JOJOmenon
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JOJOmenon (ジョジョメノン) is a mook published by Shueisha and edited by SPUR. The magazine was released to commemorate JoJo's Bizarre Adventure's 25th Anniversary and features artwork, interviews and articles relating to the series.[2]
Contents
The mook is split into two different sections. A full-color reprint of Kishibe Rohan Meets Gucci from the October 2011 issue of SPUR is included, as well as several JoJo's Bizarre Adventure stickers.
PART 1: HIROHIKO ARAKI
- HIROHIKO ARAKI MEETS Clint Eastwood
- A conversation between Araki and film director and actor, Clint Eastwood. Araki travels to Los Angeles to ask Eastwood various questions from a fan's perspective. The premise behind the interaction was due to Araki's father taking him to the theaters as a kid to see The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Eastwood's character in said movie is the root of Jotaro Kujo's character.
- "JoJo Could Have Ended with Part 4"
- Araki's "longest interview ever" going over 25 years of JoJo. Notable tidbits from Parts 1-4 include the true origin of Jonathan's namesake, JoJo's theme as a celebration of humanity, the process behind moving away from Ripple and the creation of Stands, and how JoJo could have theoretically ended with Diamond is Unbreakable. Information from Parts 5-8 include an explanation of Vento Aureo and Stone Ocean's endings, Araki's exhaustion from drawing western wilderness and his desire to go back to Japan, and the importance of family trees in JoJolion.
- HIROHIKO ARAKI GOES TO NEW YORK.
- Article detailing Araki's trip to New York City. The article starts with his meeting with Frida Giannini, the creative director of Gucci from 2006-2014, and her showcase of the Gucci Cruise Collection 2013. Following this is Araki's sightseeing of various locations in New York, providing brief descriptions and comparisons with relevant iconic scenes in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. The end of the article includes details of a surprise birthday party for Araki held by SPUR and Gucci staff on June 7, 2012. The party is held at the The NoMad hotel where Araki receives gifts such as high-top Gucci sneakers, a casquette and a cake from Ayako Kurokawa.
- A conversation between Akira Yamaguchi and Hirohiko Araki.
- Japanese contemporary artist, Akira Yamaguchi, and Araki discuss each other's inspirations, design processes and drawing techniques. Araki goes into detail on his use of crosshatching and flat colors in JoJolion. Included is artwork from Yamaguchi featuring two Stand users and their Stands, Berryberry Skull and Assy the Horse.
- A Manga Artist's Workplace
- A section showcasing Lucky Land Communications's studio, located in a quiet residential area in Tokyo. Photos of the workspace are shown and explained, including horse miniatures and cabinets packed with art supplies. Notables details in this section include glimpses of Millionaire Village, which was being worked on the day of the studio tour, Araki's five assistants, his back wall full of visual reference material, and collection of music that is required to be played during work hours.
- Toh EnJoe & Hirohiko Araki "Stands can't be written"
- A conversation between Araki and Japanese novelist Toh EnJoe. The two discuss everything from their favorite fictional works to the problems of content creation from the standpoints of a manga artist and writer. The two share books that they've read and have been inspired by, Araki's particular choice being Stephen King's Misery while EnJoe's is Steve Erickson's Tours of the Black Clock. Araki goes into detail about how the portrayal of Stands makes more sense for a visual medium rather than through words.
PART 2: STANDS
- Banana Yoshimoto - "Heaven's Door"
- A short story that takes place in the real world, written by Japanese contemporary writer Banana Yoshimoto. The narration is done by a woman who spent a few years of her youth in Sendai (which she calls Morioh) and is currently visiting to attend a family friend's funeral. The plot revolves around her recollecting the dark events of her past and how she met her husband. The story isn't related to the JoJo storyline, but the character mentions several JoJo characters and concepts, particularly the fundamental aspect of Heaven's Door.
- The Little Girl Who Lives in the Triangular Roof House
- As a collaboration with SPUR, the mook features a photoshoot by Muga Miyahara, starring Japanese-American model, Yuka Mizuhara (Ashley Yuka Daniel). Each of the photos in the shoot are themed after the JoJo character Reimi Sugimoto, and showcase numerous articles of fashion-based clothing and accessories. The photos also include descriptions of each set and the full pricing of every item.
- The "JoJo Kukai" Commences
- This section showcases a JoJo-themed haiku poetry session between Boshi Chino, Yu Nagashima, Tomoka Shibasaki, Yuki Horimoto and Kazunari Yonemitsu. Participants pass pieces of paper around and write JoJo-related phrases, eventually forming haikus. Most of the article is the five fans discussing their favorite aspects of the series and how it relates to the poetry that's produced during the session.
- Did you see JOJO in that city? The "JoJo Exhibition in Morioh, S-city" Report
- Several pictures with accompanying descriptions of the Hirohiko Araki JoJo Exhibition 2012 held in Sendai from July 28 to August 14, 2012. The photos include original paintings of full-color covers seen in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, physical recreations of items and characters within the series, related historical documents and a replica of Araki's desk.
- It's so obvious! An Intensive Introductory Course to JoJo for Women
- This section is a basic breakdown of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series, written specifically for women. Aside from an outline of each part, it includes catered descriptions of attractive male characters, Stands and scenes from the story. It also includes commentary from Japanese columnist Kamiko Inuyama and makeup artist, Tadashi Harada.
- What's Remote Romance?
- An introduction to Remote Romance, a mysterious Stand that was designed by Araki for Hirohiko Araki JoJo Exhibition 2012. It was used as a thematic platform to livestream the inside of the exhibition at night and was featured as full-size mannequin.
Gallery
Interviews
Incomplete translation
Mook
Interview
Published October 5, 2012
Mook
Interview
Published October 5, 2012
Missing translation
Missing transcript
Mook
Commentary
Published October 5, 2012
Trivia
- In both "JoJo Could Have Ended with Part 4" and JOJOVELLER, Araki mentions that JOJOmenon was one of the options he considered while naming JoJolion.[3]
