Few franchises have captivated fans more over the last decade than HBO’s “Game of Thrones.”
And for as long as the critically-acclaimed show was running with record viewership, it was Rittenhouse Archives that was delivering the trading card sets to match.
Now, more than four years after the show’s final episode aired, Rittenhouse continues to feed an insatiable fanbase with the release of Game of Thrones: Legends of the Realm on Wednesday.
Rittenhouse’s fifth overall release of 2024, Legends of the Realm is the manufacturer’s 17th “Game of Thrones”-related product since the first arrived in 2012 — and there are no plans to stop.
“We typically steer clear of flavor-of-the-month kinds of projects,” Rittenhouse Archives president Steve Charendoff told cllct. “We want to work with projects or franchises that have longevity to them and for us, with “Game of Thrones,” I always feel like there’s a way of presenting the material to give fans and collectors something interesting to collect that’s not necessarily retracing old steps.”
Now in its 25th year, with more than a decade featuring “Game of Thrones” cards, Rittenhouse continues to zig while other trading card manufacturers zag. As hobby giants like Topps, Panini America and Upper Deck battle to move retail products with volume, Rittenhouse quietly delivers a slower drip of products aimed directly at the franchise’s most passionate followers.
“We take the exact opposite approach with all of these,” Charendoff said. “We want to do a deep, deep dive so the people who are the harshest critics, the most dedicated fans, they will get our cards and think Rittenhouse did something that really resonates.”
Creating a top-tier entertainment product starts with an impressive autograph checklist, and according to Charendoff, Legends of the Realm has one of the best lineups the product line has had in years.
Nearly all of the show’s top stars are included, with Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen), Kit Harington (Jon Snow), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister), Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark) and Sean Bean (Ned Stark) signing for the product.
Rittenhouse was also able to add Natalie Dormer (Margaery Tyrell), who is signing for just the second time, and stars Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister), Maisie Williams (Arya Stark) and Charles Dance (Tywin Lannister), who all hadn’t signed for an extended period. Bella Ramsey (Lyanna Mormont) was even secured despite a surge in popularity as a star of HBO’s “The Last of Us.”
An impressive autograph checklist is more or less expected from Rittenhouse at this point — the company also remains committed to only using on-card autographs — so the product team has to continue building attractive elements elsewhere through inserts, original artwork and other subsets.
Artist JJ Lendl returns with more original artwork for the popular poster cards numbered to just 75. Rittenhouse is also deploying a “saga” series for the second time that follows important moments from the show’s most important characters — the concept started with Daenerys Targaryen and Ned Stark in 2023’s Game of Thrones: Art and Images and returns in Legends of the Realm with a 72-card set for Jon Snow and a 12-card set for Ygritte (Rose Leslie).
Legends of the Realm also gets a boost from multiple new insert sets where Rittenhouse explores popular themes it had yet to tackle. The 18-card “Nicknames” checklist features cards for The Kingslayer (Jaime Lannister), The Hound (Sandor Clegane) and The Red Viper (Oberyn Martell) while “Weapons of War” highlights famous weapons such as Arya Stark’s “Needle” and Jon Snow’s “Longclaw.”
“The process is really part art and part science,” Charendoff said.
Though Rittenhouse has already delivered 17 “Game of Thrones” sets, Charendoff says interest from collectors hasn’t declined — despite many fans frustrated with the show’s final season — and the show’s significant place in pop culture should allow for a number of new products.
Rittenhouse currently has two “Game of Thrones” sets scheduled for 2025, and collectors can expect more releases for “House of the Dragon” as the show heads toward its third season. A number of additional spinoffs are expected to keep the franchise culturally relevant and Rittenhouse plans to keep evolving as needed.
“We’re just serving the market,” Charendoff said. “As much as I’d like to think that the products are so spectacular that we could overcome waning interest with the franchise, I just don’t think that’s true. I think the interest is still very strong.
“If “House of the Dragon” didn’t come along as a spinoff show, would it still be as strong for “Game of Thrones?” Charendoff added. “I don’t know. But the reality is that “House of the Dragon” did come along and has been successful and it’s helped keep the interest alive.”
Rittenhouse will do its part, too. Product configurations have been condensed to feel more lean while avoiding waste but delivering plenty of autographs and other hits. Charendoff and the team also acquired a number of props from Heritage’s “Game of Thrones” auction that will appear in future products.
The blueprint for continued success is there, Rittenhouse simply needs to execute.
“I think we’re really only limited by our creativity,” Charendoff said.
Ben Burrows is a reporter and editor for cllct.