Tatsuo Yoshida is an anime pioneer who founded legendary anime studio Tatsunoko Productions.
Born in 1933, Yoshida grew up in the hardship of post-war Japan. He got his first job as a self-taught artist working for local newspapers in Kyoto. After finding success as a manga artist in Tokyo, he found Tatsunoko with his two younger brothers Kenji and Toyoharu (aka. Ippei Kuri). The studio's name has a double Japanese meaning of "Tatsuo's Studio" and "sea dragon" which was the inspiration for its seahorse logo. Understanding the future of television, Yoshida made the jump from print to the screen and found modest success with the anime racing series Mach Go Go Go. However, this pales in comparison to the blockbuster status it achieved as Speed Racer around the world.
Yoshida's magical talent for storytelling again found success with the action series Gatchaman (aka. Battle of the Planets) and Casshan (now remade as the live-action film Casshern.
Though his brilliant 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 (aka. Robotech), Mospeada, Generator Gawl, Time Bokkan, and Karas.
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Last updated: 10-26-2005 05:58:30
