Interview:Shonen Jump (July 2017)

An English interview with Hirohiko Araki from the #33, 2017 issue of the US manga magazine, Weekly Shonen Jump, which released digitally on July 17, 2017.

Interview
SJ: Much of the emphasis of your new book, Manga in Theory and Practice: The Craft of Creating Manga is on shonen manga storytelling—is your advice the same for other kinds of manga? Also, do any Western comics come close to capturing the manga panel development work you describe in your book? If so, which ones?

Araki Sensei: I think it can be applied, but I'm not too familiar with American/Western comics so I can't give specific examples. However, I believe that detailed, precise manga panel development designed to depict intricate emotions is the defining feature of Japanese manga, and that approach can be applied in various forms.

SJ: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure has a lot of horror elements and quite a bit of gore. What are your favorite horror movies?

Araki Sensei:, and.

SJ: One of the endearing quirks of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure manga is the fact that many of the characters have names based on bands or musicians. Why did you decide to do this?

Araki Sensei: Because there are times when I find inspiration for characters and Stands through music.

SJ: How do you come up with the Stand powers? Do you come up with the character or their powers first?

Araki Sensei: It depends on the Stand.

SJ: There's been a major JoJo revival the last ten years with all the anime series being made. How does it feel to have your series reach new heights of popularity again after so many years?

Araki Sensei: I'm extremely grateful for all the support from the fans. There are new, younger fans being introduced to the original manga after experiencing JoJo through anime and other mediums. The fact that there's a new generation of readers is the core of what JoJo is about passing the torch on to the next generation.

SJ: Which of the Joestars would you want to hang out with the most and why?

Araki Sensei: Josuke in Diamond Is Unbreakable. I drew him as if he were a close friend.