VIZ MEDIA ACQUIRES JUNJI ITO’S

FRAGMENTS OF HORROR MANGA 

Brand-New Terrifying Short Story Collection By The Celebrated Creator Of GYO And UZUMAKI Is Set For North American Release In Summer 2015

San Francisco, CA, December 3, 2014 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, expands its catalog of horror manga (graphic novel) titles with the acquisition of Junji Ito’s FRAGMENTS OF HORROR.

The title marks the creator’s return to the horror following an eight-year break from the genre, and it will receive a deluxe hardcover treatment for the North American release. FRAGMENTS OF HORROR will debut in the Summer of 2015 under the company’s VIZ Signature imprint, and is rated ‘T+’.

FRAGMENTS OF HORROR is the brand-new collection of delightfully macabre tales from the celebrated master of Japanese horror. An old wooden mansion that turns on its inhabitants. A dissection class with a most unusual subject. A funeral where the dead are definitely not laid to rest. Ranging from the terrifying to the comedic, from the erotic to the loathsome, these stories showcase Junji Ito’s long-awaited return to the world of horror.

“A long anticipated new offering of bizarre and disturbing short stories from the unique mind of Junji Ito awaits readers next summer,” says Leyla Aker, Senior Vice President, Publishing. “Ito adeptly creates scenarios that are at once surreal, unsettling, and often terrifying, and FRAGMENTS OF HORROR is sure to become a must-read for true horror aficionados and manga fans familiar with his prior works like GYO and UZUMAKI. We look forward to new as well as existing manga fans and readers discovering this potent forthcoming release!”

Manga creator Junji Ito made his professional debut in 1987 and since then has gone on to be recognized as one of the greatest contemporary artists working in the horror genre. His critically acclaimed titles include Tomie and UZUMAKI, which also were adapted into critically praised live-action films, as well as GYO, which was adapted into an animated feature film. The UZUMAKI and GYO manga editions are both published in English by VIZ Media in deluxe hardcover editions available under the VIZ Signature imprint. Ito’s influences include classic horror manga artists Kazuo Umezu and Hideshi Hino, as well as authors Yasutaka Tsutsui and H.P. Lovecraft.

For more information on FRAGMENTS OF HORROR or other Junji Ito manga titles published by VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.

About VIZ Media, LLC

Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan.  Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and ONE PIECE, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages.  VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products.  Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.