Hirohiko Araki

Hirohiko Araki (荒木 飛呂彦, Araki Hirohiko) is a mangaka and author of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, on which this wikia project is based.

Biography
Hirohiko Araki was born on June 7 1960 in Sendai, Japan. Araki left school before graduation from Miyagi University of Education.

Araki is best known for JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, published in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1987 to 2002, before the series transferred to the seinen magazine Ultra Jump in 2004.

Araki's Buso Poker was a "Selected Work" at the Tezuka Award in 1980.

In 2012, Araki celebrates his 30th year as a manga artist and the 25th anniversary of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
The story in JoJo begins within the deceitful relationship between villain Dio Brando, arriving from a poor and abusive background, and hero Jonathan Joestar, the son of a wealthy and benevolent Lord. Attrition between Jonathan's descendants and Dio's followers and subjects provides the main source of continuity in the series; which between the 18th century and the present day visits with extensive creative license the history and cultures of England, the U.S., Italy and Japan, most prominently.

The series spans a range of genres including Horror, Action, Adventure, Paranormal romance, Mystery and Thriller. Recurrent themes include Fate ; Fortunity ; Justice ; Redemption ; Psychology ; and the nature and the human or creative utility of Energy, Gravity and Time.

Many names, icons, conventions, narrative mechanisms and segments of plot originating with extant film, television, fashion, music, modern art and Philosophy are readily identifiable throughout JoJo in the background and characterization of protagonists and antagonists, and in the episodes defined by their ventures and interactions. Selections of scientific theory, technology, myths, belief systems, news and natural phenomena inform the functions of JoJo's multitude of unique Stand powers.

The situations described in the fictional Japanese town of Morioh, the base of Part IV: Diamond is Unbreakable and the ongoing Part VIII: Jojolion may represent the most up-to-date aspects of Araki's tastes and personal interests, or most personally relevant events and trends in contemporary culture (notably the 2011 Tohoku earthquake). Manga artist Rohan Kishibe, introduced in Part IV and guide in a handful of JoJo spin-offs, may represent the most self-conscious events in the story .

Style and Influences
A consistent element of Araki's drawing is a highly dynamic treatment of the picture plane, to which anatomy, angle and scale is subject.

In terms of cartooning, a comparison can be drawn between JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part I, II and III (1987 - '92) and the masculine physiological ideals described by Tetsuo Hara in Fist of the North Star.

Part IV ('92 - '96) adopts an intersexual description of human characters; Part V ('95 - '99) amends an element of haute couture; while Part VI (2000 - '03) returns to sexual dimorphism through romantic interactions.

Illustrations of protagonists in Part VII ('04 - '11) are reminiscent of conventions in fashion magazines; while a combination of layout with wide landscape and changing perspective lends a highly cinematic presentation.

Araki has named Paul Gauguin and his approach and contribution to color theory as a key influence.

Publication
Many of Araki's creations including JoJo's Bizarre Adventure have been translated and released in Europe, but so far only JoJo and Baoh have been released in the U.S., one theory being that Araki's frequent references to Western music, film and others violate U.S. copyright law. Publications by Viz Media replace certain references within the copy of the manga with thematically comparable alternatives. The American localization of Capcom's fighting games based on JoJo follow the same procedure.

Works

 * Buso Poker (1980)
 * Autoto Man (1982)
 * Virginia ni Yohroshiku (1982)
 * Magic Boy B.T. (魔少年ビーティー mashōnen bītī 1982–1983)
 * Baoh (1984–1985)
 * Gorgeous Irene (1985–1986)


 * The Story of the Girl's Mansion (1985)
 * The Girl That Came to the Slums (1986)
 * JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (1987—current)


 * Part I: Phantom Blood (1987-1988)
 * Part II: Battle Tendency (1988-1989)
 * Part III: Stardust Crusaders (1989-1992)
 * Part IV: Diamond is Unbreakable (1992-1996)
 * Part V: Vento Aureo (1996-1999)
 * Part VI: Stone Ocean (2000-2003)
 * Part VII: Steel Ball Run (2004-2011)
 * Part VIII: Jojolion (2011-current)
 * JoJo 6251 (1993) (Artbook)
 * Under Execution, Under Jailbreak (Collection) (1999)


 * Under Execution, Under Jailbreak (One-Shot)
 * Dolce and His Master
 * Thus Spoke Rohan Kishibe. Episode 16: At a Confessional
 * Dead Man's Questions
 * JOJO A-GO!GO! (2000) (Artbook)
 * The Lives of Eccentrics (2004)
 * Thus Spoke Rohan Kishibe - Mutsukabeza (2006)
 * Front cover of Cell (scientific journal) (September 7, 2007)
 * Rohan at the Louvre (2010)
 * Spur Spinoff (2011)