The Pokémon Trading Card Game is holding another Illustration Contest, with the winner's design becoming an official card in the game. What makes this particular Pokémon contest special is that it's open to people from the United States of America, allowing them to submit Pokémon designs that could become part of the game.
The Pokémon TCG has had fan design contests since the beginning. In fact, the rarest and most valuable Pokémon card came from one of these events. CoroCoro held a contest in 1997 asking fans to design a Pokémon TCG card, and the winning design was turned into the card Pokémon Illustrator, of which only 41 copies are known to exist. The rarity of the card has led to Pokémon Illustrator selling for over $200,000 at auctions in the past.
Aspiring Pokémon artists in certain parts of the world will soon have the chance to show their skills off to some of the higher-ups at The Pokémon Company. The Pokémon Trading Card Game Illustration Contest 2022 has been announced and, this time, it will allow entrants from both Japan and the United States of America. The previous two iterations of the contest only accepted applicants from Japan. The rules and entry form can be found on the official website for the contest.
The goal of this Pokémon Trading Card Game art design contest is to draw a moment in a Pokémon's daily life. The artist must draw either Bulbasaur, Charizard, Pikachu, Arcanine, Galarian Rapidash, Scizor, Greninja, or Cramorant. The picture cannot include any alphanumeric text, and is meant to only feature a single Pokémon, but exceptions will be made if the design fits the theme. All entrants can submit up to three designs, and the contest does not accept entries from minors.
The Pokémon Trading Card Game art design contest will start accepting entries on October 13, 2021, and it will be judged by executives from The Pokémon Company and several illustrators who work on the game. The winner will receive a cash prize equal to $5000 and their design will be turned into an official card. The two runner-ups (one from Japan, one from the US) will receive $3000 and will also have their Pokémon art designs turned into cards.
The Pokémon TCG is known for having amazing artwork, which is why many people collect Pokémon cards without playing the game. The artists who have dreamed of seeing their work become an official part of the Pokémon franchise have a month to prepare their pieces if they want to become the next Pokémon illustrator.
The submissions for the Pokémon Trading Card Game Illustration Contest 2022 will open on October 13, 2021.
Source: The Pokémon Company