Lizards, Bugs Were Among Pets Kept By "Dragon Ball" Creator Akira Toriyama

Akira Toriyama, the creator of the widely popular "Dragon Ball" comics and anime, has died at the age of 68, his production team announced recently.

Toriyama passed away on March 1, 2024, due to acute subdural hematoma, a medical condition marked by the collection of blood between the brain and its outer covering.

"We are deeply saddened to inform you that Manga creator Akira Toriyama passed away on March 1st due to acute subdural hematoma," his team wrote in a statement posted to X. "We hope that Akira Toriyama's unique world of creation continues to be loved by everyone for a long time to come," they added.

Information ; Dear Friends and Partnershttps://t.co/85dXseckzJ pic.twitter.com/aHlx8CGA2M

— DRAGON BALL OFFICIAL (@DB_official_en) March 8, 2024

Here are some facts about Akira Toriyama:

- Akira Toriyama, born on April 5, 1955, was a renowned Japanese manga artist and character designer. He gained recognition with his manga series "Dr Slump".

- Mr Toriyama worked at an ad agency making posters for three years before he quit and joined the manga world by entering a contest in a Jump magazine to win some prize money.

- He earned the 1981 Shogakukan Manga Award for best shonen manga with "Dr Slump", which sold over 35 million copies in Japan and led to a successful anime adaptation, followed by a second anime created in 1997.

- Even though "Dragon Ball" is what Akira Toriyama is best known for, he is also famous for "Sand Land", "Dragon Quest", and "Chrono Trigger", appealing to fans of manga, anime, and video games alike.

- Mr Toriyama loved cars and motorcycles that he inherited from his father, who briefly operated an auto repair business. He was a devoted animal lover since childhood and kept various pets, including birds, dogs, cats, fish, lizards, and bugs, some serving as models for characters in his creations.

Throughout his life, Mr Toriyama maintained a fondness for plastic models, even designing several for the Fine Molds brand, and also loved collecting autographs from renowned manga artists, amassing over 30, a hobby later reflected in the character Peasuke Soramame in "Dragon Ball".