Benimaru Itoh

Ashura Benimaru Itoh (Japanese: 伊藤あしゅら紅丸Benimaru Itoh's website Itoh Ashura Benimaru) is a manga artist, designer and musician who has drawn artwork for various Nintendo franchises. At Creatures, Inc., he worked as 3D modelling director for the Pokémon Stadium series games. He also illustrated Pokémon Newspaper Strip comics and several Pokémon Trading Card Game card artworks.
In his Creatures, Inc. roles, he was typically credited as Benimaru Itoh (Japanese: 伊藤紅丸); however, for his work on Pokémon Newspaper Strip comics, he was instead credited as Ashura Benimaru. He likes to go by the nickname "Ash" (アシュ).
Itoh is usually seen wearing his quirky leopard print attire.
==Biography==
Itoh began drawing comic strips for various Nintendo franchises, including and . Itoh then worked closely with game designer Shigesato Itoi while at Ape, Inc. on the (Mother in Japan) series of games. Ape, Inc. later became known as Creatures, Inc., where Itoh became involved in the development of several Pokémon titles, and also illustrated a handful of cards for the Pokémon Trading Card Game. During this time, he became more involved in 3D development, serving as a chief designer and supervisor on a number of games. He eventually moved to HAL Laboratory, Inc. in 2002, where he has continued to work on the franchise.
Itoh is also an accomplished guitarist, and was the guest host for the concert, held at Nihon Seinenkan Hall, Tokyo on September 14, 2003. The concert featured performances based on music from and , as well as original music. The collaboration of The Big Band of Rogues, Yoshihiro Arita and his band performed jazz, Latin, country, and bluegrass arrangements—Itoh himself started the concert off with a guitar solo rendition of the Mario opening theme. The concert became the source of a CD and DVD.
==Works==
===Games===
Title 	Platform 	Release date	Position
 	SNES 	1994-08-27 	Character Design/Special Thanks
 	 	1996-12-31 	Composer/Special Thanks
 	Nintendo 64 	1997-04-27 	Special Thanks
(Japanese) 	Nintendo 64 	1998-08-01 	Pokémon Modelling Director
 	Game Boy Color 	1998-12-18 	Card Illustrator
Super Smash Bros. 	Nintendo 64 	1999-01-21 	Original Game Staff/Source Modelling Chief: Pokémon Stadium
Pokémon Snap 	Nintendo 64 	1999-03-21 	Super Duper Special Chief Designer
Pokémon Stadium (English)	Nintendo 64 	1999-04-30 	Pokémon Modelling Director
Pokémon Stadium 2 	Nintendo 64 	2000-12-14 	3D Pokémon Director
 	Nintendo 64DD 	Cancelled 	Art Director/Character Design
Super Smash Bros. Melee 	Nintendo GameCube	2001-11-21 	Supervisor: Creatures Staff Management
 	Game Boy Advance 	2002-10-25 	Supervisor
 	Nintendo GameCube	2003-06-09 	Graphic Design
 	Nintendo DS 	2005-03-24 	Special Thanks
 	Nintendo DS 	2008-11-06 	Design Advisor
 	Nintendo DS 	2009-03-12 	Art Director
===Music===
Title 	Album 	Release date	Label
Opening Theme of Mario	Mario & Zelda Big Band Live CD	2003-12-15 	Sony/Columbia
===Manga===
Title 	Release date 	Publisher
Star Fox comics 	1993-02—1993-12	Nintendo Power issues #45-#55
Super Metroid comics 	1994-02—1994-06	Nintendo Power issues #57-#61
 	1994-09-15 	Shogakukan, Wonder Life Comics
Bulbasaur's Trouble (Pokémon Tales #3) 	1997-06 	Shogakukan
Onix Underground (Pokémon Tales ) 	1997-07 	Shogakukan
Pokémon Snap Official Nintendo Player's Guide 	1999-03 	Nintendo
Totodile's One Gulp (Pokémon Gold & Silver Tales #3)	2001-11 	Shogakukan
==Work for the TCG==
Itoh has contributed art for 6 cards in the TCG. The first was a reprint of a promotional card illustrated in the same style as his manga drawings, limiting the colors used on the character and utilizing many lines of various strokes to create areas of detail and shadow. His other cards show his transition into 3D, the Pokémon depicted reminiscent of their renders in the Pokémon Stadium games. For a list of cards he has illustrated, go here.
==References==
Itoh, Benimaru
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ja:伊藤紅丸