• We're always on the lookout for eye-catching screenshots of World of Warcraft. Do you have a screenshot that would make other people go "Wow!"? Send it in. We've been really happy with our screenshots of the day and would like to thank you for your great submissions (over 1,450 and counting). We particularly enjoy screenshots featuring humor, creativity, or large gatherings.

• BlizzCon 2008 begins this Friday, October 10, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA. The show will feature two days of gaming, contests, developer Q&A panels, tournaments, and more, in addition to live entertainment by comedian Patton Oswalt, all-Blizzard metal band Level 80 Elite Tauren Chieftain, and Video Games Live. Our recruiting team will be there, too, so if you’re interested in a career at Blizzard Entertainment, bring along your resume, demo reel, art portfolio, or business card. See our media alert for more details -- and keep an eye on www.BlizzCon.com for live updates throughout the show.

• Here is the next honorable mention from this month's comic contest submissions. Remember, the contest will go on all year long, so don't miss your chance to win a copy of the World of Warcraft Battle Chest signed by both Vice President of Creative Development Chris Metzen and Art Director Chris Robinson, as well as a World of Warcraft 60 day pre-paid time card.
  
  Keep those comics coming! Check out today's honorable mention from Ogop.

  

  Have a comic to submit? It's not too late to enter the comic contest. Read the official rules, and submit your comics today!

• Attendees of BlizzCon 2007 were treated to a special in-game item as a souvenir -- the Murloc Suit. As we gear up for this year's event, why not check out the new Murloc Suit gallery we've assembled from your screenshots of the whimsical, crowd-pleasing costume. As always, if you'd like to contribute to our galleries, please submit your screenshots here.

• Calling all artists!
  
  Are you a Warcraft or StarCraft player? Do you love manga? Ever dream of bringing these rich worlds and wonderful characters to life with the stroke of your pencil? Well, now's your opportunity to show the world your artistic skills and possibly become the artist of an upcoming Warcraft or StarCraft manga.
  
  TOKYOPOP is now accepting and reviewing portfolios from talented individuals interested in becoming the next big manga artist. We're looking for super-talented manga artists who not only know the Warcraft or StarCraft universes, but can handle an intense and very demanding production schedule. Our goal is to deliver truly awesome manga, and to achieve this we need artists who can give readers an exciting and authentic Warcraft or StarCraft manga experience.
  
  We require that all portfolios have 5-8 sequential samples (preferably featuring Warcraft or StarCraft characters), as well as 5-8 character sketches/turnarounds featuring Warcraft or StarCraft characters. TOKYOPOP is a manga publisher, so your art should fit well within the manga art style.
  
  Send your best portfolio submissions to:
  Warcraft/StarCraft Art
  c/o TOKYOPOP
  5900 Wilshire Blvd. Ste. 2000
  Los Angeles, CA 90036
  
  Alternatively, email 5 to 8 sequential pages and character sketches to warcraftmanga@tokyopop.com. Black & white art should be grayscale at 150-300 DPI. Black & white art can be just pencils, inks and/or tones. If you’re sending inked work, please include scans of the pencils. If you're sending toned work, please include samples of the un-toned inks (and scans of the pencils.) Color art should be RGB at 300 DPI. All files should be no larger than 8.5" x 11" and saved as jpegs."
  
  Please note that all art submitted is non-returnable, so do not send originals. Remember to include your name and contact info (email and/or phone number) within the portfolio. Additionally, if you are attending BlizzCon 2008 (Oct. 10-11), please stop by the TOKYOPOP booth at the following times for portfolio reviews:
  
  10/10/08 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
  10/11/08 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
  
  So get those samples drawn and show us your stuff!

• The submission window for all BlizzCon 2008 contests has now closed. We thank everyone again for all of your entries and look forward to a great night of contests at BlizzCon!

• We've updated our Harvest Festival screenshot gallery with 7 of the best player submissions. As always, if you'd like to contribute to our galleries, please submit your screenshots. You can view all of our screenshot galleries here.

