Akira Toriyama, creator of the "Dragon Ball" manga series/GettyImages, STR/JIJI PRESS/AFP
The Japanese manga artist and character designer Akira Toriyama, known especially as the creator of the successful "Dragon Ball" manga series, died of a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 68. Toriyama is considered one of the creators who changed the history of manga, his works and especially "Dragon Ball" gained great popularity and were very influential and inspired to many in the world.
Toriyama's death was announced today (Friday) on the official "Dragon Ball" website.
"We regret that he was still in the middle of several works with great enthusiasm," it was reported.
"He could have had many more achievements. However, he left many manga works and works of art to the world."
Toriyama was born in April 1955 in Nagoya, Japan.
In the late seventies he released his first manga story, "Wonder Island", which was published in the Japanese magazine "Weekly Shōnen Jump".
He then hit the mainstream with the creation of the manga "Dr. Slump".
Later, in the first half of the eighties, he created "Dragon Ball", which was published in the same magazine, and became his most successful work in the world, with sales of over 120 million copies.
The success made him focus on this series, in which he created 519 episodes published in 42 volumes.
In addition, "Dragon Ball" became an anime series, animated films, video games and many related products.
In addition, Toriyama designed characters for the game series "Dragon Quest" as well as the game "Chrono Trigger" and the fighting game "Tobal No. 1".
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