Akira Toriyama, creator of ‘Dragon Ball’ franchises, dies at age 68

Akira Toriyama, the Japanese manga artist who created the “Dragon Ball” franchise in the 1980′s, died March 1 due to an acute subdural hematoma.

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He was 68.

Toriyama’s death was confirmed by the official “Dragon Ball” website, which posted a statement honoring the creator on Thursday evening, Variety reported.

“It’s our deep regret that he still had several works in the middle of creation with great enthusiasm. Also, he would have many more things to achieve,” reads the statement from Bird Studio, which includes the disclaimer that it has been machine-translated.

“He has left many manga titles and works of art to this world. Thanks to the support of so many people around the world, he has been able to continue his creative activities for over 45 years. We hope that Akira Toriyama’s unique world of creation continues to be loved by everyone for a long time to come.”

Toriyama launched his career with the popular “Dr. Slump” series in the late ‘70s, winning a Shogakukan Manga Award in 1981 and supervising two subsequent anime adaptations, Variety reported.

In 1984, he introduced “Dragon Ball” which became popular worldwide. The comic series led to cartoon and film versions of the character. The series follows a boy named Son Goku in his quest to collect magical dragon balls to defend Earth against alien humanoids called Saiyans.

“Dragon Ball” is credited with popularizing manga – comics or graphic novels originating from Japan – across the world.

His other credits include character designs for video game classics like “Chrono Trigger” and the “Dragon Quest” series, according to Variety.

A private funeral service has already been held for Toriyama’s family. He is survived by his wife, Yoshimi Katō, and their two children.

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