Sales of the recently released DVD of Game of Thrones Season 1 are flying off the shelves, with the 350,000 copies sold so far a record for any HBO series.

The 350,000 units sold in the first week after the March 6 release eclipsed sales of other hit HBO series including The Sopranos, Sex and the City, and True Blood. The news comes on the heels of the release of the wildly popular trailer for Season 2 (which debuts on April 1), pointing to what could be huge ratings for the upcoming season premier.

So far the series has done an excellent job of capitalizing on the millions of fans of the Game of Thrones books, with the series holding largely true to the books and involving author George R.R. Martin in many different ways to ensure that what’s seen on the screen is authentic and engaging.

It’s a good time to be a Game of Thrones fan, with Season 1 recently released on DVD and the premier of Season 2 just a few weeks away on April 1 when HBO airs “The North Remembers” to kick off the second season.

Not only does the DVD contain all ten episodes from the first season but also plenty of extras, as far as a motion comic, a Guide To Weesteros, and hours and hours of extra footage and commentary not previously seen on the HBO episodes.

As far as the looming season premier for Season 2, Game of Thrones’ executive producer D.B. Weiss recently did an interview with the LA Times in which he discusses the DVD release as well as what to expect from the sophomore season and some of the challenges.

Below are just a few highlights from the interview as well as a taste of what to look forward to in Season 2:

Are you still in post-production on the second season?

Yes, we are in post-production and getting it all ready as quickly as we can for the drop-dead dates when they pry it out of our cold, dead hands. We’ve got a couple of episodes locked and done and in the can, but we still have some work to do on the back end.

One of the more impressive features from the DVD set is a motion comic explaining the various religious beliefs in this world. Do you oversee that as well as the series?

We were definitely very excited and involved with all aspects of DVD production. Credit for [the motion comic] goes to Bryan Cogman, our story editor and writer who also wrote those, and Will Simpson, who did all the artwork. He also does our storyboards and is a respected and noted comic artist in his own right. And the whole DVD team who wrangled the cast. We were very pleased with the concept and how beautifully it was executed.

How much downtime do you have after finishing Season 2 before you start writing Season 3?

That would be zero. Zero minutes and zero seconds. By the way, I should point out that we don’t have a greenlit Season 3 yet. It’s not a foregone conclusion in our minds. But the show needs to operate on the 52-week, maybe 51-week-a-year schedule to get finished.

Game of Thrones fans now have a lot more options when it comes to purchasing merchandise online, with Entertainment Earth (one of the largest online retailers of action figures and memorabilia from movies and television shows) now stocking items such as Game of Thrones coffee mugs, coaster sets, magnets, and much more.

Options were limited in the past when it came to buying Game of Thrones items but the surging popularity of the show and the looming second season means that more items will likely be available in the near future.

The Game of Thrones Season 1 DVD is also now available, with the Blu-Ray edition containing not only the 10 episodes from Season 1 but also hours and hours of other bonus content, as well as a insanely detailed Complete Guide to Westeros that will appeal to casual and hardcore fans alike.

The entire first season is also available on iTunes as well, giving fans plenty of options as to enjoying their favorite show as it’s poised to debut its second season.

Game of Thrones returns to HBO for its second season with the episode “The North Remembers” on April 1, much to the delight of Thrones fans around the world.

We’re still months away from the premier of Season 2 of HBO’s hit Game of Thrones series but fans have gotten several tidbits to tide them over in recent weeks, with a brand-new trailer of Season 2 broadcast on December 11 after HBO’s Boardwalk Empire season finale.

In the “The Cold Winds are Rising” clip featured below, Stannis Baratheon (played by British actor Stephen Dillane) steps up to stake his claim to the Iron Throne:

Game of Thrones Season 2 Trailer

In addition to news characters such as Stannis being introduced sharp-eyed fans can catch glimpses of their other favorite returning characters in the clip, including Jon Snow, Arya Stark, Sansa Stark, Catelyn Stark, Robb Stark, Daenerys Targaryen, Queen Cersei, Jamie Lannister and Tyrion Lannister.

The buzz is already building for Season 2 of Game of Thrones, which is slated to debut in April 2012.