Detective Pikachu is coming out in just a few short months. May 10, 2019 to be exact. The film is centered around the world of Pokémon, a franchise known across the globe. But, these aren’t normal animated Pokémon – this time around they’re hyper-realistic!
The team making the film has even gone so far as to bring RJ Palmer (known for his realistic Pokémon illustrations) on board. It’s obvious the people behind the film love their creatively-inclined fans, and with the winners being announced from the art contest, we can see how they show their appreciation.
The contest has come to an end
Talenthouse, the studio behind the Detective Pikachu film, launched a call-to-action for artists last year. The mission? To create a piece centered around the setting of Detective Pikachu. Basically, use the trailers, tone, and overall aesthetic of the upcoming box office hit to create a work of art.
Five winners from around the world would be picked and their art would apparently “be featured across the film’s marketing campaign, including social accounts, print materials, and merchandise.” So let’s take a peek at those esteemed winners!
The time has come to announce the selected artists for the #DetectivePikachu x @talenthouse campaign! Congrats @Gabriele_Tafuni from Italy for their minimalist inspired fan art. [1/5 winners] pic.twitter.com/jwXu0ZjHay
— POKÉMON Detective Pikachu (@DetPikachuMovie) February 4, 2019
Congrats to @iranzoduque from Spain on their noir styled work. See the #DetectivePikachu x @talenthouse submission here. [2/5 winners] pic.twitter.com/sznE0d4wa9
— POKÉMON Detective Pikachu (@DetPikachuMovie) February 4, 2019
.@rahuljonline from India brings us this retro work submitted to the @talenthouse #DetectivePikachu campaign. [3/5 winners] pic.twitter.com/5S89HKdQgD
— POKÉMON Detective Pikachu (@DetPikachuMovie) February 4, 2019
Next up from the #DetectivePikachu x @talenthouse campaign, see this neon line art by @sinagedesign from the UK. [4/5 winners] pic.twitter.com/XzvyZfTwJm
— POKÉMON Detective Pikachu (@DetPikachuMovie) February 4, 2019
Get inspired with this vibrant final #DetectivePikachu x @talenthouse fan art select by Tuck Yin Foong from Malaysia. [5/5 winners] pic.twitter.com/wx8VoDaFeh
— POKÉMON Detective Pikachu (@DetPikachuMovie) February 4, 2019
Some beautiful works of art!
Orlando Toledo and Juan Lenis join the #PikaCrew with these #DetectivePikachu pieces for #FanArtFriday! pic.twitter.com/WpB10Kay6p
— POKÉMON Detective Pikachu (@DetPikachuMovie) February 1, 2019
And, just like how Pokémon is loved in all corners of the globe, these winners are pretty spread out as well. We’ve got incredible works from artists in Spain, India, Italy, the UK, and even Malaysia! Personally, I think the team behind this contest did an amazing job picking five very diverse winners.
Each piece has its own style and theme, and I can easily from the text in their tweets that they have an appreciation for fan art. Well, that, and the fact that the Twitter page itself is constantly retweeting fanart.
Just one teensy problem
Thank you to the artists who made these #DetectivePikachu pieces for our @talenthouse fan art competition! pic.twitter.com/fC8VF5XfIg
— POKÉMON Detective Pikachu (@DetPikachuMovie) January 19, 2019
Now, this contest is heartwarming, don’t get me wrong. In all honesty, the only issue I have is the fact that this is essentially the classic “paid in exposure” scenario. Granted, the artists signed up for the contest and knew what they were getting into, but I can’t help but feel like a company that is confident enough to already start work on a sequel could’ve splurged more for the winners.
A move like this just keeps the stigma going that artists are okay with unpaid work as long as you shout-out their social media pages. On the other hand, I read through the comments on each of the winner announcement tweets, and the artists themselves are overjoyed that they won, which is what really matters.
But what do you think? Which is your favorite of the winners? Do you think the prize Talenthouse offered was enough? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
