Hirohiko Araki facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hirohiko Araki
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Araki at the 17th Japan Media Arts Festival in 2013
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| Born | June 7, 1960 Sendai, Japan |
| Occupation | Manga artist |
| Period | 1980–present |
| Genre | Action, adventure, supernatural |
| Subject | Shōnen manga, seinen manga |
| Notable works | |
| Spouse | Asami Araki |
| Children | 2 |
Toshiyuki Araki (Japanese: 荒木 利之, Hepburn: Araki Toshiyuki, born June 7, 1960), better known as Hirohiko Araki (荒木 飛呂彦, Araki Hirohiko), is a famous Japanese manga artist. A manga artist is someone who draws Japanese comics. He is most famous for creating the long-running series JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. This series started in 1987 and has sold over 120 million copies. This makes it one of the best-selling manga series ever.
Contents
About Hirohiko Araki
His Early Life
Araki grew up in Sendai, Japan. He lived with his parents and his two younger twin sisters. He often spent time alone in his room reading manga. He says his sisters' playful teasing made him want to read more. He was also inspired by his father's art books. He especially liked the work of a French artist named Paul Gauguin.
Araki started drawing manga secretly. He submitted his first work to a magazine when he was in high school. His early works were not accepted. Other young artists were already becoming successful. So, Araki decided to visit publishers in Tokyo. He wanted to understand why his work was rejected. He took a manga called Poker Under Arms with him. An editor at Shueisha publishing house gave him advice. The editor said his work had potential and told him to improve it for an upcoming award.
Starting His Career and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
Araki left Miyagi University of Education before finishing his studies. He made his official debut in 1980. His first published work was a one-shot story called Poker Under Arms. This story was set in the wild west. It was recognized as a "Selected Work" at the Tezuka Award that year.
His first series to be published regularly was Cool Shock B.T. in 1983. It was about a young magician who solved mysteries. In 1984, he created Baoh. This series was the first to show his unique style with more action. Baoh is about a man who gets special powers from a parasite. He then fights against an evil group. Baoh was made into an animated video in 1989.
By 1985, with his series The Gorgeous Irene, Araki's art style became more distinct. He started drawing characters who were strong and muscular. Later, his art style became even more unique and expressive.
His next series became his most famous work: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. It started in 1987. The story begins in 1880s England. It follows Jonathan Joestar, also known as JoJo. His adopted brother, Dio Brando, tries to harm their family. Dio uses an ancient mask that turns him into a vampire. Jonathan then learns a special breathing technique called Hamon. This technique gives him powers to fight Dio.
Later parts of JoJo follow different members of the Joestar family. These stories are set in various places around the world. The third and very popular part, Stardust Crusaders, introduced a new power called Stands. Stands are special abilities that appear as spirit-like beings. Stands became the main focus of the series from then on.
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is still being published today, almost 40 years later. It has been made into many other forms of media, like anime and video games. By 2022, the manga had 120 million copies printed. From 2011 to 2021, Araki worked on JoJolion. This was the eighth main story arc of the series.
Recent Projects and Art
Hirohiko Araki has worked on many interesting projects. In 2009, he was one of five artists chosen by the Musée du Louvre in Paris. He created an original artwork for the famous museum. His piece, Rohan at the Louvre, featured Rohan Kishibe, a character from JoJo. This artwork was part of an exhibit showing different kinds of comics. Rohan at the Louvre was highly praised. It was later published as a manga in France and Japan.
Araki also collaborated with the luxury fashion brand Gucci. In 2011, the Gucci store in Shinjuku hosted an exhibition. It was called "Gucci x Hirohiko Araki x Spur". This event celebrated Gucci's 90th anniversary. It featured a life-size figure of Rohan Kishibe and many illustrations by Araki. He also drew special JoJo stories for the fashion magazine Spur. These stories featured Rohan Kishibe and Jolyne Cujoh wearing Gucci clothes.
In 2012, Araki drew artwork to help raise awareness for the Historic Monuments and Sites of Hiraizumi. These ancient ruins were damaged by an earthquake and tsunami in 2011. They were later named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
To celebrate 25 years of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, a "Hirohiko Araki JoJo Exhibition" opened in his hometown of Sendai in 2012. It then moved to Tokyo.
Araki has also designed album covers for musicians. He drew the cover for Sayuri Ishikawa's 2012 album X -Cross-. He also created the official poster for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. This poster was called The Sky above The Great Wave off the Coast of Kanagawa. It was inspired by the famous Japanese woodblock print, The Great Wave off Kanagawa.
In 2015, Araki released a book called Manga in Theory and Practice (荒木飛呂彦の漫画術, Araki Hirohiko no Manga Jutsu). This book explains his methods for creating manga. An English version was released in 2017.
On July 29, 2024, Araki revealed a new public art display. It was called The Fountain Boy and was placed in Ōsaka Station. This artwork was inspired by a fountain that used to be there.
Araki's Works
Manga Series
- The Bottle (ザ・ボトル, Za Botoru, 1978)
- 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)
- B.T. "The Wicked Boy" (魔少年ビーティー, Mashōnen Bī Tī, October 23, 1982)
- Cool Shock B.T. (魔少年ビーティー, Mashōnen Bī Tī, September 20, 1983 – November 22, 1983)
- Baoh (バオー来訪者, Baō Raihōsha, October 9, 1984 – February 12, 1985)
- The Gorgeous Irene (ゴージャス☆アイリン, Gōjasu Airin, 1985 – 1986)
- 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)
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Series
- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (ジョジョの奇妙な冒険, JoJo no Kimyō na Bōken, December 2, 1986 – present)
- Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan (岸辺露伴は動かない, Kishibe Rohan wa Ugokanai, June 24, 1997 – present) (Spin-off of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
- Deadman's Questions (デッドマンズQ, Deddomanzu Kuesuchonzu, June 2, 1999 – July 7, 1999) (Spin-off of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
- 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) (Spin-off of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
- Rohan at the Louvre (岸辺露伴 ルーヴルへ行く, Kishibe Rohan Rūvuru e Iku, April 8, 2010) (Spin-off of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
- Kishibe Rohan meets Gucci. (岸辺露伴 グッチへ行く, Kishibe Rohan Gutchi e Iku, August 23, 2011) (Spin-off of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
- Jolyne, Fly High with Gucci (徐倫、GUCCIで飛ぶ, Jorīn, Gutchi de Tobu, December 22, 2012) (Spin-off of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
Other Creative Works
- Famicom Jump II: Saikyō no Shichinin (February 1991, designed a boss monster)
- JoJo 6251 (December 10, 1993, art and guidebook)
- JoJo A-Go!Go! (February 25, 2000, artbook)
- Spy! Boy Alex series of Her Majesty the Queen (2002, cover art)
- Uniqlo (2006, T-shirt design)
- Cell (September 7, 2007, front cover art)
- "Breeeeze Girl" (June 24, 2009, cover for a limited edition single by Base Ball Bear)
- Naruto (2009, special anniversary illustration)
- X -Cross- (September 19, 2012, album cover for Sayuri Ishikawa)
- Hirohiko Araki Works 1981-2012 (2012, artbook)
- JoJomenon (October 5, 2012, artbook)
- JoJoveller (September 19, 2013, artbook set)
- Loopified [Japanese Complete Edition] (October 8, 2014, album cover for Dirty Loops)
- Main Themes (February 25, 2015, album cover for Akira Senju)
- Manga in Theory and Practice (荒木飛呂彦の漫画術, Araki Hirohiko no Manga Jutsu, April 17, 2015)
- The Sky above The Great Wave off the Coast of Kanagawa (2020 Tokyo Paralympics poster)
See also
In Spanish: Hirohiko Araki para niños
