Dragon Ball has republished a Weekly Shonen Jump color page drawn by Akira Toriyama, highlighting Goku's confident side and drawing attention to one of the series' creator's much rarer and lesser-known manga titles.
A Weekly Shonen Jump color page featuring Kid Goku has resurfaced as part of the Toriyama Archive, via Dragon Ball's official English website. As its name suggests, the Toriyama Archive displays rare and iconic artwork by creator Akira Toriyama for just 24 hours before the image is returned to the archives. This recent image first debuted in Weekly Shonen Jump 1988 Issue #5 on December 18, 1987. Toriyama is well-regarded for his car designs; this latest image, seen below, pokes fun at Japanese automaker Suzuki, with Goku standing on top of the car in a confident pose.
New official Dragon Ball artwork revealed parodies Japanese carmaker Suzuki
Shonen Jump's Dragon Ball color page comes with the official description: “This illustration features Goku posing on a compact SUV! The layout and design of this page bears an undeniable resemblance to the title page of Akira Toriyama's one-shot manga 'SONCHOH', which was published in the same edition. Plus, if you look closely, you can even see the pencil notes Toriyama left above the chapter numbers in this amazing work!”
Although the car says it's #158, this color page actually coincides with the release of Chapter 155. As the description highlights, Toriyama's note near the top left corner reads “Dragon Ball – Son Goku's Counterattack” — the title of Chapter 155 (translated by Viz as “Guess Who's Back”). Goku's confidence in the color page is also evident in the chapter itself. Set during the “King Piccolo Saga,” Goku easily takes down Piccolo's son Drum, surprising not only the Namekians but also Tien, his former rival and ally. Goku then overpowers him throughout the chapter, ending with Piccolo dumbfounded by the difference in their power.
Dragon Ball's 'SONCHOH' is a Little-Known Racing Manga
The official Dragon Ball website also provides more information about SONCHOH, which the Kid Goku cover clearly inspired. Toriyama wrote the short story in the same issue of Shonen Jump, drawn to celebrate the magazine reaching 4.85 million copies in circulation. The manga tells the story of how the elder of Pon-Pon Village, Tetsunoshin Kataiwa, chases down a man guilty of littering in his car. The website adds that the story “gave Toriyama the opportunity to draw something he loves: cars.” The original Dragon Ball color page is in Volume 13, which is available for purchase directly from VIZ and other major retailers.
Dragon Ball
Son Goku, a monkey-tailed warrior, along with a group of other strange characters, set out on a quest to find the Dragon Balls, a set of crystals that can grant the owner anything they desire.
Author Akira Toriyama
Artist Akira Toriyama
Release date November 20, 1984 Category Adventure, Fantasy, Comedy, Martial Arts
Chapter 519
Book 42
Adaptation Dragon Ball (1986)
Publishing house Shueisha, Madman Entertainment, Viz Media
Extend
Source: Dragon Ball English Official Website
