“I wanted to change up the tempo and setting of my comics in the sense of giving them some variety, for one thing. So where, for 'Slump,' the art was very America-esque, in the case of 'Dragon Ball,' I made it as Chinese as could be.”

Japanese manga artist and character designer

Akira Toriyama was a Japanese manga artist and character designer. He became one of the most influential figures in manga, and is best known for creating the Dragon Ball franchise. His work helped shape modern manga and reached a wide audience through popular, highly influential series. He is remembered above all for Dragon Ball, but his reputation also rests on the broader impact of his art and character design on the medium.