The Pokémon TCG Illustration Contest

Two years ago, Pokémon TCG broadened their horizons, and that of their players, by inviting those with a creative eye to submit original art that could potentially be printed on a Pokémon card. They called it the Pokémon TCG Grand Prix, This was a contest solely for Japanese residents who wished to put their passion and artistic expression out there for all to see. 

That was 2019. It’s now 2021 and the contest has returned...with some slightly different rules. The contest will now be accepting submissions from artists in both Japan and the U.S. There will also be a slight change in themes. Pokémon is asking contestants to choose one of the following Pokémon to feature in their design:

• Bulbasaur
• Charizard
• Pikachu
• Arcanine
• Galarian Rapidash
• Scizor
• Greninja
• Cramorant

This year, Pokémon is asking contestants to bring one of these eight Pokémon to life by showing/drawing them in their daily life. In other words, the theme is “a day in the life of a Pokémon”. It sounds slightly challenging and rather intriguing at the same time.

So, we know what the contest is asking of its entrants, but what are they willing to give in return for those who catch the eyes of the judges? Well, there are four award tiers in place, meaning there are four chances to walk away with some kind of prize. Those award tiers are:

• Grand Prize 
• First Runner-Up
• Second Runner-Up
• Judges’ Award

While the other categories can have multiple winners (from both countries), there can only be one Grand Prize winner from either the U.S. or Japan. The award for the Grand Prize winner will be given $5,000 and their illustration will be printed on a promo card. The other awards, and their given prizes, are broken down on the contest’s official website, which I will link to here shortly.

The Pokémon TCG Illustration Contest will officially open on October 13th, 2021 at 8 pm PST. Given the name, I initially thought that the contest would begin in 2022, but it turns out that 2022 will actually be when it closes. All submissions must be sent in no later than 6:59 pm PST on January 31st. After that, the contest officially closes. Then the judges will make their evaluations, and the winner(s) will be announced around June of 2022.

If you are interested in entering the contest or just learning more about it, you can get all the info you need by visiting Pokémon's Official Illustration Contest page. There, you will find the entry form, the list of judges, award details, a Q&A page, and other important details that you may need before and after entering the contest. Who knows, maybe we’ll see you or one of our artists in the winner’s circle. Now, that would be cool.

Until we meet again,

Vince The Prince