April 4-5, 2026—Kingdom of the TCG 3, Le Royaume TCG, With Chris Maple
- Debi Bodett
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 18 hours ago
Le Royaume TCG
April 4 & 5, 2026
Paris Nord Villepinte Exhibition Center
ZAC Paris Nord 2, 93420
Villepinte, France
Le Royaume du TCG (The Kingdom of TCG) is the largest trading card game convention in Europe. It is a major two-day event held annually at the Paris Nord Villepinte Exhibition Center in France, attracting thousands of collectors, competitive players, and industry professionals. The convention covers a wide range of games, including Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Magic: The Gathering, One Piece, and Disney Lorcana.
This blog post is the English translation of the original blog post by Le Royaume du TCG, posted on March 16, 2026, by ericmaggiori9.
Among the guests attending this year's Kingdom of the TCG, one stands out for his unique place in Pokémon history. Chris Maple is none other than the creator of the famous Pokémon logo, one of the most recognizable symbols in global pop culture. For the first time in his career, the designer will publicly participate in an event related to the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG). And to mark the occasion, he also created the official logo for Kingdom of the TCG 3. Let's take a look back at the career of the man who conceived the Pokémon logo and shaped the franchise's visual identity, all while remaining largely in the shadows for so long. By Eric Maggiori
The genesis of a globally recognized logo
There are phone calls that change a life, but you only realize it much later. The one Chris Maple received in 1998 was one of them. At the time, the graphic designer was 27 years old and living in Seattle. He ran his own company, Media Design, a studio specializing in urgent, last-minute projects. Maple had already made a name for himself in this niche. His portfolio included collaborations with Boeing and the Seattle Mariners baseball team. When a colleague told him he was about to receive an important call, one he absolutely had to answer, Maple wasn't particularly surprised. A few hours later, his phone rang. On the other end of the line was the personal secretary of Minoru Arakawa, president of Nintendo of America. She invited him to meet the team at Nintendo's headquarters in Redmond to discuss a project involving a new game. Intrigued, and naturally a little flattered, Maple accepted the invitation.
A few days later, there he was in Nintendo's offices, face to face with Minoru Arakawa himself. The executive explained the situation. The Japanese company was preparing to launch a new game in the United States and Europe, but the project had a problem: despite several attempts, no agency had managed to produce a satisfactory visual identity. Time was running out, and part of the budget had already been spent. Arakawa got straight to the point: "Can you save us?" Maple replied bluntly: "Of course. But it's going to cost you." The two men sealed the deal with a handshake. Immediately afterward, Arakawa pulled out some sketches and… some toys. Maple looked at them, intrigued, then asked what they were. Arakawa simply replied that they were Pocket Monsters, before adding: "We're going to call them Pokémon."
Creating the Pokémon logo in one month
Chris Maple immediately got to work. The goal was to design a new logo for Pokémon, which at the time only existed in Japan under the names Pocket Monsters Red and Pocket Monsters Green. But time was of the essence: Nintendo wanted to present the game at E3… a month later. A ridiculously short timeframe for a project of this magnitude, especially since Maple didn't even have access to the game. He was only given the basic concept: capture monsters, make them battle, and trade them. He was given a technical constraint: the logo had to remain perfectly legible on the tiny, pixelated screen of the Game Boy, while also working equally well in color and black and white. The designer then sat down at his table and began to draw. By hand, letter by letter, he explored different shapes, thicknesses, and typographic styles. The idea was simple: to offer enough options for Nintendo to choose from.
After several days of work, he returned to Redmond to present his sketches. He began by showing a few versions that he himself considered less convincing. The reactions were mixed. Then he unveiled his favorite. Silence. Maple waited. Finally, Don James, one of the executives at Nintendo of America, spoke up: "I think this is the one." He nodded: "Yes, that's the right one." The others agreed. The decision was made almost instantly. Maple left with instructions to produce the final version of this logo with its thick yellow letters outlined in blue, slightly rounded.
