Visões Grotescas

by Junji Ito, Drik Sada (Translator)

A coroação da obra do mestre Junji Ito no livro mais luxuoso de sua carreira, pensado especialmente para os amantes de seu trabalho e maiores fãs.

Visões Grotescas: A Arte Perturbadora de Junji Ito é um artbook comemorativo que reúne suas mais belas e impactantes artes produzidas ao longo de décadas, feito na ocasião em que ele completava mais de 30 anos como autor de mangás de horror.

O livro é um verdadeiro mergulho na sua trajetória, apresentando mais de uma centena de imagens impressas em altíssima resolução e em papel de extrema qualidade. A curadoria, pensada para transmitir a essência de Junji Ito, contém ilustrações de capa, artes avulsas derivadas de seus títulos, páginas iniciais de capítulos em cores e uma seleção de perturbadoras cenas em preto e branco extraídas de suas melhores histórias, com destaque para Tomie, sua personagem mais icônica, e a série Uzumaki, a primeira que o alçou à fama fora do Japão, seguindo por diversas coletâneas e materiais de divulgação.

O livro traz também uma entrevista inédita com o autor, na qual ele revela em detalhes as técnicas de desenho e pintura que aplica em suas obras, além de suas principais inspirações e referências; e um índice remissivo com comentários sobre a concepção das artes e os materiais usados em cada uma delas.

Visões Grotescas é um impressionante artbook que chega ao Brasil pela editora Pipoca & Nanquim, impresso em formato grande com capa dura, sobrecapa metalizada impressa em cores especiais e miolo com três tipos de papel diferentes, incluindo páginas em prata, seguindo a edição original japonesa em todos os acabamentos gráficos!

Genres: Manga, Horror, Art, Graphic Novels, Comics, Nonfiction, Japan

156 pages, Hardcover

First published March 20, 2019

About the author

Junji Itō (Japanese: 伊藤潤二, Ito Junji) is a Japanese cartoonist and illustrator, best known for his horror manga.
Ito was born in Gifu Prefecture, Japan in 1963. He was inspired to make art from a young age by his older sister's drawing and Kazuo Umezu's horror comics. Until the early 1990s he worked as a dental technician, while making comics as a side job. By the time he turned into a full time mangaka, Ito was already an acclaimed horror artists.
His comics are celebrated for their finely depicted body horrors, while also retaining some elements of psychological horror and erotism.
Although he mostly produces short stories, Ito is best known for his longer comic series: Tomie (1987-2000), about a beautiful high school girl who inspires her admirers to commit atrocities; Uzumaki (1998-1999), set in a town cursed with spiral patterns; Gyo (2001-2002), featuring a horde of metal-legged undead fishes. Tomie and Uzumaki in particular have been adapted multiple times in live-action and animation.

Reviews

[Tammie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twisted Visions, an art book, was a solid 5 stars.
I’m a huge fan of Junji Ito and his horror manga/graphic novels, so I was very excited when this book came out.
Twisted Visions contains over 130 images from previous works, including my favorites Uzumaki and Tomi. The book itself is absolutely gorgeous-it is large in size and contains numerous glossy pictures in all different sizes, shapes and colors. Highly recommend to art, manga/graphic novels and horror fans. You won’t be disappointed.

[E. G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

--The Art of Junji Ito: Twisted Visions

Interview with Junji Ito: Horror Manga Techniques
Index
Afterword

[R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of very good tattoo ideas here.
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A great coffee table book, if your coffee table is crafted of human bones and screams.
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[Michael Sorbello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Junji Ito has been nicknamed the Lovecraft of Japan and it shows through the baffling body horror imagery, bizarre story concepts and the masterfully eerie atmosphere his work conjures.

His dark tales can vary greatly in subject and quality, but he never disappoints when it comes to his menacing, macabre and oddly beautiful artwork. A collection of some of his most delightfully sinister art is something I was bound to love.

Many wicked ideas for posters, heavy metal album covers and badass tattoos can be found in here.

[♡ retrovvitches ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is prob my fav art collection ever. just wow! some really great illustrations from some of my fav stories

[Rachel Kathryn Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a collection of artwork by Junji Ito, where some are from his books and others came from other materials of his. There was also an interview at the end, which I really liked. One of the interesting points I saw from the interview was that he is not a huge fan of making art in color. But all the work that was in color I found to be stunning especially the blue and purple toned work. I also loved that the book highlighted each artwork differently whether by background color, material of the paper, or the page layout. Highly recommend you check this book out if you love art, manga, and horror.

[Samir Leal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Patiently waiting for this masterpiece!
Ito sama is the master of horror.

[Rumi Bossche · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great oversized artwork and deluxe book, but not alot of extra's though.

[Readaholic Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creepy but beautiful art. What a talented artist! I love the interview with Junji Ito at the end and his notes on his piece.

[jasmin · Rating 4 out of 5]

idk if I should count this in my reading challenge but anyways I bought this as a birthday gift for someone and I just like flipped through the whole thing and wow it’s so cool

[Jedi JC Daquis · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you already have or thinking about having this, then probably, then probably you are in this deep, spiraled into the grotesquely beautiful and enchantingly haunting world and works of Junji Ito.

