Posted in: Comics | Tagged: a drifting life, gekiga, manga, obituary, rip, Yoshihiro Tatsumi

Yoshihiro Tatsumi Passes Away, Aged 79

Paul Gravett reports,

The news came through to me in a short email yesterday, March 7th 2015: "Sensei passed away today." Yoshihiro Tatsumi is the 'sensei' or grand master of 'gekiga', a term he coined for the darker, more dramatic form of manga in Japan. His innovations were vitally important for Japanese comics and his lifetime's work stands as some of the most psychologically powerful and humane narratives, not only in manga but in global comics culture. To mark his passing, I am re-presenting an interview with Eric Khoo, director of the Tatsumianimated documentary, and a close friend of Tatsumi's, who emailed me me the sad news. Read this article and interview here…

Credited with the rise of "gekiga" alternative manga in Japan, which he said to have named in 1957, Drawn and Quarterly recently began a project to publish a compendium of his work focuses on the best of each year's work and beginning with 1969, and edited by Adrian Tomine.

His work continued in importance into his later years with his memoir A Drifting Life Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize five years ago as well as a number of Eisner Awards and a prize from Angoulême.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!