Tatsuo Yoshida


Tatsuo Yoshida was a Japanese cartoonist, writer, mangaka and anime pioneer who founded the anime studio Tatsunoko Productions.

Biography

Born in 1932, Yoshida grew up in the hardship of war-torn Japan. A self-taught artist, his first job was as working for local newspapers in Kyoto. After finding success as a manga artist in Tokyo, including winning the Shogakukan Manga Award in 1972 for Minashigo Hutch, in 1962 he founded Tatsunoko with his two younger brothers, Kenji and Toyoharu. The studio's name has a double Japanese meaning of "Tatsu's child" and "sea dragon" which was the inspiration for its seahorse logo.
Yoshida made the jump from print to the screen and found modest success with the anime racing series Mach GoGoGo. Once adapted to the English language market, it achieved resounding, worldwide success as Speed Racer. Yoshida also created the action series Gatchaman, Casshan, Hurricane Polymar and .
Though Tatsuo Yoshida's career was cut short by his untimely death from liver cancer in 1977, Tatsunoko Productions has continued to partner with top creators to create additional hit series such as Macross, Mospeada, Robotech, Generator Gawl, Time Bokan, and Karas.

Anime credits