'Dragon Ball' creator Akira Toriyama dies at 68

Japanese manga comic creator Akira Toriyama, known for such popular titles as "Dragon Ball" and "Dr. Slump", died of acute subdural hematoma on March 1, publisher Shueisha said on Friday.

He was 68.

Dragon Ball, first published in Weekly Shonen Jump comic magazine in 1984, was later adopted into movies, video games and TV series, which were distributed in more than 80 countries.

Toriyama was also known as a character and monster designer of the blockbuster role-playing game series Dragon Quest.

"We will never forget Akira Toriyama for the gift he left on this earth. I can't imagine a world without Dragon Ball," a fan wrote on the official Dragon Ball website.