Akira Toriyama

Akira Toriyama was a Japanese manga artist and character designer, widely recognized for his immense impact on the medium. Born on April 5, 1955, in Nagoya, Japan, he first gained mainstream attention with the comedic series *Dr. Slump*, serialized in *Weekly Shōnen Jump*, which earned him the 1981 Shogakukan Manga Award for best shōnen series. The manga sold over 35 million copies in Japan and spawned two anime adaptations. Toriyama’s most famous creation, *Dragon Ball*, ran from 1984 to 1995 and became one of the best-selling manga series ever, with 260 million copies worldwide. Its anime adaptations helped popularize the medium internationally. Beyond manga, he designed characters for major video games, including Square Enix’s *Dragon Quest* series, *Chrono Trigger*, and *Blue Dragon*. Toriyama’s clean, energetic art style and knack for blending humor with action defined his signature work. He collaborated closely with editors like Kazuhiko Torishima and artists such as Toyotarou on *Dragon Ball Super*. In 2019, he was named a Chevalier of the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. Toriyama died on March 1, 2024, and was posthumously inducted into the Harvey Awards Hall of Fame in October 2024.