Manga artist Hirohiko Araki was born on June 7, 1960, in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture. His real name is Toshiyuki Araki.
In 1980, while attending Sendai Design College, his work "Armed Poker" was selected for the Tezuka Award, marking his debut in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump. He serialized "Magic Boy Beauty" in 1982, "Baoh the Visitor" in 1984, and "Gorgeous Airin" in 1985.
In 1987, he began his signature work, "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure." This epic work depicts the strange fate of the Joestar family, changing the protagonist and setting along the way. Its consistent theme is a "praise of humanity." Partway through the seventh part of the series, "Steel Ball Run," the series moved to the monthly magazine Ultra Jump. Part eight, "JoJolion," is currently being serialized. Araki himself has stated that he is influenced by Italian styles such as the Renaissance and Milanese fashion, and his character designs are unique and ornate. While the manga is written in black and white, only bold brushstrokes are visible, the occasional collections and book covers feature vibrant illustrations, often in green, pink, and purple. The characters' poses are also unique, with extremely twisted bodies. Fans call this the "JoJo pose," and workshops and events have been held to promote it. While the names of characters and their special abilities, or "Stands," are often taken from overseas rock bands and their songs, the characters in Part 6, "Stone Ocean," are an exception, as they are primarily named after fashion brands. Spin-off works have also been published, including a collaborative manga with Gucci featuring manga artist Rohan Kishibe, who appears in Part 4, "Diamond is Unbreakable," which was published in the October 2011 issue of Shueisha's magazine, "Spur." The magazine's March 2013 issue also saw its second collaboration with Gucci, featuring a piece featuring Jolyne, the protagonist of Part 6. To coincide with the collaboration, Gucci displayed JoJo art panels in their shop windows. Other collaborations with other brands, including Uniqlo, Dress Camp, and Converse, have been announced. Araki is also active outside of the manga series, having worked on the cover of the American science journal CELL in 2007, the cover illustration for Shueisha Bunko's Izu Dancer in 2008, and the image illustration for the "Tohoku Reconstruction Hiraizumi Declaration" poster in 2011, which expressed the series' commitment to rebuilding after the earthquake and tsunami following its World Heritage listing. In 2012, the "JoJo Exhibition," commemorating the 25th anniversary of the JoJo series, was held in Sendai and Tokyo. Araki turns 53 today, but his appearance on the front and back of his comics covers and in various interviews remains virtually unchanged since his youth. There has always been speculation among fans that he may be a Ripple user or a vampire, in reference to JoJo.