Earlier today, Viz Media announced that they acquired the publishing rights for Dragon Ball: A Visual History. The book will ship under Viz’s Shonen Jump imprint in Fall 2019, though specifics on a release date or price have yet to be announced.
The hardcover book compiles artwork and sketches, as well as commentary by Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama.
Dragon Ball is one of the most iconic manga and anime properties in the world. Akira Toriyama’s original manga first appeared in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in 1984. To date, the series has spawned more than 40 collected manga volumes, as well as numerous spinoffs and anime adaptations.
To date, the Dragon Ball manga has sold more than 240 million volumes worldwide.
Dragon Ball Super is the latest entry into the franchise. The series began airing on July 5, 2015 on Fuji TV. The series is being helmed by Kimitoshi Chioka (episodes 1-32) and Morio Hatano (ep 33 – present) at Toei Animation, with Tadayoshi Yamamuro (Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods, Beet the Vandel Buster) providing character designs. The show is the first new Dragon Ball TV series to air since Dragon Ball GT in 1996.
Funimation describes the series as:
With Majin Buu defeated, Goku has taken a completely new role as a…radish farmer?! With Earth at peace, our heroes have settled into normal lives. But they can’t get too comfortable. Far away, a powerful God awakens to a prophecy revealing his demise at the hands of a formidable being. When his search for the Saiyan God brings him to Earth, can Goku and his friends take on their strongest foe yet?
Source: Viz Media (Press Release)
Viz Acquires Publishing Rights For Dragon Ball: A Visual History Art Book – Samantha Ferreira
