Akira Toriyama, Manga Trailblazer And 'Dragon Ball' Franchise Creator, Has Died At 68

His death was revealed to have happened on March 1 from acute subdural hematoma

Manga and anime fans across the globe are in mourning tonight. News came down that famed Japanese artist Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball and the artist for numerous other works including Dragon Quest and Chrono Trigger, has died at the age of 68. According to the statement by Bird Studio and Capsule Corporation Tokyo which broke the news via Dragon Ball’s official English Twitter account, he died March 1 due to acute subdural hematoma, brain bleed following a head injury.

The released statement continued, according to machine translation “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. He has left many manga titles and works of art to this world. 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.” It also stated that a private funeral service has already been held for his family, including his survivors, his wife, Yoshimi Katō, and their two children.

Born April 5, 1955 in Nagoya, Japan, his artistry began at a young age. His amazement at Disney’s One Hundred and One Dalmatians drew him to drawing and motivated him to hone his skills, while Astro Boy sparked the specific interest in manga. He also enjoyed Ultraman and Gamera. His big break in the manga industry was when at the age of 23 he entered an amateur manga creator contest in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine. His early success in the was his Dr. Slump series in the late ’70s, which won him a Shogakukan Manga Award in 1981 and would land him a supervisory role for its two subsequent anime adaptations. Dragon Ball was born a continuation of his kung fu movie-influenced Dragon Boy one-shot. First published as a serial in 1984, it would become one of the best-selling manga series ever and become accredited as what popularized the medium of manga globally, with its many anime to build an enduring franchise, especially for Western audiences. The various iterations, continuing with Z all the way to Super became synonymous with the Toonami block on Cartoon Network and later Adult Swim in the United States. As Toonami creator Jason DeMarco put it “Line work and character design were legendary. His work changed my life and so many others. Without Dragon Ball, Toonami would not have been what it became. Without his work, Anime would not be the global phenomenon it is today

Eiichiro Oda, creator of fellow global manga and anime phenomenon One Piece, released this statement in response to Toriyama’s death:

It is too early.

The hole is too big. Sadness washes over me when I think that I will never see him again.

I have admired him so much since I was a child, so I remember the day he called me by name for the first time. On the way home from the day you used the word "friend" for me and Kishimoto, I remember being overjoyed with Kishimoto. I also remember the last conversation we had.

I was one of those who took the baton from the days when reading manga made you a fool, and he also created an era when both adults and children could enjoy reading manga. He showed us the dream that manga can go worldwide. It was like watching a hero going forward.

For not only mangakas but also creators in various industries, the excitement and emotion of the time of Dragon Ball serialization must have taken root in their childhood.

His existence is like a big tree.

For the manga artists of our generation who stood on the same stage, Toriyama's works became more and more important to me as I got closer to the same stage. I even felt being scary. But I am just happy to see the aloof man himself again. Because we love him on a blood level.

With respect and gratitude for the creative world he has left behind. I pray for his soulful rest in peace.

May heaven be the joyous world he envisioned.

Toriyama’s reported final projects at the time of his death was as character designer for the next Dragon Ball Z spin-off series, Dragon Ball Daima. The series features the adventures of chibi-stylized Goku and Vegeta and is set to premiere this fall. A video game adaptation of his manga Sand Land, is still set for release in April.

Sources: Dragon Ball, Shonen Jump, IGN, Variety, Jason DeMarco