
Official Dragon Ball Reveals Rare Kid Goku Artwork by Toriyama in Full Color
During the manga creation process, artists draw many illustrations that either end up cut or altered before the chapter goes to print. As a special treat for Dragon Ball fans, the official Akira Toriyama Archive has unveiled the original version of a classic piece of Kid Goku artwork.
Featured on Dragon Ball‘s official site, the Akira Toriyama Archive regularly showcases hard-to-find images from Dragon Ball‘s past. However, these images are generally only featured on the site for 24 hours after publication. On July 11, 2024, the Archive published a draft of the Dragon Ball title page illustration from Weekly Shonen Jump Issue No. 40 (1985). Seen below, this title page was initially used during the manga’s “Tournament” saga, which featured Goku’s first appearance at the World’s Martial Arts Competition. Unlike the official version, which was only printed in red and black, Toriyama’s original title page features a much more diverse color palette that is especially apparent in the background visuals.

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Dragon Ball’s Kid Goku Artwork From ’80s Weekly Shonen Jump Is a Vibrantly-Colored Work of Art
The Archive’s latest installment provides fans a rare glimpse into Dragon Ball‘s early years — a period that is otherwise generally only available to readers via the series’ original Shonen Jump issues. While these magazines only cost about US$2 to purchase in Japan today, the issues chronicling Dragon Ball‘s initial publication have become increasingly rare and expensive, often selling on eBay and other e-commerce sites for upward of $40-$70. The overall demand for these gems has likely skyrocketed since the untimely passing of Akira Toriyama, whose death had a huge impact on creatives all over the world. In the wake of Toriyama’s death, bereft fans have rallied for Japan to create a museum dedicated to the artist’s life and legacy. These emotional pleas have been received by national representatives like Hideaki Omura, who stated that he “personally agrees” with the idea that Japan should erect a tribute museum — preferably in Akira Toriyama’s hometown of Kiyosu in Aichi Prefecture.
Dragon Ball’s Legacy Continues With New Artwork and the Upcoming Daima Anime Series
In the meantime, Dragon Ball‘s franchise collaborators are doing their part to honor Toriyama’s legacy. As part of the franchise’s ongoing 40th anniversary celebration, Saikyo Jump magazine is hosting the “Dragon Ball Super Gallery” — a four-year-long art showcase featuring pieces from major manga artists like Masashi Kishimoto (Naruto), Tite Kubo (Bleach), Tatsuya Endo (Spy x Family), Yusuke Murata (One-PunchMan) and Takehiko Inoue (Slam Dunk). Additionally, Toei Animation is gearing up for the debut of Dragon Ball Daima, a new anime starring Kid Goku and his companions, who are transformed back into children by an unknown entity. Toei Animation recently teased Daima with brand-new artwork, ending a long promotional dry spell for the series. Fans are expecting more promising updates at the upcoming Jump Victory Carnival livestream, which will be held on July 21 starting at 1 p.m. (JST).

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The Dragon Ball manga is available in English from VIZ Media. The series’ respective anime adaptations, including Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball Kai and Dragon Ball Super, are available to stream on Hulu and Crunchyroll. Dragon Ball Daima is slated to debut in Fall 2024.
Source: Dragon Ball official website
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