The Pokémon Trading Card Game will be presenting an online exhibition featuring some of the best art it has produced over the years, giving fans a chance to look at the evolution of the series in a unique way. Pokémon cards can be particularly sought after due to specific illustrations of each species. The TCG's next expansion, Lost Origin, will be released this September and continues a trend of full-art cards and holographic illustrations.
The artwork has always been a core part of the Pokémon Trading Card Game, and in recent years this has only become more prominent. Trading cards are no longer limited to foil on the rarest holographic cards; now there are full-art cards, rainbow rares, and even Shiny variants to pull from packs. For many collectors, a card's artwork can be just as important as the actual function of the card in the game. Even the most common cards can be printed with charming scenes, and this helps to maintain the TCG's popularity. Arguably, recent sets like Astral Radiance have had the best artwork to date, with some of the newest rare cards looking particularly stunning.
It has now been announced that The Pokémon Company will be presenting a digital exhibition of some of the best card art in the trading card game's history. Running from August 10 to October 22, the Pokémon Trading Card Game: Online Illustration Exhibition will be split into three themes; Life, History, and Artist. Life focuses on an in-universe perspective; the daily lives of Pokémon. History, meanwhile, "traces the evolution of Pokémon TCG illustrations" since the game's debut in 1996. Finally, Artist shows how various artists have portrayed a given Pokémon in different ways. The exhibit looks set to show off the most gorgeous Pokémon TCG artwork from across the game's history.
As the exhibit is entirely online, The Pokémon Company is taking advantage of the digital medium to pack the event full of information. Fans will be able to select a card to get a closer look, allowing easily-missed details to be more visible. At the same time, comments from the artist regarding the card's creation will also be provided, giving fans a more in-depth look at the creation process of each illustration. The exhibition will feature the work of 50 illustrators, who have each provided details regarding one of their cards. The list of participants includes names like renowned Pokémon designer Megumi Mizutani, who has also provided designs for the games and, by extension, the anime.
This new Pokémon TCG exhibition promises a deep dive behind the scenes of some of the best and most influential artwork that has helped build the game. With 50 contributing artists, it is almost certain that any fans with a favorite illustrator will be able to see an example of that artist's work on display. The three themes being used also widen the appeal considerably. Whether fans are interested in the history of the Pokémon TCG, the more technical aspects, or simply wish to see some of the coolest Pokémon card art out there, there is sure to be something for everyone.
Source: The Pokémon Company, PokémonTCG/Twitter