Akira Toriyama

It's a secret, but when I decided to apply to 'Shonen Magazine,' it was already past the deadline, so I had no choice but to go with 'Shonen Jump.' My motivation for becoming a cartoonist was... to put it bluntly, the ¥100,000 prize money."

I don't remember the very first animation I saw, but the one that stays deepest in my memory is definitely 'Astro Boy.'

I have memories of reading comics when I was in primary school, but that's about it.

There have been times when I didn't quite make my deadline.

Back when I watched 'Future Boy Conan,' I thought I might like to try my hand at animation, but now, not at all.

In the beginning, I was planning to end 'Dragon Ball' when all seven Dragon Balls had been collected.

I wanted to change up the tempo and setting of my comics in the sense of giving them some variety, for one thing. So where, for 'Slump,' the art was very America-esque, in the case of 'Dragon Ball,' I made it as Chinese as could be.

Basically with everything, I choose my criteria based on what can be easy. If I made the real world the setting, I'd have to draw looking at reference materials for stuff like buildings and vehicles. When you do that, people complain even if it's just a little bit off.

A teleporter would be nice. There are lots of places I want to go, but getting there is a pain.

I've been really frugal with money since way back, so I can't buy something if it's too expensive. I'm not that brave.

I don't like music that much... I put on the TV. But I often play things like fast-tempo disco or Queen. I've liked those since way back when.

Come to think of it, even though I've received tons of fan letters and presents from everyone, I've never written anyone back. How rude of me!