Games Day US - Part 2: Pre-GD Party

Good morning everyone! 

Stack'o'Swag Giveaway at the end! 

Quick Painting Buddha Update

Good news: ALL Budget Boxes and most of the Supporter Box orders will be sent out by tomorrow. We will most likely run out of XXL shirts (and still have tons of 'S' and 'M's) - but don't worry, new shirts are already in print and will be here by next week. If you are affected by this, we will send you a message in a separate mail. The custom made girlie shirts are also in print now!

Also, we have now added 3XL shirts to the store (and to the Supporter Boxes!) - so if you need a 'man-sized' shirt, now you can have it!

Games Day US - Part 2: Pre-GD Party

Why visit painting competitions?

As many of you know, you see me at many, many events, workshops and painter meetings. So far, you have not seen many competition level miniatures from me, though (wait for Games Day UK, hint hint). 

The Memphis Gang - Best Nerd Friends Forever!

So, 'why' you might ask, am I travelling all over the place to visit all these painting competitions?

The reason is simple: I LOVE meeting nerds like me from all over the world. Events like the Spring Angel, Herzog von Bayern, Games Days and many others give us the opportunity to celebrate our hobby and our nerdiness with like-minded painters from all over the world. We have quite literally met hundreds of new friends doing so. That's how one does networking 'offline'. 

Last year at Games Day Germany almost 100 of the most fantastic miniature painters from all over the world met at our famous pre-GD-Dinner in Cologne. After dinner, we all meet up at a hotel, show each other all of our GD entries and in general have the most awesome time. 

THAT for me is the main reason for travelling to all of these events. I can't even begin to tell you how much I enjoy this ;) 

Games Workshop North America

That's how GW US welcomes its
guests the night before the GD!

BBQ Memphis style, BABY!

Games Workshop North America's HQ is located in Memphis, Tennessee. 'Why?' you might ask again. A just question. Memphis only has around 600,000 people but with FedEx' hub there, the largest freight airport in the world. And since Games Workshop US receives a lot of miniature goodness from UK and then distributes the love all across the country, Memphis makes a lot of sense. 

Games Workshop US also does things a little bit different (I almost said 'better') than what we in Europe are used to. 

First of all, we did not just receive a simple ticket in the mail. We received a beautiful envelope, sealed with a green Dark-Angel seal. In that envelope was a folded letter on real expensive paper - with a freaking imperial aquila 3D embossed on it! WUAAA! That's the kind of nerdy detail we put in our own DVD Set :D. The signed message from Sandra Casey, Head of Sales  GW North America read:

"Thank you for purchasing a Games Day ticket! We look forward to seeing you at the inspiring and memorable celebration of collecting Citadel miniatures."

A few words that say it all. Letter and envelope now sit in my display cabinet of rare and precioussss GW stuff. Dear GW UK management dudes: It does not take a lot to make a nerd shed a single joyful tear! Just' sayin' - true story, bro! (Also made me forget the 47$ S&H fee for two tickets ^^).

I'll talk more about the whole GD organization in a separate post - this is the party post!

Pre-GD-Party

Festival atmosphere at Games Workshop Headquarters

After being packed like Sardines for 15 hours, Ben and I arrived in our Hotel in Memphis in our stylish Toyota Landraider SUV, took a shower and headed straight to the Barbeque that Games Workshop has invited ALL participants of the Games Day to. That's right. The Four essential 'F's: Free food for fans. And free drinks. But there's no 'F' in drinks...

A catering company has set up awesome southern food - and after a bag of peanuts on the plane that was just the thing we needed. 

42 baby, gangsta style!

While there was a 250 point tournament going on next door, at the World of Battle store, we Krauts mingled with the crowd. 

It almost felt like a county fair kind of festival. There were giveaways, games and entertainment for nerds of all ages. There even was a 4.2:1 scale giant space marine. True scale that! 

The first person I met was Aaron Lovejoy - and I actually remembered his name, as I just had sent out a Supporter Box to him the day before. Small, nerdy world! At the end of the evening, we - as always - were the last to go. And where else should we go to but what can only be described as Party Central, Tennessee: Beale Street!

Beale Street, Memphis

Friday and Sunday night, Beale Street is completely closed off for traffic and thousands of party hungry people head out to have a good time. 

And so did we! What an awesome place! Live music (Blues & Honky-Tonk) everywhere. Bars on the street, awesome food, and quite literally 'dancing in the streets'. 

Dancing in the streets

Not only do you find the 'Coyote Ugly' bar there, but if you want to see a re-incarnation of Jerry Lee Lewis, you have come to the right place. Food and Beer (at least for us Europeans) was reeeeally cheap. 

Everyone was really happy and friendly, no fighting, just partying. There are some more impressions for you on my second GD US Picasa Album.

These two guys rocked the street. In-cre-di-ble.

Games Day Germany: Pre-GD-Party

As you may have read in these somewhat disappointing news about Games Day Germany, not even 1000 of the 2000 tickets for Games Day Germany have been sold yet. And that is after almost 5000 visitors last year.

Dear GW UK management dudes, let me address you a second time: This is not a success. Please revisit your community activities! FOR THE EMPEROR! (And us :P) 

GD Germany - the best and the last one?

Ben's insane Tau Titan Diorama
Detailed post to follow shortly™

I understand that with the price hikes, no shoes, no shirts, no minis and all, a lot of people decided not to attend this year's event in Germany. 

However I URGE every lover of miniatures and of our hobby to come and join us at Games Day Cologne this year. As far as the Golden Demon is concerned, it expect it to be one of the strongest ever. After the cancellation of GD Spain and GD France I am looking forward to awesomeness from these crazy good painters. I hope the Belgium team will be there, again, too. 

Nobody expects the
Spanish Team!

What did Sandra Casey of GW US call it? A "memorable celebration of collecting Citadel miniatures". As far as I am concerned, Games Day Germany will be just that. Maybe 'memorable' does not quite cut it. 'Unforgettable' would be my choice of words. Don't miss out on this!

Get your tickets here! GD Germany told me that even if you buy a last-minute ticket and don't receive it in the mail in time, they have a list of all names at the door - and with a valid form of identification you will get in. I also suspect that this time you will be able to purchase tickets at the door. I will keep you posted. 

Stack'o'Swag Sweepstakes

So far we got three paintingbuddha Supporter T-Shirts, the 2013 Games Day Limited Miniature, a Happy Monk and a MYSTERIOUS Swag Bag from Games Day US (oh, you so want this) in the Stack'o'Swag Sweepstakes.

By SHARING & ENJOYING this post with your Facebook or Google+ friends, you enter the sweepstakes. As a matter of fact, ANY POST on our facebook page between July 21st and August 4th that you SHARE on FB or google+ counts as a 'ticket' for your personal sweepstakes! Chances are good, so SHARE & ENJOY!

Since I took the weekend off, I will put a LIMITED Games Day 2013 Mini (Marco Colombo) AND a second MYSTERIOUS Swag Bag from GD US onto the Stack'o'Swag. 

Oh, and if our Facebook Page brought you here: Please take a moment to SUBSCRIBE!

SHARE & ENJOY!