When Campfire asked us to consult for HBO’s “Take the Black” event in NYC, all we knew was that it would be some sort of release party for the season 2 DVD of Game of Thrones, but that’s about it. The details were all very hush-hush almost up to the event itself, but that only piqued the curiosity of hundreds of fans who turned out for the big evening.
They were well rewarded: Northern-themed foods from Inn at the Crossroads, a performance of GoT music by Jason Yang and other musicians (I never get tired of hearing the Rains of Castamere!), and even a life-sized direwolf ice sculpture carved by Shintaro Okamoto studios. Inside Best Buy, attendees ascended the escalators past house sigil banners, and at the top came face to face with Jon Snow’s Night’s Watch blacks, and Longclaw. Around the back of the store, everyone could don a fur-collared cloak and say their words in front of a green screen. After some technological wizardry, the oathtakers appeared to be in a snowy forest. Very cool. The videos from that can be seen here.
When we arrived at the venue, an hour before people were invited to line up, there was already a line forming behind the metal barriers. Our gracious hosts at Campfire introduced us to the caterers who did a marvelous job with our recipes- especially the pease porridge and the meat pies. We designed the menu with cold weather in mind, and it was COLD; hopefully hot apple cider, warm meat pies, and peas porridge took the edge off for the intrepid fans who showed up to take the black. For the next three hours, Sariann and I chatted with fellow fans, gave interviews to some very cool people, and even signed a few cookbooks.
Those devoted enough to wait until midnight to buy the DVDs received swag bags from HBO containing GOT-themed iced sugar cookies and house-themed scarves complete with sigil. Sariann left sporting Lannister red, and I bundled up with a super-fashionable Targaryen black. I pretty much haven’t taken it off since.
Now, I’m off to go grocery shopping in my new scarf. I might buy them, or I might take them with fire and blood.
I haven’t decided yet. :)
My awesome Targaryen scarf
Check out these sites’ additional coverage of the event!
