Ex-SEGA European Product Manager Tony Takoushi has recently created an account on instagram, and has shared an array of incredible images from early 90s Sonic merchandise, to original and development artwork from Sonic the Hedgehog designers.
SEGA fans in their 30s and 40s will remember Takoushi as one of the key players of the video games journalistic world in the late 80s and early 90s, working at a number of big magazines including CVG and Mean Machines before moving on to SEGA of Europe.
Takoushi’s Instagram account includes an array of images of merchandise he has collected over the years, photographs from the 90s, and amazing pieces of original artwork of Fang the Sniper that have seldom been seen before.
Takoushi also shared an image of an original hand-drawn piece of Sonic CD art, possibly the original reference drawing for key art of Sonic and Amy from the same game, that was presented to him in person by Sonic Team artist Kazuyuki Hoshino in 1993.
“As I was wandering around [the SEGA Japan offices] looking at 8-bit Sonic Chaos and other Megadrive/Mega CD projects I spotted a drawing of Sonic and Amy on a wall by an artist working away diligently.
His name was Kazuyuki Hoshino.
As I didn’t speak Japanese I pointed to the picture on the wall by his head and gave him a thumbs up in approval.
I carried on wandering around and a few minutes later he came up to me and gave me the picture as a gift and signed it.”
Check out more fascinating stories and images on Takoushi’s instagram account!