A Special Talk With Masters of Horror, Junji Ito and Akiko Hatsu! The Secrets Of Manga As Told By The Judges Of The Asahi Horror Comic Awards

Interview and article by Unga Asamiya

- Junji Ito
-
In 1987, his work Tomie won an honorable mention in the Kazuo Umezu Prize of the horror manga magazine Gekkan Halloween and marked his debut. His other notable works include Uzumaki and Gyo. At the 2021 Eisner Comic Industry Awards, held in the U.S., he won two awards: Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia for Remina, and Best Writer/Artist for Remina and Venus in the Blind Spot.

- Akiko Hatsu
-
She made her debut in 1981 in the magazine ALLAN with the work Elegy of the Waves. Her other notable works include Uryūdō Dream Tales, Tojin Yashiki, Gensouki-cho, and Ojousama no Okiniiri. Her work Furuginuya Monyouchou is currently being serialized in Monthly Flowers.
Giving works power through pictures
── Today, I'd like to ask these two authors, who have both been at the forefront of the horror manga world for many years, for some behind-the-scenes information about their creative process and advice for all the participants to the Asahi Horror Comic Awards.

Right: Akiko Hatsu's Uryūdō Dream Tales Part 1 (image from the paperback edition published by Asahi Shimbun Publications in 2015)
(* Translator's Note: kakeami is a crosshatching technique that is relatively unique to manga. The lines in this style do not usually span the entire length of the space being shaded.)
(©ジェイアイ/小学館)
What matters is not realism, but authenticity
── Many people out there are probably wondering how to develop a unique style of drawing like yours.
── I guess that's especially meaningful in horror, as it deals with things that are out of this world.
Enter the contest if you want to start a revolution
── The Asahi Horror Comic Awards are already underway. What kind of horror would you like to read?
── Finally, please leave a message to those who're looking to participate in the Asahi Horror Comic Awards!
The Asahi Horror Comic Awards are underway!
The winner will receive a cash prize and have the chance to see the winning work published in the comic magazines HONKOWA and Nemuki+. In addition, an editor will be assigned to the winner to support their professional debut by considering serialization in both magazines.
The application period will end on October 31, 2021 (Sun). To participate, all you have to do is post your work on pixiv and add the contest tags! We look forward to seeing your entries!!
Click here for more details!
>> Asahi Horror Comic Awards (Manga) (in Japanese) <<
>> Asahi Horror Comic Awards (Novels) (in Japanese) <<