Hirohiko Araki

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Hirohiko Araki (荒木 飛呂彦, Araki Hirohiko) is a mangaka and author of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, on which this wikia project is based.

Biography

  • Hirohiko Araki was born on June 7 1960 in Sendai, Japan.
  • In 2012, Araki celebrated his 30th year as a manga artist and the 25th anniversary of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.

Path to becoming a Manga Artist

The following information was compiled from a lecture Hirohiko Araki gave at Tokai Junior & High School in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, as part of their Saturday Program series, as transcribed/compiled by @JOJO, Japan's premier site for JoJo-related news.

In his youth, Araki lived with his father, an office worker; his mother, a homemaker; and his two younger identical twin sisters.

Growing up, Araki assumed that he lived in a house without any snacks. In reality, his sisters would often eat all the snacks located in the house before he got home from school. Even when there were three snacks, one for each of them, the sisters would usually eat them all and proceed to conceal all evidence of having done so. When these doings came to light, a fight would erupt; and an event of this sort might occur on a daily basis. Araki would often feel such a sense of exclusion and ill-will towards his sisters that at times he felt averse to going home. He used to find relief in spending time alone in his room, reading classic manga from the '70s and his father's collection of art books, which Araki assumes informed his motive for drawing manga. 

Araki drew his very first manga while he was in 4th grade. He attended a prep school through junior high and high school, which was where a friend complimented him on a manga he drew for the first time. Araki thought that if his very first fan thought he was good, he might want to become a manga artist. So, he began to draw manga in secret of his parents.

He began submitting work to publishers during his first year of high school; however, all of his submissions were rejected. At the same time, others artists who were around his age continued to make big splashes with their debuts (Ex: Yudetamago, Masakazu Katsura). Araki could not understand why he was being rejected, so he decided to finish off a submission on an all-nighter, go on a 4-hour trip to pay a visit to the editors in Tokyo, and ask them for an explanation.

Shogakukan (left) and Shueisha (far right) headquarters buildings.
At first he intended to visit Shogakukan, which published Shonen Sunday, but he was intimidated by the size of their building, and decided to take his submission into the smaller Shueisha (Publishers of Weekly Shonen Jump) building next door. It was noon when he visited, but one rookie editor (about 6'2", or 185cm, tall) happened to be there, so he showed him his work. The editor, after reading the first page, promptly quipped "your white-out's leaked (You haven't fixed it)": he was criticized every time the editor flipped through each page. Araki, exhausted from having been up all night, felt like he was going to pass out. However, after he was finished, he was told that it might be good, and was immediately told to fix it up for the Tezuka Awards in 5 days. That submission was "Buso Poker", which won the runner up prize at the Tezuka Awards.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

The story in JoJo is divided between two universes. The first of these, published in Weekly Shonen Jump between 1987 and 2003, begins with Part I: Phantom Blood; featuring the tragic and bloody relationship between villain Dio Brando and hero Jonathan Joestar. Attrition between Jonathan's descendants (each identifiable as "JoJo") and their allies and Dio's subjects and followers characterizes the broad continuity to this series, which between 1880 and 2012 visits locales in England, the U.S., Italy and Japan. With publication from 2004 to the present in Ultra Jump, the second universe begins in analogous terms with Part VII: Steel Ball Run. Set in 1890, SBR focuses on the fierce competition between dual protagonists Gyro Zeppeli and Johnny Joestar and the agents of a proprietorial U.S. administration for the acquisition of an invaluable mystical object, under cover of the epic North American Steel Ball Run race. After a leap to the present day in Part VIII: JoJolion, obscure implications to this history are explored in increments along with the mystery of the protagonist's ultimate identity and the paranormal circumstances surrounding his adoptive hometown.

The body of JoJo includes a variety of tonally diverse chapters which contribute to a span of genres that include Action, Adventure, Comedy, Thriller, Mystery, Horror and Supernatural fiction. The thrust of the plot is met by melodramatic and hazardous interactions between individuals defined by supernatural power and mutually exclusive ambitions, attitudes or moral standards; as well as a chase to intercept a central antagonist among the emergent heroes of a given arc. Recurrent subjects in the text of the manga may be condensed under themes of Fate, Fortunity, Justice and Redemption. Many references to modern film, television, fashion, popular music and fine art are readily identifiable throughout JoJo in many settings and the characterization, background and nomenclature of the cast.

The signature mechanic of the series is defined in the first two episodes by the Ripple, wielded in the trained human body, and the supernatural Stand power thereafter. Examples of physical, mathematical and psychological theory, biology, technology, myths, natural phenomena, historic events, and segments of other artistic work inspire and inform the design and functions of JoJo 's multitude of unique Stands. The series occasionally makes fanciful developments upon contemporary scientific theory in creation of the routes by which certain Stands exert their influence on nature.

Morioh, fictional Japanese town and base of Part IV: Diamond is Unbreakable and as a distinct incarnation in the ongoing Part VIII: JoJolion tends to take a more culturally detailed description and both reference and serve more contemporary topics (such as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake) than settings in other episodes of JoJo, and shares its rough geographic coordinates with Hirohiko Araki's hometown, Sendai[3]. Stand-wielding mangaka Rohan Kishibe, a resident of Morioh introduced in Diamond is Unbreakable and guide in a number of JoJo spin-offs, stands as a mild parodical self-insert.

Araki Studio

Style and Influences

A consistent element of Araki's drawing is a highly dynamic treatment of the picture plane, to which everything including anatomy, perspective, scale and range is subject.

