Renowned worldwide for his playful, innovative storytelling and humorous, distinctive art style, Akira Toriyama burst onto the manga scene in 1980 with the wildly popularDr. Slump. His hit seriesDragon Ball(published in the U.S. asDragon BallandDragon Ball Z) ran from 1984 to 1995 in Shueisha'sWeekly Shonen Jumpmagazine. He is also known for his design work on video games such asDragon Quest,Chrono Trigger,Tobal No. 1and, most recently,Blue Dragon. His recent manga works includeCOWA!,Kajika,Sand Land,Neko Majin, and a children's book,Toccio the Angel. He lives with his family in Japan.