"A piece of history, this image was the first official North American artwork for Cardcaptors. ..” – Steven Ahola
Cardcaptor Sakura was originally a Japanese shōjo manga series written and illustrated by the manga group Clamp. The story focuses on Sakura Kinomoto, an elementary school student in Japan who discovers magical powers after accidentally freeing a set of magical cards into the world; she must retrieve the cards to prevent catastrophe. The manga was adapted into a 70-episode anime television series by Madhouse that first aired in Japan, April 1998. North American studio Nelvana licensed the TV series under the English title “Cardcaptors,” which first aired on Kids' WB in June 2000.
"A piece of history, this image was the first official North American artwork of Cardcaptors. I was part of a studio competing for the North American rights and this print was the cover for the proposal designed to communicate the simplified story premise – a girl and her bear chasing magical cards.” – Steven Ahola
Steven Ahola, born November 1975 in Ontario Canada is an accomplished animator, illustrator, writer and director. Steven is known for his work for television and film including Beauty and the Beast, 7 Little Monsters, Babar, Cardcaptor Sakura, Corduroy, Franklin, Little Bear, Ned's Newt, Red Wall, Rescue Heroes and Tales From the Cryptkeeper. His favorite hashtag is #thisismychildhood reflective of his passion for all things comic culture, vintage toys and gaming.
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