File:The First Pandaren.jpg

Summary
"The First Pandaren" Sam "Samwise" Didier, 1999 Digital Painting Originally Unrelated to a Game Project

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From the source: "“The original Pandaren image was created in 1999 as a holiday gift for my family and friends. I printed them up and framed them, and sent them out to my relatives, childhood friends, and some of my buddies at work. It turns out that this gift was truly the gift that kept on giving. Everyone really dug it and we ended up making a wallpaper of it. People wanted more, so we used the Pandaren as an April Fool’s Joke, adding them as the 5th race in the yet to be released, Warcraft III. Unfortunately for us, everyone who wasn’t in on the joke was super excited for the Pandaren as the next race. We ended up putting some really primitive Pandaren creeps in Warcraft III, and then introduced Chen Stormstout, a wandering Pandaren brewmaster, into Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne. Chen was a big hit and he started making appearances everywhere. World of Warcraft added a quest called Chen’s Empty Keg, and Hearthstone had some card art created that featured Chen and other Pandarens. Finally, in 2011, World of Warcraft released the Mists of Pandaria expansion, and we could finally play as the Pandaren in WoW.”"

"- Sam “Samwise” Didier"

Source
BlizzConline, Warcraft Art Gallery:
 * Website (this image is viewable by clicking the "MORE" button under "Pandaren Bell Warden Concept")
 * File link