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Hirohiko Araki (荒木 飛呂彦 Araki Hirohiko, born June 7, 1960 in Sendai, Miyagi[3]) is a Japanese manga artist, primarily known for being the author of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, which this wiki is based on.

His work on JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is divided into several parts and continues to be serialized for 30 years, totaling 122 volumes (as of December 2018), circulating over 100 million copies (July 2019).[4] His style has been described as an "experimental, but definitive approach.[5][6]"‎

Works

Weekly Shōnen Jump 1987 issue 1-2

A cover of Weekly Shōnen Jump featuring Araki's JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.

Manga

  • Poker Under Arms (武装ポーカー Busō Pōkā, 1980)
  • Outlaw Man (アウトロー・マン Autorō Man, 1981)
  • Say Hi to Virginia' (バージニアによろしく Bājinia ni Yoroshiku, 1982)
  • Cool Shock B.T." (魔少年ビーティー Mashōnen Bī Tī, October 23, 1982–November 22, 1983)
  • Baoh: The Visitor (バオー来訪者 Baō Raihōsha, October 9, 1984 – February 12, 1985)
  • Gorgeous Irene (ゴージャス☆アイリン Gōjasu Airin, 1985–1986)
  • JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (December 2, 1986–ongoing)
  • The Lives of Eccentrics (変人偏屈列伝 Henjin Henkutsu Retsuden, 1989–2003)
  • Under Execution Under Jailbreak (死刑執行中脱獄進行中 Shikei Shikkōchū Datsugoku Shinkōchū, December 28, 1994)
  • Dolce and His Master (ドルチ ~ダイ・ハード・ザ・キャット~ Doruchi Dai Hādo Za Kyatto, 1996)
  • Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan' (岸辺露伴は動かない Kishibe Rohan wa Ugokanai, June 24, 1997–ongoing)
  • Dead Man's Questions (デッドマンズQ Deddomanzu Kuesuchonzu, June 2, 1999–July 7, 1999)
  • Oingo Boingo Brothers Adventure (オインゴとボインゴ兄弟 大冒険 Oingo to Boingo Kyōdai Daibōken, October 23, 2002)
  • Rohan at the Louvre (岸辺露伴 ルーヴルへ行く Kishibe Rohan Rūvuru e Iku, April 8, 2010)
  • Rohan Kishibe Goes to Gucci (岸辺露伴 グッチへ行く Kishibe Rohan Gutchi e Iku, August 23, 2011)
  • Jolyne, Fly High with GUCCI (徐倫、GUCCIで飛ぶ Jorīn, Gutchi de Tobu, December 22, 2012)

Other

Personal life

Araki is often commented on for his unchanging youthful demeanor over the years. He cites training and swimming at the gym and Hitomebore rice as methods for staying fit while over the age of 50.[8] In his 2007 Eureka Interview, he is complimented by Japanese psychologist and critic, Tamaki Saito, but states that the main reason he switched to a monthly serialization was from no longer being able to handle the weekly schedule.[9]

ArakiWife

Araki's wife, Asami

Araki is well known for his position on staying healthy. He enjoys going on walks and riding a bike, particularly to Japanese shrines, and has commended it as his coping mechanism when exhausted from work. He considers exercise as a great way to discipline one's self and that carrying too many things can be a burden; Araki will typically only carry a coat, water, and an iPod when going out.[10]

This section requires expansion.

Family

Married to Asami Araki (荒木麻美 Araki Asami, nickname Chami), Araki is the father of two girls. A couple years after his debut, Araki met Asami in a group meet-up, and the two got married three months later.[11]

Biography

Araki grew up in Sendai, Japan with his parents and younger identical twin sisters. He cites his sisters' annoyances as the reason he spent time alone in his room reading classic manga from the '70s, such as Ai to MakotoW, and his father's collection of art books, which Araki assumes informed his motive for drawing manga.[12] He was particularly influenced by the work of French artist Paul GauguinW.[13]

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. Ever since, he began to draw manga in secret of his parents.[12]

Shogakukan

Shogakukan (left) and Shueisha (far right) HQs.

He began submitting work to publishers during his first year of high school; however, all of his submissions were rejected.[12] 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. At first he intended to visit Shogakukan, which published Weekly Shōnen SundayW, but he was intimidated by the size of their building, and decided to take his submission into the smaller Shueisha (Publishers of Weekly Shōnen Jump) building next door. It was noon when he visited, but one rookie editor (about 6'2", or 185 cm, tall) happened to be there. 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, but was told to fix it up for the Tezuka Awards in 5 days. That submission was "Poker Under Arms", which won the runner up prize at the Tezuka Awards.[12][14]

Araki left Miyagi University of EducationW before graduating, and made his debut in 1980 with the aforementioned one-shot Poker Under Arms. His first serialization in Weekly Shōnen Jump was Cool Shock B.T. in 1983,[14] with his works Baoh: The Visitor (1984) and Gorgeous Irene (1984) following soon after. His next series would become his magnum opusW, 1986's JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

Main article: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

Published in Weekly Shōnen Jump between 1987 and 2004 and from 2004 to the present in Ultra Jump, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure represents Hirohiko Araki's primary brand and body of work.This section requires expansion.

