Akira Toriyama, creator of Dragon Ball, dies at 68

Manga artist Akira Toriyama, best known for creating the globally influential series Dragon Ball, died on March 1, 2024, at age 68 due to an acute subdural hematoma. His production company Bird Studio announced the death on March 8, noting he had several works in progress. Born in Nagoya, Japan, on April 5, 1955, Toriyama studied at the Prefectural Industrial High School in Tokyo and worked as a poster designer before becoming a mangaka. He began his professional career in the 1970s with Shōnen Jump magazine and created the sci-fi comedy Dr. Slump (1980–1984). Dragon Ball, inspired by the Chinese classic Journey to the West, was serialized from 1984 to 1995, spanning 519 chapters collected in 42 volumes. The series spawned multiple anime adaptations and films, becoming a cultural phenomenon worldwide. In Italy, Dragon Ball aired on Italia 1 and was among the first anime discovered by many Italian youth. Toriyama's work profoundly influenced generations of artists and animators.