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Plus other analysis and commentary books like ''Beyond the Wall'', ''Game of Thrones and Philosophy'', etc. etc. |
Plus other analysis and commentary books like ''Beyond the Wall'', ''Game of Thrones and Philosophy'', etc. etc. |
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| + | |||
| + | Overall, however, little is new - or rather, unpredicted - in these first four categories for Xmas 2015. |
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| + | |||
| + | '''5 - Action Figures''' |
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| + | |||
| + | There are two main action figure lines for ''Game of Thrones'': one by Funko and one by Dark Horse. Funko also makes the "cute" Pop! series of basic figurines (they're like bobble-heads). Because they're simple and easy to make they have a wider ranger of characters available, which is nice, but I've never been into these things and never plan to get any. |
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| + | |||
| + | Meanwhile, Funko apparently abandoned its 6 inch action figure line and hasn't updated it ''at all'' since Season 3. |
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| + | |||
| + | The Dark Horse figures, however, are still ongoing. They're larger and more expensive, but also more detailed. Larger size (7.5 inch) may limit available storage space. |
||
| + | |||
| + | As of the most recent waves, ANY character in the Funko line also has a counterpart in the Dark Horse line (they both have a Brienne), but Dark Horse kept coming out with new waves of releases so they have many new characters now. |
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| + | |||
| + | Due in time for Xmas 2015, Dark Horse is coming out with Dark Sansa, Brienne of Tarth (in new Season 4 armor), Sandor "the Hound" Clegane (in armor), and Jorah Mormont. |
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| + | |||
| + | The real excitement though is in their planned Spring 2016 release: Margaery Tyrell, Oberyn Martell, Grey Worm, ''and'' Ygritte!!!! Not just sticking to the core "Eddard, Jaime, Robb, Jon Snow" group anymore. They also have a lot of other characters already like Tywin, Joffrey, Cersei (it's nice that they actually have the important female characters, etc., some figure lines ignore say...''Princess Leia'', ''Black Widow'', and ''Wonder Woman'' because they're girls?) |
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| + | |||
| + | But the Dark Sansa (in her "Vale costume" from the end of Season 4) is pretty exciting. |
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| + | |||
| + | I like these figurines, though I'm not personally getting them - combination of cost and, fundamentally, where the heck would I store them all? But for the action figure must-haves, Dark Horse is really treating us well. |
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Revision as of 19:43, 21 November 2015
Let me pick some stuff from the Merchandise page...
Also I walk by the HBO store at Bryant Park in Manhattan on my way to class each week.
Basically, merchandise breaks down into roughly eight categories:
1 - Home video release of the TV series, Blu-ray or DVD
I'd like to have Seasons 1 to 5 on Blu-ray. I can't afford them and I only watch the show with a family member's borrowed HBO Go password (and I'm an Administrator on here). I've never had access to the DVD commentaries. Well, in the future my plan is to take the earlier season box sets out of the library - I will get to them eventually in this fashion.
But enough about me: the most basic gift is a home video release, or, digital season pass.
2 - Soundtracks Season 1 to Season 5, the official soundtracks. By Ramin Djawadi.
3 - The in-universe novels
The A Song of Ice and Fire novel series. Of course, regulars have owned these for a while (I have).
But apart from the main series there's also the Lands of Ice and Fire map books, and the World of Ice and Fire sourcebook, filled with information.
The A Feast of Ice and Fire cookbook (with Forward by George R.R. Martin) is also fun.
New for Christmas 2015, for the first time ever, is the A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms prequel compendium, out in hardcover. -- A collection of the three Tales of Dunk and Egg prequel novellas (set 90 years before the TV series, starring Maester Aemon's brother Aegon "Egg" Targaryen). Previously they were only released in unrelated collections of short stories by other authors. Features new artwork too. Somehow people think it's more "official" when it's a single book you can actually hold in your hand, though, collecting all the prequel novellas (three currently, though he plans another nine or so).
4 - Extra-universe books about Game of Thrones
Not in-universe books but guidebooks and so forth.
The "Inside Game of Thrones" books come out every two seasons so there are two so far - if you don't have it you should pick it up:
The Dothraki language book for the language enthusiasts:
I'm holding out for a High Valyrian one. I would have got this at NYCC if I could have gotten in signed by Peterson but he wasn't there on Saturday when I was, so I'm holding out for that in the future.
- Game of Thrones: The Noble Houses of Westeros (due November 2015)
....reviewed over on WatchersOnTheWall.com, it hasn't shown up in the HBO Store yet, I want to flip through it to see if it is worth buying or just restates content we already kind of have.
Plus other analysis and commentary books like Beyond the Wall, Game of Thrones and Philosophy, etc. etc.
Overall, however, little is new - or rather, unpredicted - in these first four categories for Xmas 2015.
5 - Action Figures
There are two main action figure lines for Game of Thrones: one by Funko and one by Dark Horse. Funko also makes the "cute" Pop! series of basic figurines (they're like bobble-heads). Because they're simple and easy to make they have a wider ranger of characters available, which is nice, but I've never been into these things and never plan to get any.
Meanwhile, Funko apparently abandoned its 6 inch action figure line and hasn't updated it at all since Season 3.
The Dark Horse figures, however, are still ongoing. They're larger and more expensive, but also more detailed. Larger size (7.5 inch) may limit available storage space.
As of the most recent waves, ANY character in the Funko line also has a counterpart in the Dark Horse line (they both have a Brienne), but Dark Horse kept coming out with new waves of releases so they have many new characters now.
Due in time for Xmas 2015, Dark Horse is coming out with Dark Sansa, Brienne of Tarth (in new Season 4 armor), Sandor "the Hound" Clegane (in armor), and Jorah Mormont.
The real excitement though is in their planned Spring 2016 release: Margaery Tyrell, Oberyn Martell, Grey Worm, and Ygritte!!!! Not just sticking to the core "Eddard, Jaime, Robb, Jon Snow" group anymore. They also have a lot of other characters already like Tywin, Joffrey, Cersei (it's nice that they actually have the important female characters, etc., some figure lines ignore say...Princess Leia, Black Widow, and Wonder Woman because they're girls?)
But the Dark Sansa (in her "Vale costume" from the end of Season 4) is pretty exciting.
I like these figurines, though I'm not personally getting them - combination of cost and, fundamentally, where the heck would I store them all? But for the action figure must-haves, Dark Horse is really treating us well.