• The Blizzard Fan Art Section has been updated with new artwork.
  
  

  

• We've updated our Pirates' Day screenshot gallery with 14 of the best player submissions. As always, if you'd like to contribute to our galleries, please submit your screenshots. You can view all of our screenshot galleries here.

• Blizzard Entertainment and Rubie's Costume Company are proud to introduce a new line of Warcraft-themed Halloween goods. From deluxe tauren masks to full night elf kits, there's something for everyone to equip -- and it's all perfectly tailored for looting epic candy drops. Visit the retailers below to check out the new gear.

• Update: And the comic contest winner for September, 2008, is... Volvulus ! Congratulations! Remember, this contest will go on all year long, so you will have a new chance to win a copy of the World of Warcraft Battle Chest signed by both Vice President of Creative Development Chris Metzen and Art Director Chris Robinson, as well as a World of Warcraft 60 day pre-paid time card every month. Keep those comics coming, and you might be next! Stop by each week to see a new comic from the contest. Also, check out all of the September comics.

  

  Have a comic to submit? It's not too late to enter the comic contest. Read the official rules, and submit your comics today!

• Are you curious about the changes and additions in store for class talents in Wrath of the Lich King? The new interactive talent trees for every class are now live on our talent calculators. Please note that all talent information is not yet finalized, and is subject to significant change during the testing process.

• Want to get in on some competitive gaming while you're at BlizzCon? We're hosting several community competitions at this year's convention, including the first-ever StarCraft II Community Tournament. Other events include Defense of the Ancients (based on Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne) and World of Warcraft Battlegrounds tournaments. BlizzCon attendees can sign up in advance here or enter on site during show hours at the community tournament area.

• The brackets for the StarCraft, Warcraft III, and World of Warcraft Arena tournaments at BlizzCon are now live. These brackets show the starting matches and also provide some information about the contestants who will be competing in this year's BlizzCon tournaments. We will be updating these brackets during BlizzCon, so make sure to check back to see the latest tournament results and replays.
  
  Check out the brackets here: StarCraft, Warcraft III, World of Warcraft Arena Tournament

• For anyone interested in experiencing the panels, contests, tournaments, and other highlights of BlizzCon from the comfort of their own home, we'd like to provide a more thorough idea of what to expect from DIRECTV's U.S. pay per view package of live HD event coverage.
  
  Multiple cameras will be travelling the show floor to capture the experience of being at BlizzCon, and the coverage will be anchored from a central broadcast desk. The hosts for the show will be:

  • Geoff Keighley, executive producer and host of Spike's GameTrailers TV, the #1-rated videogame show on television
  • Becky "AKTREZ" Young, creator and leading lady of the Girls Entertainment Network
  • Kat Hunter, general manager of professional gaming team for the Championship Gaming Series, the San Francisco Optx, and former Frag Doll

  Celebrity guests Patton Oswalt and Jay Mohr will also be appearing -- Jay is returning to host the live BlizzCon contests, and Patton will be performing a comedy routine during the closing-night ceremony, which will also feature all-Blizzard rock band Level 80 Elite Tauren Chieftain. In addition, senior Blizzard Entertainment developers such as Rob Pardo, Jay Wilson, Dustin Browder, and Jeff Kaplan will be rotating in and out of the broadcast desk throughout the day to talk about their work and share their thoughts on the convention as it unfolds.
  
  Viewers will also enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of the Blizzard Entertainment headquarters, get the BlizzCon-exclusive in-game polar bear mount for a World of Warcraft character they play, and be able to download high-resolution cinematic trailers for upcoming games (with an appropriate DVR).
  
  DIRECTV is currently running a special promotion -- available only through the BlizzCon website -- offering the pay per view event free to new customers who sign up for DIRECTV by September 30. Time is running out on this offer, so act quickly.
  
  Beginning this Sunday, September 28, through the end of the convention, current DIRECTV customers will be able to order the package for $39.95. For more information, please visit www.directv.com/blizzcon or call 1-800-728-9375.