Gengar & Mimikyu-GX · Team Up (TEU) #165

5 comments

1. 

   Henry VIII

   (3 years ago)

   I’m usually a big fan of Midori’s artwork, but for me this artwork kind of misses the mark. Not very interesting or dynamic IMHO.
   https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Midori_Harada

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     Jiří z PoděbradHenry VIII

     (2 years ago)

     It’s their second time illustrating Gengar in the TCG! As of 2022 they’ve illustrated Haunter once but Gastly not at all.

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     AmbassadorHenry VIII

     (2 years ago)

     This is Midori Harada’s most conceptually interesting artwork for the TCG because it is the anti-full art full art card. When you compare it to the rest of her body of work for the Pokémon TCG, she has so often been able to fit in an amazing amount of detail into her contributions – simple Pokémon designs in the forefront are regularly contrasted with dense, detailed backdrops, all fitting into the smaller canvas the standard card frame.

     This card does absolutely nothing to take advantage of the fact it has a larger canvas. Rather, the opposite; not only could it have been cropped to a standard art border, even had that been done it would’ve been one of her less intricate designs. This, with a card template that many other illustrators – both long time regular artists and brand new ones – have seen fit as an opportunity to ‘prove themselves’ and their artistic talents is unusual. But here’s the thing – Midori Harada is someone who is incredibly artistically talented, incredibly intelligent, and incredibly thoughtful. She has already proven herself, time and time again, throughout her contributions to the series. What is ironic is that a lot of people who approach the TCG as an “investment” (slash collectors who aren’t really collectors) will probably never realize it, as most of her works show up on commons, uncommons, etc. – not the stuff these folks usually go after.

     This wouldn’t even be the first time Midori Harada could be read as having undermined/subverted the format of the card – at least as far as the English TCG goes, her artwork for SF Mismagius was her only holofoil for the DP block. Most background art done for DP holofoils was pretty light/simple stuff, because the nature of the holofoil meant any small details might be missed – and that’s exactly where Harada hid a bird’s eye view of the city Paris as a backdrop. A ton of effort and ingenuity, obscured by holofoil paper such that the only people who will ever appreciate it for what it is will be those who spend time with it, shifting it about in the light to see every last detail – something that most folks won’t do.

     Midori Harada knows less is more, and to make connections with an audience, you don’t go all-out on the crazy holofoil full art card to “prove yourself” to an audience who never gave you time of day because none of your card were “flippable” on the “Pokémon card market”. Midori Harada is the TCG fan’s artist, the intellectual’s illustrator, and I find comments like the above a massive relief, because it means the gatekeeping exercise worked.

     In other words: 2 deep for u

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       TwylisAmbassador

       (2 years ago)

       Huh, that makes perfect sense. I always thought of this artwork as an oddity — Harada’s biggest strength has always been her incredibly detailed backgrounds, and this card only provides a tiny (but still immaculate) glimpse of that. That being a conscious decision to sort of undermine the norms of full arts absolutely tracks. Even the bottom is mostly dark (consequently making it way more readable than most full-arts too).

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       televisionnationAmbassador

       (2 years ago)

       This is currently the second most expensive Tag Team card period based on average TCGPlayer prices. I wouldn’t call this a connoisseur’s pick with that kind of widespread demand – though it’s likely because it features a popular mon like Gengar that the price is what it is.

       Reply