Posted in: Card Games, Games, Pokémon TCG, Tabletop | Tagged: hidden fates, Kanako EO, pokemon, pokemon cards, Pokemon TCG

Pokémon Trading Card Game Artist Spotlight: Kanako Eo

This week's Pokémon Trading Card Game Artist Spotlight focuses on Kanako Eo who debuted in February 2005's ex Deoxys set with Shroomish.

Throughout the years, the Pokémon Trading Card Game has featured a variety of incredible art styles. Now that the hobby has been around for more than a quarter of a century, we have seen the artwork of Pokémon TCG cards elevated by daring new artist choices as well as illustrators who have been veteran contributors since the very first releases. Let's take a journey through the eye-popping, mind-expanding history of Pokémon TCG artwork by exploring some of the hobby's most interesting and unique artists. Today, we will spotlight Kanako Eo.

Kanako Eo's Pokémon TCG debut was in the Febuary 2005 set ex Deoxys. She contributed a Shroomish card that used a bold, cartoony style with an emphasis on the cuteness of the Pokémon. These elements would stay as a throughline of all of Eo's work, from this first card to her latest credit. Eo would go on to draw the Forest File of the PokéPark set, a Japan exclusive made up of two nine-card files. Eo's Forest File included PokéPark's Celebi, Torchic, Mudkip, Pikachu, Latias, Latios, Whismur, Munchlax, and the above Jirachi.

The Black & White era saw Eo contribute one of the few examples of the Shiny Secret Rare card types from this series block. At the time, Shiny Pokémon were depicted on Secret Rare Reverse Holo cards. Eo's Shiny Ponyta was featured in Platinum – Arceus.

The Black & White, XY, and Sun & Moon eras would see Kanako Eo expand to use her trademark cute style on different card types. Eo was a major component of the Radiant Collection subsets, a cute, sparkly, and decorative subset of cards that appeared in Black & White – Legendary Treasures and the XY-era special set Generations. Eo contributed multiple cards to these subsets, with her Shaymin EX Full Art from Black & White – Legendary Treasures and Sylveon EX from Generations pictured above.

Eo's final (for now?) credit in the Pokémon TCG is the Lady Full Art Trainer Supporter from Hidden Fates, the final Sun & Moon-era special set. Though Eo was credited with working on the actual Sword & Shield game, she had no Sword & Shield credits on the cards nor on any Scarlet & Violet cards yet. I hope it's not the end of Eo's contributions.

Be sure to check Bleeding Cool every day to follow our in-depth Pokémon TCG coverage as we explore the hobby's past, present, and even future with upcoming set reveals.

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