Crunchyroll is kicking off the new year with its guns blazing. The streaming giant began collaborative projects with big-name creators in the anime community to develop the Junji Ito Collection, a project based on the horror anime anthology from legendary manga artist Junji Ito.
“Over the last year, we’ve seen anime continue to be a powerful force in popular culture, and the Junji Ito Collection, with its unique take on the macabre, was no exception,” says John Leonhardt, head of Crunchyroll consumer products. “Through the beautiful and terrifying, this collection of scary stories have inspired lines of apparel, skateboards, toys, games, and more. We look forward to providing fans around the world with a whole new line of Junji Ito merchandise to enjoy in the year ahead.”
Crunchyroll also has two new licensing partners for the Junji Ito Collection, featuring a large-scale publishing campaign with IDW Publishing to bring a full line of Junji Ito artbooks, coloring books, board games, tarot cards, and more to retailers later this year. Crunchyroll will also launch a new campaign with the collectibles giant Funko to create Pop! vinyl figurines, toys, pins, consumables, and more anime goodness.
The Junji Ito Collection also includes an anime series based on Junji Ito’s iconic published works that features his diverse cast of terrifying characters. Last year at Crunchyroll Expo, Crunchyroll’s flagship anime convention, Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim announced plans to debut Junji Ito’s Uzumaki, a young-adult horror manga collection, as an animated series this year.
Fans can grab Junji Ito Collection merch from Urban Outfitters, Hot Topic, GameStop, Spencers, FYE, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and Forbidden Planet, in addition to Crunchyroll’s online store.
Photos: Crunchyroll
