The Inspiration of Dragonball and Dragonball Z
With Dragon Ball Z (or "Dragonball Z") hitting the top of the anime series charts, many anime fans have asked what it was that inspired the artist to create this truly exciting series. Dragon Ball Z has taken the world by storm and there is no question that Japanese manga artist, Akira Toriyama created an anime series that has been pure pleasure for fans throughout the world. The Dragon Ball series has sparked the creation of dozens of best-selling video fighting games, popular the world over. Not only can you buy the Dragon Ball video games, including Dragon Ball GT, there are also myriad sites to obtain cheats and walk-throughs for all the games.
But what inspired this incredible mixture of fantasy and imagination? What has taken Dragon Ball beyond others for anime fans and placed it at the top of the ranks? What are its roots?
As a child, Akira avidly watched anime, a style of Japanese video cartoon animation. When he was 10 years old, he moved into manga, which is the Japanese word for comics. He assimilated his inspiration from other sources as well. Growing up as a Jackie Chan fan, a key stimulus for Dragon Ball was Jackie Chan's first movie, Drunken Master.
How did he come to make it in the manga world? It all started with submitting a story to a monthly contest for amateur artists, and although he didn't win, the editor later hired him. After a year of hard work, he became a pro. Doing manga, he feels, can bring out his individuality since he creates both the story and the art.
The incredibly illustrated attacks that come to fruition in Dragon Ball Z were inspired by an ancient art in China, Chi (also spelled Ki), which means Universal Life Energy. Chi is usually formless and invisible, but in manga art, Toriyama gave it form so it is easily grasped. In Dragon Ball, another well-known attack is called kamehameha, for which our anime artist did many poses himself and chose the best.
Plot developments and characters were often inspired by letters from readers, such as one character, Vegeta. Toriyama found that he was often inspired by the feedback of his fans and used the advantage to spark the imagination in his anime series.
Influenced by Walt Disney's works such as 101 Dalmatians, and the work of another manga artist writer and illustrator, Osamu Tezuka (creator of Astro Boy and known as the "Walt Disney of Japan"), he made his creations come alive in Dragon Ball, perhaps inspired by the aforementioned, but truly the creativity of his own mind. The Dragon Ball anime series has likely been the inspiration of other manga artists in its own right.
When asked what materials he uses in creating his art, he responds that he used to use quill pens and color inks, but today uses a Macintosh. And who can question the efficiency in modern equipment in exceptional anime and manga.
And with a new re-mastered Dragon Ball Z Season One (the first 39 episodes restored) coming in as the best selling series to date, Japanese artist, Akira Toriyama will most certainly be known as the most inspired manga artist of his time.
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1880s Glossary of Technical Terms for Golf
BAFF - To strike the ground with the "sole" of the club-head in playing.
BUNKER - A sand-pit.
CADDIE - A person who carries the Golfer's clubs, and, if necessary, gives him advice in regard to the game.
CUP - A small hole in the course, probably made by the stroke of some previous player.
DEAD - A ball is said to be "dead "-1st, when it falls without rolling; dead, when it lies so near the hole that the "put" is a dead certainty.
DORMY - One party is said to be "dormy" on the other when the former is as many holes a-head as there remain holes to play. (This word is fancifully derived from dorrnio, to sleep, owing to the security enjoyed by the dormy party.)
DRAW - To drive widely to the left hand. (Synonymous with Hook and Screw.)
FACE - 1st, The sandy slope of a bunker; 2nd1 the part of the club¬head which strikes the ball.
FLAT - A club is said to be "flat" when its head is at a very obtuse angle to the shaft.
FORE !- A warning cry to any person in the way of the stroke. (Contracted for "Before.")
FOURSOME - A match in which two play on each side.
GOBBLE - A rapid straight "putt" into the hole.
GRASSED - Said of a club whose face is "spooned" or sloped backward.
GREEN - 1st, The whole Links; 2nd, The Putting-ground around the different holes.
GRIP - 1st, The part of the handle covered with leather by which the club is grasped; 2nd, the grasp itself.
HALF-ONE - A handicap of a stroke deducted every second hole.
HALVED - A hole is said to be "halved" when each party takes the same number of strokes.
A "halved match" is a "drawn game;" i.e., the players have proved to be equal.
HANGING -A "hanging" ball is one which lies on a downward slope.
HAZARD - A general term for bunker, whin, or other bad ground.
HEAD -This word is a striking specimen of incongruity and mixed metaphor. A head is the lowest part of a club, and possesses' among other mysterious characteristics, a sole, a heel, a toe, a nose, a neck, and face! These features are briefly described in this Glossary, and the curious inquirer may easily have them pointed out to him by any one who knows the secrets of Golf-craft.
HEEL - 1st, The part of the head nearest the shaft; 2nd, To hit off this part.
HOLE - 1st, The four-inch hole lined with iron; 2nd, The whole space between any two of these. HONOUR - The right to play off first from the tee, which belongs to the winner of the last hole. After the tee-stroke, the party whose ball is furthest from the hole must play first.
HOOK - See Draw.
