Junji Ito, born on July 31, 1963, in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, is a revered horror manga artist whose works have captivated a global audience with their distinctive blend of the grotesque and the beautiful. Ito's fascination with horror was sparked by his older sister's drawings and the comics of Kazuo Umezu, leading him to pursue his own artistry in the macabre.

Though he initially trained and worked as a dental technician, Ito's passion for storytelling through manga proved to be irresistible. His unique talent was recognized when he won the prestigious Umezu prize for horror manga. Balancing his dental career with his creative pursuits, Ito eventually rose to prominence with his hauntingly eerie narratives.

Ito's iconic works include Tomie, chronicling the tale of an immortal girl who incites madness in her admirers, and Uzumaki, a three-volume masterpiece centered around a town's obsession with spirals. Another notable creation is Gyo, where fish are taken over by a sentient bacteria known as "the death stench." His oeuvre also encompasses The Junji Ito Horror Comic Collection, which contains a plethora of chilling short stories, and the autobiographical Junji Ito's Cat Diary: Yon & Mu, which humorously recounts his life with two cats.

With a cult following and adaptations into film and anime, such as the Tomie film series and the Junji Ito Collection anime anthology, Ito's influence on the horror genre is indisputable. His themes often revolve around beauty and the macabre, with stories featuring long hair and enchanting women, manifesting his unique approach to horror that continues to resonate with fans worldwide.