Ken Sugimori

Ken Sugimori ( Japanese: 杉森 建, Hepburn: Sugimori Ken; born January 27, 1966) is a Japanese video game designer, illustrator, manga artist, director, and co-founder of Game Freak alongside Satoshi Tajiri. He is best known for creating the looks of the characters in the Pokémon world.

Sugimori drew and finalized most of the original 151 Pokémon creatures that fans love today. His artwork helps bring these characters to life in games, movies, trading cards, and more.

Besides his work on Pokémon, Sugimori also helped direct important games like Ruby and Sapphire, Diamond and Pearl and Black and White. He has worked on many other projects too, including Pulseman and the Super Smash Bros. series. His talent has made him a key figure in the world of video games and animation.

Career

Ken Sugimori started his career in 1981 by creating a gaming magazine called Game Freak with a friend. This led to them forming a company and making games together.

Sugimori is most famous for designing characters for the Pokémon games. He helped create most of the first 151 Pokémon and has worked on many Pokémon movies and trading cards. For newer games like Pokémon Black and White, he led a team that created new characters, but he always made the final drawings himself. He gets ideas by watching animals in aquariums and zoos. Sugimori also writes and draws his own manga stories.

Works

Video games

Card games

• Pokémon Trading Card Game: main card artist

Anime

• Pokémon (anime): character design
• Pokémon: The First Movie: original character design
• Pokémon: The Movie 2000: original character design
• Pokémon 3: The Movie: conceptual character artist
• Pokémon 4Ever: conceptual character artist
• Pokémon Heroes: conceptual character artist

Manga

• Super Girl Namuko (One-shot published in Shōnen Sunday Zōkan July 15, 1984 issue)
• Dragon Blaster (One-shot published in Weekly Shōnen Sunday 1986 issue no. 44)
• Quinty (Mendel Palace)
• Jerry Boy (Smart Ball)
• Valkyrie no Bōken Gaiden: Futari no Megami (The Adventure of Valkyrie Gaiden: Two Goddess)
• Screw Breaker Gōshin Dorirurero (Drill Dozer)
• Pokémon Fushigi no Danjon Toki no Tankentai Yami no Tankentai (Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness)
• Shin Maido Osawagaseshimasu