Hirohiko Araki is the author of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. The series has been actively updated since the 1980s. Araki is undeniably a talented artist and author. His art has even been displayed in the Louvre, the same museum that holds Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa. Araki also did a collaboration with Gucci in 2011, displaying some of the most iconic Jojo characters wearing expensive designer fashion.

RELATED: Hirohiko Araki's 10 Best Works That Aren't JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Ranked

Hirohiko Araki is undoubtedly one of the best manga artists of all time. Overall, Araki is a pretty interesting guy, and there are many facts about him that any dedicated JoJo's fan should know.

10 Araki Drew His First Manga In 4th Grade

Hirohiko Araki art evolution

Hirohiko Araki's father had a collection of manga. This inspired him to try his hand at creating manga in 4th grade. Araki continued drawing manga throughout high school- and it wasn't until then that Araki received his first compliment from a classmate.

Araki figured that such encouragement was good enough to make him want to create manga professionally for a living. In a 2006 interview, Araki talks about how, early on, he was unsure of just what kind of manga artist he was aspiring to be.

9 His First Submissions To Publishers Were All Rejected

Steel Ball Run Illustrations By Hirohiko Araki

Araki started submitting his work to publishers as soon as he entered high school. Unfortunately, all of those submissions got rejected. Araki was so confused by these rejections that he stayed awake all night to finish a new submission and went all the way to Tokyo to demand an explanation from the publishers.

RELATED: 10 Mangaka Who Had The Biggest Evolutions As Artists

Araki's first stop was supposed to be the publisher of Weekly Shonen Sunday but decided against going there because the size of the building scared him. So, he took his submission to Shueisha, the publisher of Weekly Shonen Jump, instead. He found that the editors criticized every single page he created. Luckily, this never discouraged Araki.

8 Araki's Poker Under Arms Won Runner-Up At The Tezuka Awards

Poker Under Arms Manga

After all the criticisms and rejections he faced, Araki crafted a manga called Poker Under Arms, which won the runner-up prize at the 20th Tezuka Awards in 1980. The Tezuka Awards is a contest established by Shueisha in 1971.

It was created to help the publisher discover new, talented creators. The prize itself is named after manga pioneer Osamu Tezuka. To this day, many popular manga artists' careers are propelled thanks to this award. Araki debuted in Weekly Shonen Jump with Poker Under Arms.

7 Araki Enjoys Staying Healthy

Araki's Illustration of his characters

A long-running joke amongst JoJo fans is that Araki never ages. He was actually questioned about this before interviews. Araki stated that he can stay fit over the age of 50 thanks to swimming at the gym, Tokyo tap water, and eating Hitomebore rice. Araki also enjoys bike riding.

He talks about exercise often, saying that it is a great way to discipline yourself. He was also praised in 2007 by a psychologist for switching from a weekly schedule to a monthly schedule- though Araki just states that he was no longer capable of the weekly serialization.

6 Araki Is A Huge Supporter Of The LGBT Community

The Hirohiko Araki "Beautiful Men" meme

Hirohiko Araki said in an interview with VIZ Media that he's a massive supporter of the LGBT community. A lot of his characters appear androgynous, such as Anasui or Diavolo. He also added that DIO and Scarlet Valentine are both bisexual. This interview was done in response to false rumors of homophobia.

RELATED: 10 Of The Best LGBTQ+ Characters In Anime

He also proceeded to list off many ways in which he has gone against traditional gender expectations with his characters. He then implies that Funny Valentine is also not straight.

5 Many Of His Pose References Come From Fashion Magazines

gucci jojo collaboration outfits

It's no secret that Hirohiko Araki has a keen eye for fashion. His characters are fashionable, and the outfits are appealing to the eyes. Araki cites Christian Dior and Gianni Versace as immense inspirations for him. He says that he is conscious of both daily life and fantasy when he creates characters.

Many of his most iconic character poses are inspired by fashion magazines and campaigns. Many poses of the characters can be traced back to certain seasonal campaigns from luxury brands like Versace or Chanel and fashion magazines such as Vogue.

4 Araki Is Inspired By A Range Of Artists

Araki Illustrates Jojo Characters

Araki has described his artwork as being "classical." He has a long list of artistic inspirations, such as art from the Italian Renaissance era and artists such as Antonio Lopez and Tony Viramontes, and has also expressed great admiration for Leonardo da Vinci.

The manga series Babel II by Mitsuteru Yokoyama showcases combat choreography, and Hirohiko Araki has cited that as an influence. There are videos on YouTube of Araki creating illustrations as well, in which he is seen referring to books showcasing Michelangelo's sculptures.

3 He's A Huge Fan Of Movies And Rock Music

Josuke Higashikata and Prince

Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger are two of Hirohiko Araki's earliest inspirations for JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. Hence why the characters of Phantom Blood, Battle Tendency, and Stardust Crusaders are all quite muscular in comparison to characters in later parts. Araki stated that Stallone's and Schwarzenegger's movies made him wonder who the strongest person in the world is.

He also really enjoys rock music and Western pop music, naming many characters after popular songs and bands. For example, DIO is named after Ronnie James Dio. Josuke's stand, Crazy Diamond, is named after Pink Floyd's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond," and his design is based on Prince.

2 He Says That JoJo's Would Not Exist If It Weren't For Sherlock Holmes

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Jotaro Kujo Pulling Down His Hat

In an interview with Kotoba, Araki states that JoJo's Bizarre Adventure would have never been created if he had never stumbled across Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle. He states that these stories helped him grasp the fundamentals of telling stories, especially narrative structure and character creation. Araki expresses admiration of the way Holmes was built, stating that he's a genius, but a jerk. Therefore, he is lonely.

RELATED: JoJo: The 5 Best Things About Jotaro Kujo (& 5 Less Savory Aspects Of Him)

This seems to have inspired Jotaro Kujo, as in his biography, Araki states that his idea of a hero is a loner, someone who does the right thing without seeking validation from others.

1  Araki Met Clint Eastwood in 2012 — The Inspiration For Jotaro Kujo

Clint Eastwood meets Hirohiko Araki and poses as Jotaro

Back in 2012, Hirohiko Araki met Clint Eastwood. Jotaro Kujo, who has become the face for the entire franchise, is inspired by Clint Eastwood and the characters he played in movies. Jotaro's signature catchphrase, "Yare Yare Daze," or "Good Grief," was inspired by Eastwood in films such as The Outlaw Josey Wales, Pale Rider, and Dirty Harry.

When the two met in 2012, Araki gave him a framed illustration of Jotaro and Iggy. Clint Eastwood also posed as Jotaro, and the photo was put in the JOJOmenon 25th anniversary magazine.

NEXT: JoJo: 10 JoJo References In Anime Most Fans Missed