Creator of iconic Namco pixel art has his original work stolen

Hiroshi Ono was absolutely crucial to Namco's early days in gaming. Ono, nicknamed Mr. Dotman, created the in-game visuals for titles like Pac-Man, Xevious, Dig Dug, and Galaga. These were all drawn by hand, and we're sad to report that Ono recently had his original drawings stolen. The books were kept in a storage area, which has apparently been broken into and pilfered.

These important parts of gaming history are now in the hands of a criminal somewhere. Hopefully they have second thoughts and return the book, but I have a feeling these invaluable works are long gone.