What a surprise!  Blizzplanet is mentioned in the latest Tokyopop article. This is about the third time.  A few months ago, a Tokyopop editor reached me to add a quote of mine on the pages of WarCraft Legends to recommend the manga to fellow WarCraft Lore fans.

Tokyopop Production Artist & Creative Consultant for Blizzard Titles Michael Paolilli posted on the official site an article where Tokyopop is celebrating the inclusion of one of their published characters in the World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King PTR 3.2.  Trag Highmountain originally appeared in a story by Richard A. Knaak titled WarCraft: The Sunwell Trilogy among other manga characters that jumped into the Burning Crusade expansion such as Kalecgos, Anveena, Krasus, Jorad Mace, Tyri and Dar’Khan Dathir.

Trag Highmountain is now an undead tauren seeking revenge against Arthas the Lich King for his unwilling undeath state. Things don’t go as planned, and Trag is forced to serve as a Death Knight leading a raid upon the noble Taunka.  Beyond that, find out what happens in WarCraft Legends Vol. 2-4 for the story and its conclusion.  What matters now is that Trag Highmountain is a new NPC introduced in the PTR 3.2.  He can be found in the entrance to the Argent Tournament Grounds in Icecrown.

Michael says the following in the article: “Well now Trag Highmountain from Warcraft: The Sunwell Trilogy and the 4 part series in Warcraft: Legends has also joined the game.  He is being added as part of Call of the Crusade, and can be found near the entrance to the Argent Tournament grounds in Icecrown.  You can see video of Trag in full polygonal glory here, courtesy of wegame.com and Blizzplannet.”—in reference to our recent video of Trag Highmountain in the PTR 3.2.

Get your hands on the WarCraft Legends manga at a bookstore near you or online.  They are canon and they are developed by Tokyopop and Blizzard Entertainment’s Creative Team.  Here are some of the Blizzard developers involved in each of the WarCraft Legends volumes: Chris Metzen (Senior Vice President of Creative Development), Jeff Donais (Director, Creative Dev.), Shawn Carnes (Lead Developer, Licensed Products), Rob Tokar (Publishing Lead), Micky Neilson (Story Consultation and Development), Glenn Rane (Art Director), Cory Jones (Development and Licensing), Jason Bischoff (Associate Licensing Manager), Samwise Didier, James Waugh, Tommy Newcomer and the lore guru Evelyn Fredericksen.

Next time you hear someone say Warcraft Legends and StarCraft Frontline mangas are not canon, pwn them good.  Not only are all these Blizzard developers involved deep in the elaboration of each of its stories, but the characters can be found in the World of Warcraft MMO as NPCs with quests.

The recent WarCraft Legends Volume 4 (available now) has a story by Christie Golden titled “A Warrior Made” (Part 1) featuring Thrall’s mother: Draka.  The upcoming Warcraft Legend Vol. 5 contains “A Warrior Made” Part 2 by Christie Golden and Blizzard Entertainment’s lore guru Evelyn Fredericksen debuts in the series with a story to be yet revealed.