Die hard horror fans should not be unfamiliar with horror legend Junji Ito, who has had an iron grip over the manga industry with his illustrations that can only be described as a beautiful nightmare.

Influenced by his older sister’s drawings along with Kazuo Umezu's comics, Ito’s art style comprises mostly of body horror where a person’s fear and anxiety personalizes itself on the human body parts morphing into a monstrous form which is equally unsettling and unforgettable.

'Army Of One'. One of Ito's most popular one-shots.

The horror legend has recently released an illustration of a short synopsis of Robert Eggers ‘The Lighthouse’ in light of the movie’s theatrical release in Japan this July.

The Lighthouse, released in 2019 is a hauntingly beautiful movie about lighthouse keepers Ephraim and Thomas played by Robert Pattinson and Willam Dafoe respectively, who have been trapped in an island in the middle of a storm. It is a film powered by powerful performances and a surreal setting capable of leaving audience trapped in its haze long after the credits have rolled.

Image credit : Junji Ito,A24,Focus Features/Universal Pictures

The film’s gothic noir style that it has been shot in pairs excellently with Junji Ito’s own dark art style using black and white ink which causes every crevice of his nightmarish creations to further highlight the already horrifying illustrations, leaving a simultaneously dazzled and disturbed audience.

Tomie (left) and Ribs Woman (right) illustrated by Junji Ito.

Some of the mangaka’s notable works are his comic collections ‘Tomie’ and ‘Uzumaki’. Ito also worked with director Guillermo del Toro and game designer Hideo Kojima on the horror game ‘Silent Hill’.

Sunnews/NT