Game of Thrones is based on George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels, beginning with A Game of Thrones in 1996. Set across the continents of Westeros and Essos, the series follows a sprawling cast of noble houses locked in a brutal struggle for the Iron Throne, while an ancient threat gathers beyond the Wall in the frozen North. Martin’s willingness to kill off major characters without warning, and his focus on the messy, morally grey realities of political power, set the series apart from more traditional high fantasy from the outset.
HBO adapted the novels for television under showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, premiering the series in 2011. Over eight seasons and 73 episodes, Game of Thrones grew from a niche fantasy drama into arguably the biggest show in the world, breaking Emmy records along the way and becoming a genuine weekly cultural event, with moments like the ‘Red Wedding’ dominating conversation well beyond its usual fantasy audience. Its production values scaled up dramatically as the show went on, with later seasons filming battle sequences on a scope rarely attempted for television. Its influence has only continued since the 2019 finale, with the prequel series House of the Dragon, based on Martin’s Fire & Blood, extending the story two centuries earlier and confirming the strength of the wider franchise.
Few shows have assembled an ensemble on the scale of Game of Thrones, led by Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen, Kit Harington as Jon Snow, Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister, and Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister, alongside Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams as sisters Sansa and Arya Stark. Beyond its marquee names, the show built deep loyalty around its supporting Night’s Watch characters, including Ben Compton as Eddison ‘Dolorous Edd’ Tollett, whose dry, deadpan humour made him a standout fan favourite across his seasons at Castle Black, in a cast where even minor characters could become genuine fan obsessions.
Game of Thrones remains one of the most-discussed television series ever made, and its cultural reach extends well past its finale: an enormous collecting and convention circuit has grown up around the show, spanning props, prints, and cast signings tied to virtually every corner of Westeros. Its impact can also be measured in what came after it, with a wave of big-budget fantasy television — from The Witcher to The Wheel of Time — often described in relation to the trail Game of Thrones blazed. With House of the Dragon continuing to expand the wider universe and further spin-offs in development, interest in the original series and its cast shows little sign of slowing, even years after the Iron Throne was finally settled.
At Pioneer Signings, our Game of Thrones archive currently features Eddison Tollett 8×10 prints signed by Ben Compton, celebrating one of the Night’s Watch’s most beloved characters. Given the scale of this franchise’s ensemble and the strength of interest in its supporting cast alongside its biggest names, we see plenty of room to grow here, and we’re looking to bring further Westeros signings into our archive as it develops.
