World-famous horror manga artist Junji Ito is officially getting a chance to make his own Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark with a new folklore collection. 2023 is already a big year for Ito, and it looks like it’s about to get even bigger in a new compilation.Manga distributor Viz Media took to Twitter to announce a new collection called Mimi’s Tales of Terror. The book is being helmed by Junji Ito and will feature nine new tales of terror that will keep readers up at night. However, unlike most of Ito’s work displayed in story collections like Lovesickness, this book will have more of a focus on adapting folklore to Ito’s style.
Junji Ito Adapts Japanese Foklore in a Horrifying New Collectionââââââ
According to Viz, the stories are “sourced from a famed collection of urban legends” that have been prevalent in social culture. It’s unknown if the folklore will be exclusively Japanese or branch out into other cultures, but this is an exciting change of direction for fans of Ito as he brings his voice to stories that everyone knows. However, what’s most appealing about this idea is the fact that it holds a similar approach to a legendary children’s book series.
Mimi’s Tales of Terror is Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark’s Successor
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark was a trilogy of books by Alvin Schwartz that compiled numerous iterations of American folklore for younger audiences. These books were the gateway for many young readers to the horror genre as they shared famous stories such as The Hook, Harold, and High Beams. However, what most people remember the books for was their terrifying artwork crafted by Stephen Gammell. The illustrations of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark have stuck out in the minds as the most important element that struck fear in their hearts. The depictions of Harold the scarecrow and the pale lady from The Dream are still haunting to this day. Now, with Ito taking on folklore for his next collection, this is his chance to follow in the classic book’s footsteps.
Junji Ito’s Artwork Can Scare Readers as Much as Stephen Gammell’s Did
Like Gammell, Ito is known for his horrific art. The way that he brings horror to his stories makes for some of manga’s most disturbing images. Whether it’s the swirling eye in Uzumaki or his iconic Hanging Balloons, Ito knows how to frighten people through artwork in the most upsetting ways. By bringing his style to existing folklore, he has the opportunity to make well-known stories far scarier than people knew them to be just like what Gammell did in Scary Stories with its characters. Ito’s voyage into the macabre could add a whole new layer of what readers are familiar with because of his unique brand of terror that has won over readers around the world.
Mimi’s Tales of Terror is currently expected to release just in time for Halloween in Fall 2023. Based on the premise alone, this is a collection that any fan of the horror mangaka will want to add to their library. However, by expanding his art style to the world of folklore, this new book could also open fans of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark to the terrifying world of Junji Ito and potentially give them a new favorite voice in the horror genre.
Look for Junji Ito’s Mimi’s Tale of Terrors when it releases in the Fall!
Source: Viz Media