This Sunday evening marks the hotly anticipated premiere of the fifth season of the popular HBO series Game of Thrones, based on George R.R. Martin’s epic fantasy book series, “A Song of Ice and Fire.” Fans awaiting the show’s return haven’t lain idle, however: over 100 artists have teamed up to produce a collaborative art book, Draw ‘Em With the Pointy End, inspired by the drama.
The book, fueled by serious Game of Thrones withdrawal, has been nine months in the making, and is the subject of a Kickstarter campaign.
The artists have each contributed never-before-seen illustrations drawn in tribute to the show, and are looking to raise $18,500 to put the book into production. The eight-and-a-half-by-11-inch volume will be printed in full color. If the initial goals are exceeded, the group hopes to add gold foil to the edge of the pages. If the campaign reaches $25,000, the book will be printed in hardcover.
A copy of the book will run you $25, with a PDF version available for just $5. Larger pledges come with posters, stickers, tote bags and wooden pendants carved in the shape of Game of Thrones house sigils, such as the dragon.
Alice Meichi Li, Jon and Daenerys, from Draw ‘Em With the Pointy End, a book of Game of Thrones fan art seeking funding on Kickstarter. Courtesy of Alice Meichi Li.
No word on whether the author appreciates the project, but Martin has been known to support arts endeavors, such as the art center he is opening in Santa Fe.
Last season, HBO embraced fan art, releasing an original artwork from Robert M. Ball responding to the most prominent death in each episode.
The Kickstarter page notes that the participating artists hail from around the globe, and that an impressive 80 percent of them are women—an interesting statistic considering both how underrepresented woman are in the mainstream contemporary art world. There were also fears during the first season that the show was “boy fiction” that wouldn’t appeal to a female audience.
Mujia Liao, Jon Snow and Ghost, from Draw ‘Em With the Pointy End, a book of Game of Thrones fan art seeking funding on Kickstarter.
Game of Thrones, of course, has its fair share of strong female characters, many of whom promise to feature prominently in Draw ‘Em With the Pointy End—a title inspired by fan favorite Arya Stark, a consummate survivor who instinctively takes to sword fighting despite her youth and short stature.
To date, Draw ‘Em With the Pointy End has raised $16,465, with seven days to go.