THE creator of comic series Dragon Ball Z has died at the age of 68 after a bleed on the brain.
Akira Toriyama was one of the most influential and best-selling Japanese comic artists of all time.
AFPJapanese manga artist Akira Toriyama[/caption]
Bird Studio – Toei AnimationAkira created Dragon Ball – a hugely popular comic series that spawned cartoon and film versions[/caption]
AFPA statue of Dragon Ball character ‘Son Goku’ in Tokyo[/caption]
AFPThe popular Dragon Ball series debuted in 1984[/caption]
He died on March 1 from an acute subdural hematoma, a type of bleeding near the brain, his studio said on Friday.
Toriyama was the author of the hugely popular and influential titles Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z.
It was first serialised in 1984 and has spawned countless anime series, films and video games.
Dragon Ball Z was popular in the UK in the late 90s and 00s when it was regularly shown on Cartoon Network.
Toriyama’s Bird Studio said the 68-year-old “still had several works in the middle of creation with great enthusiasm”.
“He would have many more things to achieve. However, he has left many manga titles and works of art to this world,” they said.
“We hope that Akira Toriyama’s unique world of creation continues to be loved by everyone for a long time to come.”
The studio said “a funeral service was held with his family and very few relatives”.
They said no decision has yet been made about a “commemorative gathering” in Toriyama’s memory.
Publishing house Shueisha, whose magazine serialised the Dragon Ball comics, said it was “greatly saddened by the sudden news of his death”.
Eiichiro Oda, creator of Japan‘s major One Piece manga franchise, said Toriyama’s death was “too soon” and left “too big shoes to fill”.
“To think I’ll never see him again… I’m overwhelmed by sadness,” Oda said.
Dragon Ball features a boy named Son Goku who increases his powers by collecting magical balls containing dragons to help him and his allies in a fight to protect the Earth from evil enemies.
The 1990s saw the beloved cartoon Dragon Ball Z, and Toriyama was also part of the design team for the huge “Dragon Quest” games.
In an interview with Japan‘s Asahi newspaper in 2013, Toriyama said his comics were “dedicated to entertainment”.
“I just hope that readers will have a fun time reading my works. There’s nothing else I want them to achieve,” he said.
Toriyama added that he had “never been preoccupied with getting a message across through my manga”.
He also said he had “no idea” why “Dragon Ball” had become such a huge hit worldwide.
“When I was drawing the series, all I ever wanted to achieve was to please boys in Japan,” he told the Asahi.