A Lumineon swimming through a sheet of hard-edged, high-contrast color blocks — that debut card introduced an illustrator whose entire signature is contrast.
The illustrator is Jerky, a Japanese freelance artist also credited on some prints as “Banana Jerky.” This guide covers Jerky’s debut special art rare, the run of special art rares that followed, the alternate-art side work, and how to source a Jerky card from Japan — because as of this writing, we don’t currently hold a graded Jerky print in our own vault.
This is a sourcing guide, not a stock listing. We don’t currently have a Jerky PSA 10 in our vault, so instead of a product page, the fastest route to a specific Jerky card — the Lumineon V SAR (s12a 216/172), Pigeot ex SAR (SV3 136/108), Tapu Koko ex SAR (SV3a 086/062), or Dragapult ex SAR (SV8a 221/187) — is our Quick Order sourcing request.
Who Is Jerky?
Jerky is a Japanese freelance illustrator who also appears on some Pokemon TCG credits as “Banana Jerky.” Jerky’s Pokemon TCG debut came with the Lumineon V special art rare at 216/172 in s12a, a card that immediately established the illustrator’s approach: hard divisions of flat color placed directly against the subject rather than a soft, blended background.
Bulbapedia describes Jerky’s work as built around “a distinctive color-blocking technique with vibrant, high-contrast colors” — a description that holds across the illustrator’s catalog, from the debut Lumineon V through the special art rares and alternate art pieces that followed. To date, Jerky has illustrated 43 main-line Pokemon TCG cards, with additional prints across Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket.
Beyond the credit name, the debut set, and the recurring style described by Bulbapedia, other personal details about Jerky are not publicly verified, so we’re not speculating on them here. What’s documented is the card record itself, which is substantial enough on its own — four special art rares, plus a run of alternate art cards that apply the same color-blocking approach at a smaller scale.
The SAR Run: Lumineon V to Dragapult ex
Jerky’s headline work in the Pokemon TCG is a run of four special art rares, each sitting in its set’s SAR slot:
- Lumineon V — s12a, 216/172. The debut card, and the one that set the color-blocking template the rest of the run follows.
- Pigeot ex — SV3, 136/108. A special art rare built around the same evolution line Jerky also covered in alternate art within the same set (see below).
- Tapu Koko ex — SV3a, 086/062. The Tapu Koko special art rare, continuing the run into the SV3a set.
- Dragapult ex — SV8a, 221/187.
All four sit in the special art rare slot of their respective sets. None of the four is currently in our graded inventory; see the sourcing section below for how we handle requests on cards we don’t stock.
The Color-Block AR Side Work
Alongside the SAR run, Jerky has also illustrated a number of alternate art cards that apply the same color-blocking technique at the AR rarity tier rather than the SAR slot:
- Pidgey / Pidgeotto / Pigeot line — SV3, 118-119/108. Alternate art pieces covering the same evolution line as the Pigeot ex special art rare in the same set.
- Tropius — SV1a, 074/073.
- Archeops — SV11W, 130/086.
- Dreepy / Drakloak — M2a, 211-212/193.
- Ludicolo — M2, 081/080.
The AR pieces show the same visual signature applied consistently across sets — flat, high-contrast color divisions rather than a rendered or painterly background, whether the subject is a legendary bird, a Ghost-type line, or a Grass-type evolution.
Jerky Card List
The notable cards from Jerky’s catalog covered in this guide:
| Card | Set | Number | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lumineon V | s12a | 216/172 | SAR |
| Pigeot ex | SV3 | 136/108 | SAR |
| Pidgey / Pidgeotto / Pigeot | SV3 | 118-119/108 | AR |
| Tapu Koko ex | SV3a | 086/062 | SAR |
| Dragapult ex | SV8a | 221/187 | SAR |
| Tropius | SV1a | 074/073 | AR |
| Archeops | SV11W | 130/086 | AR |
| Dreepy / Drakloak | M2a | 211-212/193 | AR |
| Ludicolo | M2 | 081/080 | AR |
Nine notable entries out of 43 main-line cards illustrated to date. This list covers notable entries rather than the full print run.
Beyond the Cards: Jerky’s Wider Work
Jerky’s own portfolio site, banana-jerky.com, fills in the picture the card credits don’t. Its About page describes an illustrator and designer born in 1988, from Saga Prefecture and now based in Nara, and the Work page shows a client list that runs well past the Pokemon TCG.