Twisted Vision: The Art of Junji Ito is best experienced when you spend a couple of moments at each page, carefully and meticulously appreciating all the details of the horror mangaka's art without having bothered by any plot, story, or speech bubbles. And this is what artbooks should be - if you love the material, buy the artbook.


What the heck?

Long-time readers of Junji Ito would definitely recognize where the panels showed up in the manga. Like, oh, here's the creepy head from that guy who dreams, or that dad who is extremely fascinated by spirals, or the Dissolving Classroom cover. Many illustrations from the "Junjiniverse" are here, in all large-format beauty. There are also drawings which I haven't recognized yet, maybe I forgot, or maybe Viz Media hasn't published the story yet.

I have long collected artbooks, mostly from games and western comics. And this is what keeps me from loving Twisted Visions all the way: the book, as visually stunning as it can be, lacks narrative. Aside from the index and interview at the end, the illustrations do not have embedded backstories. Anecdotes, annotations, comments from the Ito about the drawings, stuff like that. And I am a sucker of the lore, side materials that draws you more into the world you are already so invested with.

Oh yeah, I have definitely enjoyed it nonetheless. But the artbook and the readers alike could have benefitted more with additional pages dedicated to narrative and even more illustrations (like wth I want more Gyo!). Junjinatics like us would buy it anyway, even at a higher price. That's what I really felt with Twisted Visions. It is more of a sizeable appetizer than a satisfying dessert, in a meal where the Ito books are the main entrée.

[Persy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A stunning collection of Junji Ito’s work that is sure to inspire, thrill, and disgust the viewer. I was particularly excited about the color pieces included in this collection. Very cool to see something so different from the usual black and white manga style.

There is also an interesting interview with Ito at the end. Bonus points!

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very nice coffee-table style book but what really makes it is Ito's minimal, but hilarious and self-deprecating notes on each work.

[Mirai · Rating 3 out of 5]

หนังสือเล่มนี้เหมาะกับนักอ่านสายสะสมขนานแท้เลยค่ะ
ตัวเล่มใหญ่มากกกกกก และหนักมากกกกกด้วยเช่นกัน 55555 ส่วนกล่องใส่หนังสือเป็นแบบไม้อัดสกรีนตัวอักษรสีเทาแววๆ พร้อมกระดาษรองหนังสือด้านในอย่างดีค่ะ (กล่องจะมีแค่เฉพาะที่ซื้อกับสำนักพิมพ์ luckpim นะคะ ถ้าเป็นเล่มภาษาอังกฤษหรือภาษาญี่ปุ่นต้นฉบับเลยจะมีแต่ตัวเล่มเปล่าๆ ไม่มีกล่องใส่ค่ะ)

ส่วนในเล่มจะอัดแน่นไปด้วยภาพวาดผลงานของอาจารย์จุนจิค่ะ ทั้งภาพสีและภาพขาวดำสลับกันไปค่ะ (ก็หนังสือรวมภาพวาดนี่เนอะ 5555) เรารู้สึกว่าตัวกระดาษจะใช้ไม่เหมือนกันด้วยนะคะ แต่ถือว่าดี เพราะหมึกไม่เลอะใส่มือตอนเปิดอ่าน ภาพก็ขยายใหญ่มากๆ มากกว่ามังงะฉบับบิ๊กไซส์เยอะเลยค่ะ

ท้ายเล่มจะมีเหมือนดัชนีภาพวาดทั้งหลาย พร้อมคำอธิบายประกอบภาพ และมีบทสัมภาษณ์นิดหน่อยของอาจารย์จุนจิ อิโต้ เกี่ยวกับเทคนิคการวาดการ์ตูนสยองขวัญ ก่อนจะปิดท้ายด้วยคำลงท้ายของอาจารย์เองค่ะ

[Aeroyou]

Sublime artbook qui reprend les meilleures planches du maitre de l'horreur, parfois en couleur, pour le plus grand plaisir de nos mirettes. Plaira à tous les fans de Junji Ito (même si les dessins ne sont pas inédits bien sûr).

[Monika Ghosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

His art is always fascinating.

[Mothlight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Damn, this is a really handsome book. The color prints are on glossy paper, the black and white on matte, and you even have some pages utilizing silver foil which is a mesmerizing effect against the lineart. This is a good showcase of different variations in Ito's work too, from the ink horror he's known for to soft color, and some silly things for good measure (I always appreciate the cats).

[Rissa (rissasreading) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved flipping through this beautiful collection of art from Junji Ito. The book itself is so beautiful with a beautiful dust jacket, inner pages, and a lovely hardcover. The interview with Junji was my favorite part of this obviously as I loved listening to him talk about art and drawing. A coffee table piece for cool people.

