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WoW Art!

In terms of art design, Blizzard's World of Warcraft broke all the standard rules of the "traditional" MMORPG's. With cartoony graphics and over-the-top styling, WoW changed the way MMOG designers create the art in their games. The World of Warcraft Trading Card Game has also attempted to change a particular art direction by aiming their sites squarely on how art in TCGs is created. Recently, Cody "Micajah" Bye had the opportunity to check out an early version of Upper Deck's The Art of the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game, a book that compiles 300 images from the WoW TCG. If you enjoy art or collect Warcraft memorabilia, make sure you check out the write-up!

As you crack open the book, you'll be greeted with two forewords – one by Sam "Samwise" Didier (senior art director at Blizzard) and the other by Glenn Rane (art lead for Blizzard's creative-development team) – and an introduction by the art acquisition manager for Upper Deck Entertainment, Jeremy Cranford. While many people may overlook these pieces of text in an otherwise art-filled book, I found their particular viewpoints on "Blizzard quality" and the direction for the TCG art to be particularly informative. Cranford's "Before and After" art section was incredibly interesting as it really explained how much work the Upper Deck employees were willing to put in to insure that the WoW TCG was a success.

• World of Warcraft: A Review of the Trading Card Game Art Book
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