The dust jacket of every volume of JoJo contains a note to the reader; a relatively great source of Araki's direct opinions.‎

Style and Influences

Araki Studio

Araki's studio - own desk in foreground

Araki's drawing commonly involves idealized figures in broad, expressive poses at adventurous scales and angles; with sharply inked lines and scattered, blackened planes; lending them a sculptural effect. In color illustrations and pages, Araki varies roughly complementary color juxtapositions.

In terms of cartooning, a comparison can be drawn between Phantom Blood, Battle Tendency, and Stardust Crusaders (1987 - '92) and the hypermasculine (and highly dimorphic) anatomical ideals applied by Tetsuo Hara in Fist of the North Star, and referenced by Araki in relation to action heroes of the 1980s.[15] Diamond is Unbreakable ('92 - '96) marks a transition to a more intersexual model; while Steel Ball Run (2004 - '11) sees greater realism, along with further incorporation of ideals of beauty consistent with the mode in fashion design.

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.[16] Limited examples of costumes borrowed from contemporary fashion design have been identified.

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 1: Phantom Blood, where he identified the exaltation of overt human beauty characteristic of renaissance art. Araki would combine these examples in the formulation of the basic plot and visual style of Phantom Blood.[15]

Araki has named Paul Gauguin and his approach to color theory as an influence.[17]

Araki has described his drawing method as "classical".[15] He has indicated admiration for Leonardo da Vinci in the text of the manga and otherwise; and in a video feature in JOJOVELLER, he is seen making visual reference to a book of Michelangelo's work[18] during the construction of a piece.

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;[19] Ore wa Teppei by Tetsuya Chiba, which inspired him while in middle school to join the kendo club;[19] and Babel II by Mitsuteru Yokoyama, particularly influential for the concept of combat defined by special rules or laws.[15]

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

Araki has described his habit of naming characters and Stands after musicians and their works as "a simple hobby", and has indicated a strong preference for Western popular music.

Gallery

Artist Photos

Tributes

Album Covers

Trivia

  • Araki's favorite book as a kid was The Adventures of Sherlock HolmesW.[2]
  • In 2012, Araki celebrated his 30th year as a manga artist and the 25th anniversary of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. A special exhibition was held in Sendai, Japan, which included the announcement for the TV Anime and All Star Battle.
  • On November 30, 2016, Araki won the 45th Annual Best Dresser Awards in Tokyo in the "Academic and Cultural Arts" division. When questioned about his youthful appearance, Araki said that he washes his face every morning with Tokyo's tap water.[20]
  • Araki was given an art award for the year 2018 by the Agency for Cultural Affairs for his art exhibition Ripples of Adventure.[21]

References

  1. Interview with Shoko Nakagawa, 2007
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Weekly Shonen 「」 (JOJO冒險 荒木飛呂彥100問專訪); April 5, 2003
  3. 知事メッセージ 荒木飛呂彦氏によるイラスト
  4. MEDIA GUIDE 2013 集英社AD NAVI
  5. 斎藤環「書き続ける勇気 荒木飛呂彦インタビュー」『ユリイカ』1997年 4月 号、135頁-143頁
  6. 『QuickJapan』Vol.75、巻頭ページ(文・吉田大助)
  7. http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2012/02/08-1/jojos-bizarre-adventure-author-illustrates-cover-of-psychoanalysis-book
  8. 杜王新報 p11
  9. ユリイカ 11月臨時増刊号 総特集☆荒木飛呂彦 -- 鋼鉄の魂は走りつづける
  10. http://newtral.info/article/helloWork/interview1
  11. 荒木先生との馴れ初めからジョジョ立ちまで! 講演『荒木麻美のジョジョと奇妙な生活』レポート
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Hirohiko Araki Lecture Part 1: His Past & Motives
  13. Hirohiko Araki Lecture Part 2: Drawing Manga, Araki-Style
  14. 14.0 14.1 Jason Thompson's House of 1000 Manga - Jojo's Bizarre Adventure
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Phantom Blood PS2 release interview, 2006
  16. http://www30.atwiki.jp/ichi-1/pages/12.html
  17. Tokai High School lecture 2006, part 2
  18. Michelangelo – Tuttle le Opere – Edizione Riserveta ai Musei e Gallerie Pontificie, ISBN 9788872040256
  19. 19.0 19.1 Tokai High School lecture 2006, part 3
  20. http://otakomu.jp/archives/463977.html
  21. Asahi - 芸術選奨に30人 竹内まりやさん、荒木飛呂彦さんら

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