{
  "url": "https://www.moonstonehq.com/articles/who-draws-pokemon-cards",
  "slug": "who-draws-pokemon-cards",
  "title": "Who Draws Pokemon Cards? 399 Names, Counted",
  "summary": "399 credited illustrators drew 20,367 English cards, and 25 of them drew half. Hold set and rarity fixed and the name on the card is worth 0.99x.",
  "section": "Quant research",
  "published": "2026-09-23",
  "readMinutes": 9,
  "publisher": "moonstone",
  "findings": [
    {
      "value": "399",
      "measures": "distinct illustrator credits",
      "basis": "English physical catalog, folded for spelling"
    },
    {
      "value": "25",
      "measures": "credits that drew half the catalog",
      "basis": null
    },
    {
      "value": "0.99x",
      "measures": "median artist ask against their own cohort",
      "basis": "107 credits, leave-one-out"
    },
    {
      "value": "74.66% to 19.98%",
      "measures": "top-ten share, WotC era to now",
      "basis": null
    }
  ],
  "tables": [
    {
      "title": "Illustrator credits by output",
      "columns": [
        "Cards drawn",
        "Credits",
        "Cards",
        "Share of catalog",
        "Median ask",
        "90th percentile ask"
      ],
      "rows": [
        {
          "Cards drawn": "1",
          "Credits": "46",
          "Cards": "46",
          "Share of catalog": "0.23%",
          "Median ask": "$5.48",
          "90th percentile ask": "$210.48"
        },
        {
          "Cards drawn": "2 to 5",
          "Credits": "75",
          "Cards": "238",
          "Share of catalog": "1.17%",
          "Median ask": "$2.03",
          "90th percentile ask": "$53.56"
        },
        {
          "Cards drawn": "6 to 20",
          "Credits": "122",
          "Cards": "1,487",
          "Share of catalog": "7.30%",
          "Median ask": "$0.37",
          "90th percentile ask": "$43.22"
        },
        {
          "Cards drawn": "21 to 50",
          "Credits": "67",
          "Cards": "2,240",
          "Share of catalog": "10.99%",
          "Median ask": "$0.58",
          "90th percentile ask": "$38.60"
        },
        {
          "Cards drawn": "51 to 100",
          "Credits": "40",
          "Cards": "2,800",
          "Share of catalog": "13.74%",
          "Median ask": "$0.43",
          "90th percentile ask": "$23.74"
        },
        {
          "Cards drawn": "101 to 250",
          "Credits": "34",
          "Cards": "5,266",
          "Share of catalog": "25.84%",
          "Median ask": "$0.60",
          "90th percentile ask": "$18.68"
        },
        {
          "Cards drawn": "251 to 500",
          "Credits": "10",
          "Cards": "3,382",
          "Share of catalog": "16.59%",
          "Median ask": "$0.82",
          "90th percentile ask": "$50.08"
        },
        {
          "Cards drawn": "501 or more",
          "Credits": "5",
          "Cards": "4,923",
          "Share of catalog": "24.15%",
          "Median ask": "$2.21",
          "90th percentile ask": "$53.98"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "title": "Cumulative share held by the busiest credits",
      "columns": [
        "Credits",
        "Share of credited cards"
      ],
      "rows": [
        {
          "Credits": "Top 1",
          "Share of credited cards": "8.55%"
        },
        {
          "Credits": "Top 5",
          "Share of credited cards": "24.15%"
        },
        {
          "Credits": "Top 10",
          "Share of credited cards": "34.09%"
        },
        {
          "Credits": "Top 25",
          "Share of credited cards": "50.72%"
        },
        {
          "Credits": "Top 50",
          "Share of credited cards": "67.04%"
        },
        {
          "Credits": "Top 100",
          "Share of credited cards": "82.87%"
        },
        {
          "Credits": "Top 200",
          "Share of credited cards": "94.98%"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "title": "Credits by output, English physical catalog",
      "columns": [
        "Credit",
        "Cards",
        "Sets",
        "Eras",
        "Median ask",
        "Dearest ask"
      ],
      "rows": [
        {
          "Credit": "5ban Graphics",
          "Cards": "1,743",
          "Sets": "104",
          "Eras": "6",
          "Median ask": "$4.28",
          "Dearest ask": "$1,501.23"
        },
        {
          "Credit": "Ken Sugimori",
          "Cards": "1,116",
          "Sets": "108",
          "Eras": "8",
          "Median ask": "$1.48",
          "Dearest ask": "$718.66"
        },
        {
          "Credit": "Mitsuhiro Arita",
          "Cards": "732",
          "Sets": "134",
          "Eras": "8",
          "Median ask": "$3.14",
          "Dearest ask": "$1,399.99"
        },
        {
          "Credit": "Kouki Saitou",
          "Cards": "667",
