Career
According to Tomine, this is one event in a seemingly coincidental rise to worldwide popularity along with: reissued collections of his stories in Japan, acquisition of translation rights in a number of European countries, and competition for the rights for Drawn and Quarterly. In 2009, he was awarded the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize for his autobiography, A Drifting Life. The same work garnered him multiple Eisner awards (Best Reality-Based Work and Best United States Edition of International Material–Asia) in 2010 and the regards sur le monde award in Angoulême International Comics Festival in 2012.
His work frequently illustrates the darker elements of life.
Describing Tatsumi, Jennifer Allan of The Guardian said: "He drew ugly aspects of society, but with humanity. People are grotesque, but never disgusting.
Taboos don’t exist, and the frankness of his subject matter is comforting."
A full-length animated feature on the life and short stories of Yoshihiro Tatsumi was released in 2011. The film, Tatsumi, is directed by Eric Khoo and The Match Factory is handling world sales.
Tatsumi died of cancer at the age of 79 on March 7, 2015.