Share and Follow
A timeless piece of Dragon Ball artwork has once again captivated fans, making its return over 30 years since its original debut.
Recently, the official Dragon Ball website’s Toriyama Archives delighted enthusiasts by reintroducing an illustration first unveiled in 1994. This artwork, showcased below, was initially featured on December 20, 1994, in the Weekly Shōnen Jump 1995 No. 3/4 Double Issue special, serving as an illustration for the calendar insert of that period.
The reissued art piece was highlighted in the Toriyama Archives, accompanied by a note that read, “This artwork vividly captures the striking scene of everyone flying in their own style by masterfully utilizing the spacious size and depth of the poster. Its utilization of colored Kent paper lends the work a texture set apart from typical coloration.”
Goku Soars in Rare Akira Toriyama Dragon Ball Art
Image via Shueisha
The art in question was republished via the Toriyama Archives along with a caption noting, “This artwork vividly captures the striking scene of everyone flying in their own style by masterfully utilizing the spacious size and depth of the poster. Its utilization of colored Kent paper lends the work a texture set apart from typical coloration.”
The Toriyama Archives have long been a fan-favorite feature of the official Dragon Ball website. Each edition of the Toriyama Archives showcases a classic piece of art by the late, great Akira Toriyama. While the majority of the art featured in the Toriyama Archives comes from the Dragon Ball franchise, fans have also occasionally seen classic illustrations and original drafts from titles such as Dr. Slump.
What’s Next for the Dragon Ball Franchise?
Currently, Dragon Ball fans are looking forward to multiple major releases in the years to come, the next of these being the long-awaited home media release of Dragon Ball DAIMA. The Dragon Ball DAIMA Blu-ray set is slated to be released in both standard and limited edition variants on August 11, almost five months after the series was originally meant to be released in the same format.
While Dragon Ball DAIMA was met with overwhelming acclaim on the part of critics and audiences upon its release in 2025, not everyone was all that keen on the franchise’s latest anime entry. In fact, former Shonen Jump editor in chief Kazuhiko Torishima recently lambasted the series during an appearance at Comicon Napoli in May. “DAIMA is sh*t,” Torishima said at the time. “Everyone at Toei hates me. DAIMA betrays Dragon Ball; it’s slow, stupid, and the first episode is useless. I have no idea how it was approved in the first place.”
Later this year, Dragon Ball fans can expect to see the arrival of Dragon Ball Super: Beerus, which was announced during the Dragon Ball Genkidamatsuri event in January. Rather than offering an entirely new story, Dragon Ball Super: Beerus will serve as a remaster and partial remake of the first Dragon Ball Super story arc.
While Dragon Ball Super: Beerus is coming ever closer to completion, the next new anime entry is still fairly early in production, namely the hotly anticipated Dragon Ball Super 2: Galactic Patrol. The upcoming series will follow up on the events of the first Dragon Ball Super anime and adapt the hit “Galactic Patrol Prisoner Saga” from the Dragon Ball Super manga, which revolves around the battle against the ancient wizardMoro.
- Cast
-
Sean Schemmel, Laura Bailey, Brian Drummond, Christopher Sabat, Scott McNeil
- Created by
-
Akira Toriyama
- Latest TV Show
-
Dragon Ball DAIMA