Comment le logo Pokémon est devenu un symbole mondial
Why this version of the Pokémon logo rather than another? Chris Maple himself struggles to explain. He mentions a matter of energy and intuition. The logo had to immediately convey the idea of a living, dynamic, and accessible universe. The choice of colors came almost naturally. Yellow and blue worked perfectly. Perhaps, Maple admits today, he was subconsciously influenced by the titles of the Western versions of the game: Pokémon Blue and the upcoming Pokémon Yellow, centered on Pikachu. A few months later, Maple discovered the scale of the phenomenon almost by chance. While accompanying his son to a Toys “R” Us store, he stumbled upon a gigantic promotional display dedicated to Pokémon. Everywhere, the logo he had just designed. He then understood the magnitude of the phenomenon.
He was called back one last time shortly after E3. Minoru Arakawa wanted some minor modifications. Without specific instructions, Maple discreetly reworked the interior of certain letters, notably the P and the E. This slightly adjusted version became the final logo, the one that has accompanied the franchise for nearly thirty years.
Yet, for a long time, Chris Maple's name remained unknown to the general public. In the design industry, logos are rarely signed, and contracts often prohibit creators from publicly claiming authorship. For nearly twenty-seven years, Maple remained in the shadows. It was only recently, encouraged by his son, that he decided to speak about it and add the Pokémon logo to his professional website. In the meantime, his design has established itself as one of the most recognizable symbols in global popular culture. Perhaps the only one, along with Pikachu, capable of instantly evoking the Pokémon universe for entire generations of players.
Chris Maple invited to the Kingdom of the TCG
Having been out of the spotlight for over two decades, Chris Maple has never been publicly associated with the franchise by Nintendo or The Pokémon Company. In fact, he had never participated in any event even remotely related to the TCG universe. However, in early February, he traveled to Paris for the first time in his life to meet with the TCG Kingdom team and exclusively design the logo for TCG Kingdom 3. His unique and instantly recognizable style evokes the visual identity of Pokémon, making the TCG Kingdom 3 logo a creation directly linked to the franchise's graphic heritage.
He will be back in France on April 4th and 5th, offering French fans and collectors an extremely rare opportunity to meet the man behind the Pokémon logo.
Visitors to the Kingdom of the TCG will be able to obtain a personalized sketch and an autograph from Chris Maple, the creator of the Pokémon logo. These sketches and autographs are available for pre-order at €340.90.
The offer includes:
a sketch by Chris Maple on a Pokémon product
the autograph of that product
a second autograph on another Pokémon item of your choice.
A record sale for a Pokémon logo artwork
And for those who still doubt the potential value of such items, a recent sale provides a clear picture. From February 21 to March 9, 2026, the renowned American auction site Goldin offered an original artwork of the Pokémon logo, designed and signed by Chris Maple himself. In just a few hours, the bidding took off.
In the last 24 hours, it literally exploded, reaching a staggering final price of $91,600, or approximately €80,000. Added to this was a commission of nearly €17,000, for a total of €97,000. A spectacular amount for a unique piece, and all the more remarkable given that it was the very first signed artwork by Chris Maple ever offered at auction. Something to give collectors looking for an investment ideas...
Chris Maple invites you to the Kingdom
Nearly thirty years after designing a now-iconic logo in just a few weeks, Chris Maple continues to shape the history of Pokémon in unexpected ways. Long remaining in the shadows, the man who forged the franchise's visual identity is now stepping into the spotlight, at a time when the Pokémon universe has never been more popular with collectors and players.
His appearance at the Kingdom of the TCG on April 4th and 5th, 2026, is therefore a special moment: one where fans can finally meet one of the unsung heroes of a global phenomenon. For visitors, this is a rare opportunity. Meeting the creator of the Pokémon logo, getting an autograph or a sketch drawn by him, and leaving with a piece directly linked to the franchise's visual history is an experience that no other event in the world can boast of offering.
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