Inspiring Reads: Hell Babies, Junko Mizuno

I have been reading Manga since I was a teenager. I love the illustration styles and variety of characters that feature across hundreds of titles. Since I love Manga it wouldn't be any surprise that I love Junko Mizuno.

Junko Mizuno is a Japanese artist/illustrator who creates graphic novels featuring girls with often grotesque and violent props. Mizuno is heavily influenced by Shojo Manga ( manga aimed at teenage girls with wide eyed characters). Mizuno's Bubble gum colours are used along with psychedelic patterns to create a unique style which appeals to both male and female readers.

Mizuno's most famous works that have been translated into English are re-workings of fairytales (Cinderalla, Hansel and Gretel and Princess Mermaid). Every page is a artwork in it's own right and holds a wealth of symbolism that is only found with multiple viewings.

Hell Babies (updated) is a re-release that features a soft embossed cover and contains previously unseen works. There are 108 pages in the book with full colour reproductions of Mizuno's characters. If you're a fan of this style of work I would highly recommend this book as a good example of Mizuno's works.

 

Hell Babies can be purchased here