          "Sets": "133",
          "Eras": "8",
          "Median ask": "$0.75",
          "Dearest ask": "$809.33"
        },
        {
          "Credit": "Kagemaru Himeno",
          "Cards": "665",
          "Sets": "132",
          "Eras": "8",
          "Median ask": "$1.43",
          "Dearest ask": "$799.69"
        },
        {
          "Credit": "Masakazu Fukuda",
          "Cards": "480",
          "Sets": "110",
          "Eras": "7",
          "Median ask": "$0.94",
          "Dearest ask": "$4,500.00"
        },
        {
          "Credit": "Ryo Ueda",
          "Cards": "458",
          "Sets": "94",
          "Eras": "7",
          "Median ask": "$6.35",
          "Dearest ask": "$1,013.27"
        },
        {
          "Credit": "Atsuko Nishida",
          "Cards": "418",
          "Sets": "108",
          "Eras": "8",
          "Median ask": "$1.54",
          "Dearest ask": "$1,500.00"
        },
        {
          "Credit": "Midori Harada",
          "Cards": "355",
          "Sets": "86",
          "Eras": "8",
          "Median ask": "$0.72",
          "Dearest ask": "$1,940.59"
        },
        {
          "Credit": "Toyste Beach",
          "Cards": "314",
          "Sets": "71",
          "Eras": "5",
          "Median ask": "$0.28",
          "Dearest ask": "$725.00"
        },
        {
          "Credit": "Shin Nagasawa",
          "Cards": "303",
          "Sets": "82",
          "Eras": "6",
          "Median ask": "$0.54",
          "Dearest ask": "$94.69"
        },
        {
          "Credit": "Naoki Saito",
          "Cards": "277",
          "Sets": "90",
          "Eras": "7",
          "Median ask": "$0.85",
          "Dearest ask": "$599.98"
        },
        {
          "Credit": "Naoyo Kimura",
          "Cards": "266",
          "Sets": "104",
          "Eras": "8",
          "Median ask": "$0.60",
          "Dearest ask": "$4,500.00"
        },
        {
          "Credit": "Akira Komayama",
          "Cards": "258",
          "Sets": "91",
          "Eras": "6",
          "Median ask": "$0.40",
          "Dearest ask": "$800.00"
        },
        {
          "Credit": "Tomokazu Komiya",
          "Cards": "253",
          "Sets": "95",
          "Eras": "8",
          "Median ask": "$1.68",
          "Dearest ask": "$199.99"
        },
        {
          "Credit": "Keiji Kinebuchi",
          "Cards": "219",
          "Sets": "31",
          "Eras": "5",
          "Median ask": "$0.89",
          "Dearest ask": "$289.99"
        },
        {
          "Credit": "kawayoo",
          "Cards": "218",
          "Sets": "85",
          "Eras": "6",
          "Median ask": "$0.60",
          "Dearest ask": "$516.63"
        },
        {
          "Credit": "Sumiyoshi Kizuki",
          "Cards": "212",
          "Sets": "86",
          "Eras": "8",
          "Median ask": "$0.85",
          "Dearest ask": "$249.00"
        },
        {
          "Credit": "Yuka Morii",
          "Cards": "211",
          "Sets": "82",
          "Eras": "8",
          "Median ask": "$3.75",
          "Dearest ask": "$388.45"
        },
        {
          "Credit": "Hajime Kusajima",
          "Cards": "206",
          "Sets": "48",
          "Eras": "5",
          "Median ask": "$3.59",
          "Dearest ask": "$800.00"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "title": "Illustrator roster by era",
      "columns": [
        "Era",
        "Credits",
        "Cards",
        "Cards per credit",
        "Top-ten share"
      ],
      "rows": [
        {
          "Era": "WotC 1999-2003",
          "Credits": "61",
          "Cards": "1,756",
          "Cards per credit": "28.8",
          "Top-ten share": "74.66%"
        },
        {
          "Era": "EX 2003-2007",
          "Credits": "63",
          "Cards": "1,772",
          "Cards per credit": "28.1",
          "Top-ten share": "61.96%"
        },
        {
          "Era": "Diamond & Pearl to HGSS 2007-2011",
          "Credits": "85",
          "Cards": "2,113",
          "Cards per credit": "25.0",
          "Top-ten share": "58.20%"
        },
        {
          "Era": "BW and XY 2011-2017",
          "Credits": "82",
          "Cards": "3,379",
          "Cards per credit": "41.2",
          "Top-ten share": "51.55%"
        },
        {
          "Era": "Sun & Moon 2017-2019",
          "Credits": "114",
          "Cards": "2,913",
          "Cards per credit": "25.6",
          "Top-ten share": "39.79%"
        },
        {
          "Era": "Sword & Shield 2020-2022",
          "Credits": "154",
          "Cards": "3,486",
          "Cards per credit": "22.6",
          "Top-ten share": "26.59%"
        },
        {
          "Era": "SV and Mega 2023-2026",
          "Credits": "264",
          "Cards": "4,733",
          "Cards per credit": "17.9",
