The world of Japanese manga would look a lot different without the influence of renowned artist and visionary Akira Toriyama.
In fact, it can be argued that Toriyama is the godfather of modern-anime thanks to his unique and revolutionary styles in creating one of the world’s most popular manga series in Dragon Ball Z.
Toriyama got his start in anime in 1978 with “Wonder Island” before finding early success with the comedic sci-fi “Dr. Slump” (1980-1984) about a robotic girl named Arale Norimaki – earning him a coveted Shogakukan Manga award in the process.
Shortly thereafter, Toriyama developed Dragon Boy, based on the Chinese novel “Journey to the West.” The kung fu style manga made its debut in 1983 in the pages of Fresh Jump and eventually led to the creation of Dragon Ball, which from 1984 through 1995 sold close to 160 million copies.
With the skyrocketing popularity of the manga, which follows the adventures of Son Goku, the Dragon Ball world expanded to several offshoots, including Dragon Ball Z: Battle of the Gods.
And with it garnering international acclaim. But his influence and legacy didn’t end there as Toriyama worked with several big name franchises, such as One Piece, to develop manga series, video games and lots more.
Sadly, Akira passed away of a subdural hematoma on March 1 of 2024 at the age of 68, leaving behind an extraordinary legacy, which was honored at the 2024 New York Comic when he was posthumously inducted into the Harvey Awards Hall of Fame.
It’s because of these exploits that the Pop Culture Hall of Fame proudly inducted Toriyama as a member of its class of 2024 for Artists.
