dennison
September 12, 2024 
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.
Uncanny: The Origins of Fear goes on sale October 15.
