Description: Here is the original art for an internal Sega holiday card given to employees from Sega Enterprises, Ltd. The art depicts Sonic and Tails in silhouette in a sleigh by night over San Francisco's Bay Bridge and the hills of neighboring Marin County. This is the artwork for the front of the card. There is a separate, double-wide painting for the card interior that similarly depicts Sonic and Tails on the sleigh but in full color where they can be more clearly seen distributing presents and dressed for the season—Sonic in a Santa hat and Tails with reindeer antlers. 

This is not licensing art created for use by third party company to sell on their products. Based on the timing of Bud Thon's other work for Sega, this card was likely created for the 1991 or 1992 holiday seasons. Printed and distributed cards read "Happy Holidays" on the front and would have been signed by Hayao Nakayama, President and CEO of Sega Enterprises, Ltd from 1983 to 1999.

The art itself was among a few pieces saved from Sega offices by an employee in Sega's facilities department, who years later listed the original painting for the Sega CD game Night Trap on eBay. At the time it was first sold, this holiday card art was taped directly onto old printed material and fit into an existing mat that had surely been used to display something else. Apparently, this kind of makeshift framing was the norm at the Sega offices, layering one thing on top of another to be able to reuse a mat or frame. 

Year: 1991 or 1992
Medium: Acrylic on board
Image Area: 9" x 13.25"
Image Source: Original
Condition: Very good