Niccolò Caranti

Junji Ito

Illustrator

Japanese·b. 1963

Known for:

Master of horror manga. Creator of Uzumaki, Tomie, Gyo, and The Enigma of Amigara Fault.

Education:

Vocational school (Dental Technology degree); self-taught manga artist

Junji Ito is a Japanese horror manga artist born in 1963 in Sakashita (now Nakatsugawa), Gifu Prefecture. He trained and worked as a dental technician for six years, developing hand-tooling skills he later applied to customizing his drawing pens. In 1987, he submitted a short story to Monthly Halloween magazine and won an honorable mention in the Kazuo Umezu Prize, launching his career. He is the creator of Uzumaki, Tomie, Gyo, and The Enigma of Amigara Fault, and his extraordinarily detailed crosshatching and stippling techniques produce uniquely disturbing imagery through the contrast of jet-black ink on pure white paper.

Junji Ito's Gear List(4)

G-Pen Nib

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Primary drawing tool. Modified with dental pliers: "when you buy it, it's straight, but I modify it slightly because the straight version is hard for me to use."

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Last updated March 21, 2026

India Ink

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Primary ink. "The gray tone created by hatching jet black ink on pure white paper is more intense than gray created with diluted ink."

Product description

A carbon-based drawing ink made from fine soot particles (lampblack or carbon black) suspended in water with a binding agent, traditionally shellac. India ink dries to a permanent, waterproof, deep black finish and works with brushes, dip pens, and technical pens. It has been used for writing and drawing for thousands of years across Asian and Western traditions.

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Watercolor Paint

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Transparent watercolors used for color manuscripts and cover illustrations.

Product description

A water-soluble paint made from pigment bound with gum arabic, applied in transparent washes that allow the white of the paper to show through. Watercolors are built up in layers from light to dark, with the paper itself serving as the lightest value. Available in tubes (moist paste) and pans (dried cakes), the medium is prized for its luminosity and portability.

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