          "Top-ten share": "19.98%"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "title": "The distribution of artist premium, 107 credits",
      "columns": [
        "Statistic",
        "Value"
      ],
      "rows": [
        {
          "Statistic": "10th percentile credit",
          "Value": "0.81x"
        },
        {
          "Statistic": "Median credit",
          "Value": "0.99x"
        },
        {
          "Statistic": "90th percentile credit",
          "Value": "1.23x"
        },
        {
          "Statistic": "Credits above parity",
          "Value": "41.12%"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "title": "The credits that do move the number: the ten highest and the five lowest of the 107",
      "columns": [
        "Credit",
        "Cards measured",
        "Median against cohort"
      ],
      "rows": [
        {
          "Credit": "Hikaru Koike",
          "Cards measured": "47",
          "Median against cohort": "7.86x"
        },
        {
          "Credit": "Yuka Morii",
          "Cards measured": "207",
          "Median against cohort": "2.53x"
        },
        {
          "Credit": "Shizurow",
          "Cards measured": "59",
          "Median against cohort": "2.45x"
        },
        {
          "Credit": "Tomokazu Komiya",
          "Cards measured": "252",
          "Median against cohort": "1.65x"
        },
        {
          "Credit": "Sachiko Adachi",
          "Cards measured": "42",
          "Median against cohort": "1.48x"
        },
        {
          "Credit": "Kanako Eo",
          "Cards measured": "96",
          "Median against cohort": "1.39x"
        },
        {
          "Credit": "Ryo Ueda",
          "Cards measured": "418",
          "Median against cohort": "1.36x"
        },
        {
          "Credit": "Ryota Murayama",
          "Cards measured": "59",
          "Median against cohort": "1.25x"
        },
        {
          "Credit": "Megumi Mizutani",
          "Cards measured": "138",
          "Median against cohort": "1.24x"
        },
        {
          "Credit": "Shibuzoh.",
          "Cards measured": "104",
          "Median against cohort": "1.23x"
        },
        {
          "Credit": "Shin-ichi Yoshikawa",
          "Cards measured": "41",
          "Median against cohort": "0.75x"
        },
        {
          "Credit": "SATOSHI NAKAI",
          "Cards measured": "59",
          "Median against cohort": "0.69x"
        },
        {
          "Credit": "Eske Yoshinob",
          "Cards measured": "170",
          "Median against cohort": "0.65x"
        },
        {
          "Credit": "Hisao Nakamura",
          "Cards measured": "68",
          "Median against cohort": "0.65x"
        },
        {
          "Credit": "Keiji Kinebuchi",
          "Cards measured": "216",
          "Median against cohort": "0.47x"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "charts": [],
  "sections": [
    "The supply curve",
    "The busiest twenty",
    "The roster grew and the concentration broke",
    "Does the name move the price?",
    "What this study cannot show",
    "What would overturn it"
  ],
  "method": [
    "Population: the 21,908 distinct physical English printings defined in [How Many Pokemon Cards Are There?](/articles/how-many-pokemon-cards-are-there); 20,367 carry a non-empty `illustrator` field, backfilled from TCGdex. A credit line holding two names joined by \" + \" or \" & \" is split and counted for both, except an \"Illus. & Direc.\" art-team line which is left whole; three credit lines in the catalog hold two names. Names are then folded by Unicode NFKD decomposition, accent stripping, lowercasing and removal of all non-alphanumeric characters, which turns 406 raw spellings into 399 credits: six spelling pairs merge, and one fragment of a joined credit line that is pure kanji folds to the empty string and is dropped rather than counted as a person. The most-used raw spelling is displayed. \"Cards measured\" in the premium table is the number of a credit's cards that sit in a cohort large enough to use, which is at or below its total card count. Prices are TCGplayer market asks resolved by the site's own per-card rule, on 2026-09-23. The premium test compares each credited card's ask to the median ask of cards in the same set and the same printed rarity label drawn by a different credit, requiring at least six such cards; a credit is reported when at least 40 of its cards clear that bar, which is 107 credits. Medians are upper-middle on even samples. Era buckets come from set name and a credit is counted once per era it appears in. No regression is run and no era is weighted."
  ],
  "terms": "Figures are moonstone's own recorded measurements, dated as published. Quote them with the population stated beside them. The article at `url` is the human form of this file."
}