In terms of cartooning, a comparison can be drawn between Phantom Blood, Battle Tendency and Stardust Crusaders (1987 - '92) and the hypermasculine anatomical ideals applied by Tetsuo Hara in Fist of the North Star, and referenced by Araki in relation to action heroes of the 1980s.[4] Diamond is Unbreakable ('92 - '96) marks a transition to a more intersexual model. Steel Ball Run (2004 - '11) sees greater realism, along with further integration of ideals of beauty consistent with the mode in fashion design.

As a film fan, In the 1980s Araki noted the popularity of action movies and the muscular physiques characteristic of their stars (such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone). By this example, Araki would ponder; "Who is the strongest person in the world?". Subjects such as immortality and justice occurred to him as things that humans innately value and seek. Araki had also been on a trip to Italy two years prior to the creation of Part I: Phantom Blood, where he could experience renaissance art and appreciate its strivance for human beauty. Araki would combine these examples in the formulation of the basic plot and visual style of Phantom Blood.[4]

Reference to illustrations by artists including Antonio Lopez and Tony Viramontes informs a number of individual illustrations and character poses in Araki's work from 1987 - 1992; decreasing from then along with increased use of photographic references.[5]

Araki has named Paul Gauguin and his approach to color theory as an influence,[citation needed] and has indicated admiration for Leonardo da Vinci in JoJo through the voice of some characters, recurring images authored by da Vinci, and his association with such key concepts as the golden ratio (or golden rectangle). Araki is also seen making reference to a book of Michelangelo's work[6] in the construction of a 2013 piece.[citation needed]

Manga that Araki has named as admirable or having had particular influence on him include Ai to Makoto by Ikki Kajiwara and Takumi Nagayasu, the most significant of his youth;[7] Ore wa Teppei by Tetsuya Chiba, which inspired him while in middle school to join the kendo club;[7] and Babel II by Mitsuteru Yokoyama, particularly influential for the concept of combat defined by special rules or laws.[4]

Araki has authored a book on the subject of Horror film and its influence on his work.

Publication

Many of Araki's creations including JoJo's Bizarre Adventure have been translated and released in Europe, but so far only JoJo and Baoh have been released in the U.S., one theory being that Araki's frequent references to Western music, film and others would represent a violation of U.S. intellectual property law. Publications by Viz Media replace certain references within the copy of the manga with thematically comparable alternatives. The American localization of Capcom's fighting games based on JoJo follow the same procedure.

Works

References

  1. ↑ Interview with Shoko Nakagawa, 2007
  2. ↑ Tokai High School lecture 2006, part 1
  3. ↑ Morioh Map (JoJolion)
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Phantom Blood PS2 release interview, 2006
  5. ↑ http://www30.atwiki.jp/ichi-1/pages/12.html
  6. ↑ Michelangelo – Tuttle le Opere – Edizione Riserveta ai Musei e Gallerie Pontificie, ISBN 9788872040256
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Tokai High School lecture 2006, part 3

Gallery

  • Naruto's 10th Anniversary art drawn by Araki

    Naruto's 10th Anniversary art drawn by Araki

  • Araki from Jojo6251

    Araki from Jojo6251

  • Artwork for BAOH, a previous Manga of Araki

    Artwork for BAOH, a previous Manga of Araki

  • EAjcQX6ADnbwimk09i6flBRSo1 400.jpg

    Kenshiro by Hirohiko Araki

  • M5517281.jpg

    The front page of Cell (magazine) made by Araki

  • Araki's contribution to the "Social Kingdom" project

    Araki's contribution to the "Social Kingdom" project

  • Rohanguccie01.jpg

    The front page of Spur Magazine made by Araki

  • Tumblr m8yayhyNDQ1qc9vzuo1 1280.jpg

    Article with detailed description of Araki's Desk

  • Tumblr lusearPoRR1qe1miv.jpg

    The cast of the movie The Prestige drawn by Araki

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    Araki's artwork for the 2008 movie Taken

  • Tumblr m3gq2cFVij1r78gdxo1 500.jpg

    Ayrton Senna tribute by Araki

  • Tumblr m336a4jW3H1qdiw9jo1 500.jpg

    Cover to the album "Catwalk" by Soul'd Out. Drawn by Araki

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    Araki's drawn poster celebrating JoJo's 25th anniversary

  • Tumblr lz5dsxcrYp1qhcw70o1 500.jpg

    Hirohiko Araki has illustrated the cover of Lacan for Surviving

  • Tumblr lu93apZ2rt1qhcw70o1 400.jpg

    Araki promoting the historical Hiraizumi ruins

  • Cover to Yasunari Kawabata's novel The Dancing Girl of Izu drawn by Araki

    Cover to Yasunari Kawabata's novel The Dancing Girl of Izu drawn by Araki

  • Cover to Sayuri Ishikawa's album "X-Cross" drawn by Araki

    Cover to Sayuri Ishikawa's album "X-Cross" drawn by Araki

  • Sugiurumn.png

    Cover to SUGIURUMN's album drawn by Araki

  • JolyneNeo.jpg

    A tribute to Matrix Reloaded

  • New Year greeting card featuring characters from Jojolion

    New Year greeting card featuring characters from Jojolion

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    Collaboration drawing with Hiromu Arakawa

  • Tumblr mbzsp6rT4N1r348doo1 500.jpg

    Araki featured on the front page of Aera

  • Tumblr m6lzkkeuxs1qhcw70o1 500.jpg

    Araki featured on cover of Da Vinci Magazine

External links

Tokai High School lecture, 2006, translated by Neuroretardant for ComiPress

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