JERK - In "jerking" the club should strike with a quick angular cut behind the ball, and stop on reaching the ground.
LIE - 1st, The inclination of a club when held on the ground in the natural position for striking; 2nd, The situation of a ball-good or bad.
LIKE - See under Odd.
LIKE-AS-WE-LIE - When both parties have played the same number of strokes.
LINKS - The open downs or heath on which Golf is played.
LOFT - To elevate the ball.
MATCH - 1st, The parties playing against each other; 2nd, The game itself.
MISS the GLOBE - To fail to strike the ball, either by swinging right over the top of it, or by hitting the ground behind.
NECK - The crook of the head where it joins the shaft.
NOSE - The point or front portion of the club-head.
ODD - 1st, "An odd," "two odds," etc., per hole means the handicap given to a weak opponent by deducting one, two, etc., strokes from his total every hole. 2nd, To have played "the odd" is to have played one stroke more than your adversary. Some other terms used in counting the game will be most easily explained here all together :-If your opponent has played one stroke more than you-i.e., "the odd," your next stroke will be "the like;" if two strokes more-i.e., "the two more," your next stroke will be "the one off two;" if "three more"-" the one off three;" and so on. ONE-OFF.TWO, ONE-OFF-THREE, &c. - See under Odd.
PRESS - To strive to recover lost ground by special exertion-a very dangerous thing to attempt.
PUT - To play the delicate game close to the hole. (Pronounce U as in but.)
RIND - A strip of cloth under the leather to thicken the grip.
RUB ON THE GREEN - A favourable or unlavourable knock to the ball, for which no penalty is imposed, and which must be submitted to.
SCARE - The narrow part of the club-head by which it is glued to the handle.
SCREW - See Draw.
SET - A pack of clubs.
SOLE - The flat bottom of the club-head.
SPRING - The degree of suppleness in the shaft.
SQUARE - When the game stands evenly balanced, neither party being any holes ahead.
STEAL - To hole an unlikely "put" from a distance.
STIMY - When your opponent's ball lies in the line of your "put."
SWIPE - A full driving stroke.
SWING - The circular sweep of the club in driving.
TEE - The pat of sand on which the ball is placed for the first stroke each hole.
THIRD - A handicap of a stroke deducted every third hole.
TOE - Another name for the Nose.
TOP - To hit the ball above its centre.
TWO-MORE, THREE-MORE, etc. - See under Odd.
UPRIGHT - A club is said to be "upright" when its head is not at a very obtuse angle to the shaft.
WHINS - Furze or gorse.
WHIPPING - The pitched twine uniting the head and handle.
Allan Hess is an amateur history buff who likes sports history. If you would like more information about antique golf equipment visit http://www.antiquegolfequipment.com
Wooden Golf Clubs of the Late 1800's
In the Golfer’s Handbook, published in 1881, the author, Robert Forgan, described the clubs, dividing the clubs into two categories: wooden clubs and iron clubs. The sub categories under the wooden clubs included drivers, spoons, and putters.
The wooden clubs were employed when the ball was in open ground where there was a good chance of getting it well away and with little fear of breakage. That was the general rule but several of the stronger clubs were used in more difficult situations.
Drivers were the longest and most delicately constructed, and yet the most powerful from a “swiping” point of view. They derive their name form being the clubs used to drive the ball when the longest possible stroke was required. The handle of a full-sized driver measured 3 feet 7 inches from the grip to its junction with the head, in order to give it the proper spring or degree of suppleness. The head weighed 7 or 8 ounces and had a face that was straight and almost perpendicular. Two types of wooden drivers were used.
1. The “play-club” was used for “swiping off the tee,” but could be used when the ball was in a “good lie”, and a full stroke was required. By design the club did not “sky” the ball too much so as to get the greatest possible distance. This is the long driver of the time.
2. The “grassed driver” was used on the longest holes and differed from the play-club in that it was heavier and stiffer with the face sloped back slightly from perpendicular. It was used when the ball was in soft grass or on a downward slope or a hazard demanded a well elevated stroke. It raised the ball to a considerable height and a good distance.
Spoons were employed in a similar way to the grassed driver but did not send the ball as far. As their title suggests the face of the club has a great slope meant to raise the ball to any height required especially out of very difficult ground. Five different spoons were and included the long spoon, middle spoon, short spoon, baffing spoon, and the wooden niblick. All had their particular use based on the lie and distance from the hole. The first three are descriptive of their use. The baffing spoon got its name from the sound produced when it hit the ground when making the stroke. It was a very short distance club . The wooden niblick was a “long spoon” with a brass sole and smaller head. It was used to lift the ball out of a rut. The brass sole was an advantage on hard or stony ground.
Two putters were used for very different purposes. The green putter was used on the putting green when the ball was near the hole. This club was used up to a distance of 30 yards if the turf was smooth and level. The driving putter was used force a ball out of long grass or the “cheat the wind” by sending a low “skimming” ball.
Allan Hess is an amateur history buff who likes sports history. If you would like more information about antique golf equipment visit www.antiquegolfequipment.com