Happy Halloween VIZ fans! Welcome back to the VIZ Social Media Team’s Substack. I’m sure most of you are busy perfecting your classic spooky costumes, and zig-zagging around making sure your abode is the perfect Halloween headquarters for ghouls and ghosts of every variety! 👻 In honor of the beloved spook-tacular holiday, let’s cover some horror-manga related phenomena and happenings from the Digital Cosmos (the internet)!
If anyone talks about horror manga, they will inevitably mention the G.O.A.T. Junji Ito. The renowned mangaka has been at the very forefront of horror manga, producing an incredible array of fan and critically-acclaimed works for numerous decades now. From Tomie to Uzumaki and more, Junji Ito never fails to wow fans all across the globe with his decidedly singular, signature style of terror. Needless to say, we at VIZ feel unbelievably lucky to share Ito-sensei’s incredible oeuvre with all of you.
Clearly, with such a talent on our hands, we’ve taken measures to ensure he’ll stick around with us…forever.
I know, it might seem a little mean, but Ito-sensei is a cherished creator we revere with all our hearts. *in malevolent horror-movie villain voice* It’s clearly for the benefit of all parties to keep him confined in an undisclosed location for an unknown period of time, but of course with all the amenities and accommodations fitting for a mangaka!
Checkered_Fancy (TikTok) and oui_oui_muda!! (TikTok), we will ALWAYS provide at least 50-100 adorable kitty photos to Ito-sensei any time we hold him involuntarily captiv….er, I mean, any time we’re blessed with the luxury of filming entertaining content with him. Rest assured he’s in good hands, with plenty of feline entertainment to keep him sufficiently amused.
Going off the cuff here but, I think I’d be very flattered if I was respected enough creatively by enough people to warrant being whisked away for an indefinite period of time to film comical social media content. I mean, wouldn’t you? That’s a reasonable and not weird thing to say right? Someone validate me….please. 😭
AHEM anyways, let’s explore more fun Junji Ito content and see some responses from you, the fanbase!
Junji Ito also graced us with humorous takes on what theme park attractions inspired by his terrifying tales might look like. Then, we asked the illustrious Slimyswampghost to draw his terrifying visions, starting with Uzumaki! Just as you might guess, Ito-sensei envisioned a gigantic spiraling rollercoaster that eventually leads to a tailspin where you fall and, potentially die I think? Yikes, scary indeed. I mean I’d be totally okay diving to my death if it meant downward cruising on a rollercoaster concocted by Junji Ito himself (provided I’m between the ages of 90-180 of course). What a way to go out m i rite?? The genius of his idea is something I totally expect and welcome from the master of horror manga himself. 🎢
Here’s a scary theme park experience inspired by Ito-sensei: you wait 6 hours in line on a hot Summer day for a hyped up new ride shrouded in secrecy. You and every patron waiting are promised large bundles of free manga, peaking your excitement and intrigue. After agonizing time spent in the grueling sun with no shade, you finally reach the front of the line and enter a wooden, make-shift cavern. Suddenly, the lights shut off completely and mechanical arms aggressively place you in what’s ostensibly your seat for the ride. You are strapped down tightly, arms, legs and all. So it begins. 😰
The lights turn on and a theme park employee stands before you dangling manga that they say will never grace your thirsty hands. Another employee takes a cartoonishly large white feather and dangles it in front of your face, causing you to sneeze incessantly. Another intermittently blares an airhorn into your ear, with big clown-energy vibes. You endure this unbearably cruel torture for hours, restrained the entire time. You are released early in the morning without an explanation, not so much as a sip of water, or any tasty yum-yum treats. But worst of all, you stumble away bleary-eyed without the bundle of free manga you were falsely promised and so desperately craved. Welcome to my nightmare. 💀
Pleased to see that some of you, much like myself at the beginning of this piece (😌), proclaimed Ito-sensei to be the real G.O.A.T. Your affection does not go unnoticed. Perhaps we’ll even release Ito-sensei soon since users •James•, Not Colby (sadly), and khathi 🫶 asked so nicely! 😏
P.S.: if you’re craving more Junji Ito manga, make sure to check out Mimi’s Tales of Terror, which we just released! With art by Junji Ito, and original Story by Hirokatsu Kihara and Ichiro Nakayama, this bed-wetting collection of tales are supposedly REAL and arrives just in time to round out your Halloween celebrations! So go snag a copy already or something. 📖
We always want to show off all your cosplay, ESPECIALLY your Halloween fits, so make sure to your submissions anytime here: heysocial@viz.com
And that’s it for this week’s Substack! What’re you up to for Halloween this year? What’s the creepiest/most disturbing rollercoaster ride you can think of? What are you dressing up as and what’s a Junji Ito work that’s near and dear to your horror-loving heart? Sound off in the comments, and vote in this week’s poll below! Until later~~🧙