Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball Manga Creator, Dies at 68
Akira Toriyama, the Japanese manga artist who created the popular Dragon Ball series, died of a brain condition last week at the age of 68. His production company confirmed the news Friday in Japan. He leaves behind an iconic body of work and influenced a generation.
Toriyama was born in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan in 1955 and made his debut as a cartoonist in 1978 by submitting a short story to manga fans’ magazine Weekly Shonen Jump. It’s also where he first introduced the world to Dragon Ball in 1984. The sweeping epic told the story of alien fighter Goku and his friends and family taking on any challengers and became an instant classic and one of the biggest anime of all time.
“It’s our deep regret that he still had several works in the middle of creation with great enthusiasm. Also, he would have many more things to achieve. However, he had left many manga titles and works of art to this world,” the announcement read. “Thanks to the support of so many people around the world, he has been able to continue his creative activities for over 45 years. We hope that Akira Toriyama’s unique world of creation continues to be loved by everyone for a long time to come.”