[Kai Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

This art book is FULL of art and a few small comics/sections of popular works by Junji Ito. Some things I didn't recognize myself, others I had a lot of fun remember what they were from. it has 4 main sections. Tomie, Uzumaki, Other Works, and then the index & an interview with Ito himself! I expected the whole thing to only be his horror works, but there was a two page part in the middle with his cats: Yon, Mu, & Tenmaru!! just like with his Cat Diary book, it was so so heartwarming to see. especially in the middle of all the darker stuff. The books is both in colour and black ink works and I highly recommend to any big Ito fan.

absolutely loved it!

[D.L. Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having been a fan of his artwork for years, getting my hands on this collection of work was a dream come true that did not disappoint. Typically, when buying collections of work, you run the risks of having a collection that is very limited because you've already seen most of the content within. While there are familiar pieces with in, several of them are drawn differently, given more attention, or even displayed in color. A great read for fans of Mr. Ito.

[Jamie Grech · Rating 5 out of 5]

Junji Ito is my hero. This book is a testament to the various styles and degrees of horror\ style. Fan since his first publication,fan of many stores I loved that were not yet published in English. Books\ manga outweigh the show deeply. One is a goofy,bad art, cheesy interpretation anime missing small points and final words. Great for fans. Beautiful.

[Loreli Cruz · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautiful showstopping love her she’s a whole book of colored in manga of his works 🫶 a genius

[Lisa Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a coffee table art book, so I feel like I'm cheating a bit by including it in my reading challenge. However, I did read the interview in the back and it was an interesting insight into Junji Ito's process and style and inspiration.

Not only is Junji Ito a brilliant artist, but he is also a brilliant storyteller. As a showcase of the last 30 years of work this man has done in the world of manga, this book is a masterpiece. Tbh, I expected nothing less.

Some day, when I own my own house, I will also own a coffee table, and on that coffee table will sit The Art of Junji Ito: Twisted Visions. When I look at it, I will think of hair battles and snails and body shaped tunnels and a skull of skulls and I'll smell the stench of rotten fish and remember how my arm hair stood on end when I finished the last gut-punching page of Uzumaki. I'll be the happiest I've ever been in my whole life.

I rated The Art of Junji Ito: Twisted Visions 5 out of 5 stars.

[SabCo T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This would technically be my second time reading because I had hunted down the original Japanese release of the book when it came out and used translation apps to read the actual interviews included in the book. There's only a few different pieces that I found in the original vs the translated release, and while I greatly appreciate/prefer that the translated release is in a hardback format, I hate the huge cheesy text of the translated edition that covers the beautiful cover art. The original release had it as apart of the backdrop and it looks a lot better. If you're a fan of Ito's art, this is a must-have.

[Leila Anani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any fan of Junji Ito needs this art-book in their collection. It's a stunning gallery of the best of 30 years work - including images from Tomie, Gyo, Uzumaki, any many of his best shorts. There are several commissions here as well that have never before been seen. Its a mix of colour and b&w art - all full page, with some sections, like the amazing cover in black & silver. There's an index at the back giving details of each picture which is very handy. Where relevant, the Japanese is translated unobtrusively at the bottom of the page, giving the reader the chance to appreciate the art in its original form. There's also a short interview with Ito to finish off. Stunning.

[Vivien · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s something incredibly pleasant and delightful about Junji Ito’s works. The careful and deliberate lines. The soft round cheeks on female characters’ faces. The symmetry of their face with these large, dead/empty eyes. The endless spirals, circles, and swirls. There rarely is empty spaces, which I find exciting; there is so much going on and you need to look at everything closely. My favorite pages: 65-67 (soichi has such great teeth, lmao), 68 (looks like me), 79 (love how rich the blue is), 101 (hilarious), 106-107, 109, and the preview images from page 131 because of the metallic paper is is printed on.

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of covers, frontispieces, and select panels from Junji Ito's many horror graphic novels that gets right to the money shots, serving up some of his biggest moments of body horror and a generous heap of eerie gloom. There is a short interview in the back as well as a one or two sentence commentary by Ito about each image. In addition to Ito's own characters, there are a few portraits of real people: H. P. Lovecraft and some Japanese musicians.

Fun to flip through if you are a fan or just want to be grossed out every few pages.

[Madeleine · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I'm happiest when I'm creating something. I get so focused, I forget to eat or sleep."

I'm in awe of Ito's talent. His artwork is beautiful, creepy and terrifying at the same time!
I would suggest having read at least Tomie and Uzumaki before this book, since many of the art shown here are taken from these two works, but I haven't read Tomie yet and I didn't mind.
I loved the fact that many of the drawings were in color!

[Dimitra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a HUGE fan of Junji Ito.
This book is the ultimate must-have for anyone like me!
Such an amazing collection of his work, beautifully constructed and put together in a book that can easily be displayed as an art piece!
It is STUNNING! Some pages are glossy, some others are like silver, grayish, black matte etc.
GORGEOUS!!! ...Horrifying, but GORGEOUS!
And also, there is a cute interview of the man himself.

[Iasm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got this as a birthday present and it was something.
Junji Ito is one of the best mangaka, his artwork was and will always be impressive. Those monsters are original, so unexpected and scary in a good way. Tomie will never disappoint, not only because of Ito's talent, but also the story line.

Also, if you're going to buy this... make sure you have large enough shelves.