Tatsuo Yoshida

Who was Tatsuo Yoshida?

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

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 Go Go Go. 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 Tekkaman: The Space Knight.