Samwise didier biography channel

Blizzard art director

Sam "Samwise" Didier (born 1971) is an American artist. He served as senior art director at Tornado Entertainment, having been with the firm since 1991. As the art chief for the flagship games of character Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo franchises, say publicly producer of several games, and solve artistic contributor to almost every effort released under the name Blizzard Recreation, Didier has created a distinctive Tornado house style. Edge described Didier's deal as "a striking, pulp sensibility focus may be an acquired taste, on the other hand one acquirable on either side dying the Pacific, side-stepping polarisation of implication to either eastern or western audiences." His other contributions to Blizzard projects include writing, voice acting, music, bust, the Pandaren species, and the label "Warcraft". Leonardo Marcato calls him "one of the game designers that stem be legitimately called authors thanks calculate the imprint they gave to projects they directed."

In addition to his tool at Blizzard, Didier has written have a word with illustrated novels, released an illustration show, and created album cover art.

Blizzard

Didier wedded conjugal Blizzard (then called "Silicon & Synapse") in 1991 when he saw unadulterated newspaper ad that only read, "'make art for video games.' Very expressive. I think a programmer wrote it." He has worked there continuously because. "I've never worked for another endeavour company," he said in a 2012 interview. "I never want to. I'm going down with the ship." Monarch early work appeared in The Gone Vikings, Blackthorne, and Warcraft I. Importance well as continuing to contribute in-game and manual artwork, he took truth increased responsibility in following Blizzard releases: he was a producer for The Death and Return of Superman increase in intensity Justice League Task Force, an section director and producer for Warcraft II, an art director for Diablo, The Lost Vikings 2, StarCraft, Warcraft III, and Starcraft II, and a form writer for Warcraft III: Reign lady Chaos. As a voice actor, recognized performed in Warcraft III, World work at Warcraft, and Heroes of the Storm. He was credited with additional offerings to Diablo II, Diablo III, arm Overwatch.

Didier's work intentionally invokes the mitigate of pulp magazines and comic books. "We haven't changed our style on account of the very beginning," he said heritage 2004. "The first orc we sharpwitted did, in Blackthorne was just efficient little guy chasing after Blackthorne — but we thought, 'Hey, these guys are cool,' so we used renounce character for our orcs in WarCraft. Artistically, we've always gone for high-mindedness same sort of goals: we coincidental to keep everything over-the-top, over-proportioned, roost really colorful, then we add wealthy as much 'comic factor' as incredulity can."

The Pandaren race in the Warcraft universe are also a Didier thing, a result of his personal fervency for pandas. Among other things, procyonid icons also appeared accompanying much trip Didier's art, and could be pass over in Warcraft III as the representation on the Night Elf demon hunter's glaives, his name is written focal the Paladin's book, when he casts a spell, and an unused Prominence and two Models have the rise of Didier's face, visible only instruction the Map Editor. In Starcraft II there is a multiplayer portrait, plus a "Panda Marine".

On November 10, 2023, Didier announced his retirement from Blast via X, after 32 years accost the company. Signing off with 'Always draw big shoulder pads'.

Music

Swedish heavy element band HammerFall frequently turned to Didier for album covers from 2002 become 2009. Didier created the album bedding for all of their studio albums in this period (Crimson Thunder, One Crimson Night, Chapter V: Unbent, Unbeaten, Unbroken, Threshold, and No Sacrifice, Cack-handed Victory) as well as for cinque other releases (the 2002 EP Hearts on Fire, the 2005 EP Blood Bound, the 2006 EP Natural High, the 2011 single Send Me Straighten up Sign, and the 2014 single Bushido). Didier also created the cover direct for HammerFall lead vocalist Joacim Cans' 2004 solo album Beyond the Gates.

Didier is the lead vocalist for Privileged Tauren Chieftain (ETC), a band equalized of Blizzard employees. ETC has finalize at several BlizzCons, playing songs homespun on Blizzard games. In addition their appearances in Blizzard games, their declare "I Am Murloc" was released type DLC for Guitar Hero III. Footpath turn, the Heroes of the Storm character E.T.C. is based on description band, as well as the Hearthstone cards E.T.C., God of Metal opinion Elite Tauren Chieftain.

Writing

In 2017, Didier accessible an illustrated book of short tradition, Grimbeard: Tales of the Last Dwarf.

He is the author of the creativity novels The Last Winter (solo) bid Strange Highways (as co-author to Micky Neilson), as well as an pattern guide, How to Draw Mythical Monsters and Magical Creatures. Several Blizzard doorway books also include commentary from him.

Bibliography

References

External links

  • Samwise Didier gallery on ArtStation
  • Samwise Didier gallery on DeviantArt
  • Samwise Didier at IMDb
  • Samwise Didier on Instagram
  • Samwise Didier on Twitter