Card collectors have crossed paths with more of that work than they might realize. Per the portfolio, Jerky illustrated the One Piece Card Game’s Official Card Sleeve 8 and has produced card illustration for Nijisanji (ANYCOLOR) — so the color-block style has already reached two other corners of the Japanese card hobby. Other listed projects include a Pokemon Sleep collaboration with the sauna-directory service Sauna Ikitai, Tamagotchi magazine illustration, Doggy Box pamphlets in 2023 and 2025, a wall illustration for Cafe Hello, a card for a children’s art festival in New Taipei City, Taiwan, and a relocation guidebook for the town of Tomioka in Fukushima.
The portfolio also records exhibitions: an exhibition and sale in Shanghai on July 14–15, 2024, and participation in the Pokemon Card Art Walk in Yokohama’s Minato Mirai district. Jerky runs X and Instagram accounts under @bananajerky. For anyone sourcing a Lumineon V or Dragapult ex through the section below, that wider portfolio is a useful reminder that the artist behind these SARs is an active working illustrator, not a one-set credit.
Sourcing a Jerky Card from Japan
We don’t currently hold a graded Jerky print in our vault — not the Lumineon V debut, not the Pigeot ex, Tapu Koko ex, or Dragapult ex special art rares, and none of the alternate art side pieces. Rather than list a card we don’t have, we’re telling you plainly where things stand.
If you’re after a specific Jerky card, the most direct route is our Quick Order page. Flag the exact card — set code, number, and rarity, using the list above as a reference — and we’ll work the Japanese secondary market on your behalf and confirm availability before anything ships.
Jerky’s debut card sits in s12a, a set that’s well represented elsewhere in our graded inventory. If you’re building out a set-focused collection around that release, our Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR guide covers another s12a chase card, and our full PSA 10 collection is worth browsing for what else from the same release is available right now.
A Quick Order sourcing request isn’t a guarantee — it’s us checking the market on your behalf and coming back with a confirmed price and timeline before you commit. It’s the same process we use for any graded card that isn’t currently sitting in our own inventory.
Where to Buy
We ship graded Japanese PSA 10 cards and sealed Japanese product worldwide from Tokyo with tracked delivery. For Jerky specifically:
- Quick Order — flag any of the four SAR cards or the AR side pieces for a sourcing request.
- Full PSA 10 collection — see what’s currently in stock across other illustrators and sets.
- PSA 10 card list — a visual browse of our full graded lineup.
- Sealed Japanese booster boxes — if you’re chasing a Jerky pull directly from product rather than a graded single.
For more illustrator coverage from the same research pass, see our guides to sowsow, Raita Kazama, and Amelicart, or our deeper dive on AKIRA EGAWA‘s special art rare run. Our Japanese PSA 10 price guide is a good starting point if you’re new to grading premiums on Japanese prints generally.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Jerky?
Jerky is a Japanese freelance Pokemon TCG illustrator, also credited on some prints as “Banana Jerky.” Jerky debuted in the Pokemon TCG with the Lumineon V special art rare (s12a 216/172) and has since illustrated 43 main-line cards.
What is Jerky’s debut card?
Lumineon V, a special art rare numbered 216/172 in s12a. It established the color-blocking style that runs through Jerky’s later work.
What does Jerky’s “color-blocking” style mean?
Bulbapedia describes it as “a distinctive color-blocking technique with vibrant, high-contrast colors” — flat, hard-edged divisions of color placed against the subject, rather than a blended or painterly background.
Do you have any Jerky PSA 10 cards currently in stock?
No. As of this writing we don’t hold a graded Jerky print in our vault. This guide is a sourcing reference rather than a stock listing; use our Quick Order page to request a specific card.
How can I source a specific Jerky card from Japan?
Flag the card — set code, number, and rarity — on our Quick Order page. We’ll check the Japanese secondary market and confirm availability and pricing before anything ships.
What else has Jerky worked on?
Per the artist’s portfolio site, Jerky illustrated the One Piece Card Game’s Official Card Sleeve 8 and has produced card illustration for Nijisanji (ANYCOLOR), along with projects including a Pokemon Sleep collaboration with Sauna Ikitai and Doggy Box pamphlets. The portfolio also records a July 2024 exhibition and sale in Shanghai and participation in the Pokemon Card Art Walk in Yokohama.
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