Pokémon Monday - Commemorative Series: Mew & Blaziken

 

Welcome to my first entry for Pokémon Monday, a blog series in which I plan to highlight a Pokémon bootleg from the depths of my bootleg binder.

This week's entry is the Pokémon Commemorative Edition Mew & Blaziken card. At first glance, it appears to be some kind non-TCG fan card, where the artwork was probably stolen and plastered onto this odd, but surprisingly vibrant Yu-Gi-Oh!-esque backdrop.

What Is The Commemorative Series?

An unfortunate reality about bootleg collecting, at least as far as I have discovered so far is the lack of background on many of these cards. They just... exist. Sure, some other collectors post these on their Instagram pages, but what is the origin story? No closure.

The Commemorative Series is no exception to that rule, in my online searches I had only found a couple posts here and there asking is this card a bootleg? and that's about it. 

I wish I could offer you a distinct history of the series, however there is next to no easily accessible information about them. 

In my own searches, I did discover a whole line of many different Pokémon dressed in other Pokémon outfits. Mew of course is my favorite one, but there are many from the likes of 
  • Pikachu dressed as Gardevoir
  • Pikachu dressed as Audino
  • Mew dressed as Rayquaza
  • Meowth dressed as Ludicolo (???), and many others (I have a couple more of the Mews coming soon).

The cards appear available in both English and Chinese, and I read a post on Reddit where someone mentioned getting some of them in Thailand. Which leads me to believe these are most likely an Asian bootleg series, likely made for tourist shops or some local markets.

Bootlegs are often difficult to index because of their sporadic nature, short print-runs, and legally questionable nature unfortunately - however I do plan to update my posts as more information becomes potentially available.

The Artwork

The colors on the card certainly pop and evoke the fire type vibe that Blaziken demands. 

I'm finding that it lacks a bit as far as Mew goes though and as a Mew collector I am a bit bummed by that... Mew's vibe is psychic, light, mystical and playful. The Blaziken outfit definitely contrasts that. I guess that's somewhat the point though...

The strange hieroglyphic looking seal in the back makes it feel like Exodia or something. 

And that barcode? Why?

In the end, the card does not make any attempt to look real, nor does it, but that's what makes it such a cool piece!

Now the end all be all... it is CUTE. Mew is always so cute! Throwing a themed hoodie on it? 
Chef's kiss.

🔥The Bootleg-O-Meter🔥

The Bootleg-O-Meter is a totally-not-scientific ranking system in which I will grade a card (or an object) on the basis of it's bootleg glory. The bootleg item will undergo rigorous (again, non scientific) examination and be graded in each of these categories on a scale of 1-10, and at the end, will receive an OFFICIAL Bootleg-O-Meter rating.

Bootleg glory is determined by a few individual factors... those being:
  • Authenticity Delusion: Does it try to pass as real? (1 indicates that the item is trying too hard to appear authentic, 10 indicates that it is original in almost all respects)
  • Bootleg Brilliance: Is it fun, funny, or just... weird?
  • Print/Production Quality: Is it QUALITY?
  • Totally Subjective Vibes Check: Does it make ME happy?
Let's break it down a bit, shall we?
  • Authenticity Delusion: Easily gets a 10/10, come on... look at it. The Pokémon Company would never. I mean that. Never. Blaziken and Mew? Together? On a card? The only Pokémon that gets any cute poncho treatments is Pikachu, and I'll never forgive them for that. Between the weird accents, barcode, obscene attack and defense and the ancient Exodia looking seal in the background, Commemorative Series Mew & Blaziken scores an easy 10 here.

  • Bootleg Brilliance: I briefly touched on this in the previous category, and I have to give this one an 10/10, because it is clearly trying to be something new. It is not subverting our expectations on what we want out of a Pokémon card, it is instead aiming to be something new all together, the attack, the typing, and the off-the-wall art? They work to create a card that makes bootleg collecting fun, and worth trying!

  • Print/Production Quality: The card feels a bit thinner maybe compared to a regular Pokémon TCG card, which is to be expected, as quality is often cut in the production of bootlegs. However, the art itself remains vibrant, and it is by no means bad. The back is where it falls apart, and ultimately loses points - I did not post a picture of it, as it would not be visible on camera, however, the back is just a 1:1 copy of a regular Pokémon back, with slightly washed colors. The finish on both sides is pretty accurate, it's not super glossy or matte... I'll have to give this one a 7/10.

  • Totally Subjective Vibes Check: Immediately a 9/10, I wanted so badly to give it a 10, but I have to be the bearer of bad news. Though Mew is my favorite Pokémon, Blaziken is not. I'm sorry Gen 3 fans. Sincerely. Don't be mad at me. The card itself checks all the bootleg boxes in a literal sense, but I think Mew looks a bit awkward with Blaziken clothes on. That's just me, and the future Commemorative Series cards we look at will hopefully look a bit... less awkward. It still brings me a lot of joy though in the end, and that is what counts.
Final Score: 9/10: Like I said, the card checks all the bootleg goodie boxes, 
  • it's original, 
  • it is fun, 
  • it is fresh, 
  • it is what encapsulates the spirit of collecting, 
and frankly, there's definitely an audience for the Commemorative series. Where it falls short is almost fully subjective, and to be expected with a bootleg card, so I can't be that harsh about it.

Thanks for checking out Pokémon Monday! Got a weird bootleg you think deserves a spotlight? Drop a comment or tag me on Instagram. I'm always on the prowl!


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