11 Facts About Ken Sugimori

Ken Sugimori is a Japanese video game designer, illustrator, manga artist, and director.

Ken Sugimori is best known as the primary character designer and art director for the Pokemon franchise.

Ken Sugimori drew and finalized all of the original 151 Pokemon.

Ken Sugimori has worked on the various Pokemon films, trading cards, and other games like the Super Smash Bros.

From early 1981 until 1986, Ken Sugimori illustrated a gaming fanzine called Game Freak, which had been started by Satoshi Tajiri.

Ken Sugimori discovered the magazine in a dojinshi shop, and decided to get involved.

Ken Sugimori is best known as the character designer and art director for the Pokemon franchise and designed a large majority of the first 151 Pokemon with Atsuko Nishida, Motofumi Fujiwara, Shigeki Morimoto, Rena Yoshikawa, and Satoshi Ota.

Ken Sugimori has worked on the various Pokemon movies, trading cards, and other games.

For Pokemon Black and White, Ken Sugimori directed a team of 17 people in designing new characters for the games, though he always drew the final designs.

Ken Sugimori drew much of his inspiration from observing animals in aquariums and zoos.

Ken Sugimori has written and illustrated original manga, including one which was distributed with pre-orders of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness.