Manga
Akira Toriyama, creator of “Dragon Ball,” dies
The creator of “Dragon Ball” and “Dr. Slump” died at 68. His studio shared the news in March 2024.
Akira Toriyama, one of the most influential mangaka of all time, has died at 68 from an acute subdural hematoma. Bird Studio, his studio, made the news public days after his death, once a private funeral had already been held.
Toriyama first made his name with “Dr. Slump” and achieved worldwide fame with “Dragon Ball,” serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump starting in 1984. Son Goku's adventures left their mark on several generations of readers and viewers, including in Spain, where the anime aired on regional TV channels.
His work went beyond manga: he designed the characters and monsters for the “Dragon Quest” video game series and for “Chrono Trigger,” among other projects.
Artists from around the world, many of them directly inspired by his work, paid tribute to him in the days following the announcement.