The Influence Of H. P. Lovecraft In The Work Of Junji ito / El influjo de H. P. Lovecraft en la obra de Junji Ito

There is a huge and well-known quantity of authors influenced by H. P. Lovecraft not only in literature, but also in other fields such as cinema, video games or comics. In the latter and, particularly, in the horror genre, one manga artist is especially remarkable: Junji Ito (1963), creator of numerous works and short stories in which the influence of the American writer is noticeable. This article aims to analyze that influence by considering four groups of topics that are present in both authors’ works: the cosmic and apocalyptic, the oneiric, the monstrous and sectarian, and the musical and sound-related. Additionally, there is a section in which each author’s way of creating horror is analyzed. Allusions to the semiotic differences between literature and comic are also made throughout the work.