Top 10 Christopher Walken Trading Cards
According to author Malcolm Gladwell, it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert at something. With an acting career now in its eighth decade, it’s safe to say that Christopher Walken has made it. Whether it’s his Academy Award-winning performance in “The Deer Hunter,” dancing and flying through hotel lobbies in Fatboy Slim music videos or demanding more cowbell from Will Ferrell live from New York on a Saturday night, Walken has proven his range.
With almost 150 acting credits on his resumé, some of those roles have resulted in trading cards. Not a lot (and no certified autographs outside of cut signatures), but enough to warrant a deeper dive.
10. 1992 Topps Stadium Club Batman Returns #20
There’s a lot to take in here. One could go with the premium (for the time) full-bleed, glossy take using Topps’ premium line. The combination of Michael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne and Walken’s Max Shreck together is also notable. But what really makes this one memorable? The hat on top of Walken’s head. It looks like he stole it from Johnny Carson and Carnac the Magnificent.
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9. 2008 Rittenhouse James Bond in Motion #42 A View to a Kill
Sure, this is just a base card but that shouldn’t take away from it. It’s lenticular, after all, bringing Max Zorin to life — even if he is taking some in the process with his Uzi.
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8. 2019 Upper Deck James Bond Collection Bond Legacy #BL-23 Max Zorin
Coming from Upper Deck’s first set of James Bond trading cards, the standout feature on this insert is the manufactured cel piece that Walken’s image is printed on. Bond Legacy inserts are available in three tiers, each with varying rarity. This is one of 25 from Tier 1, which is the easiest, combining to fall 1:20 packs.
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7. 2004 Rittenhouse Quotable James Bond Bond Villains #F14 Max Zorin
Sometimes, the simplest concepts make for stunning cards. Here it’s a simple black and white portrait and a couple of gold accents. Going strictly by looks, this is one of the most attractive Christopher Walken cards. Bond Villains inserts are 1:14 packs.
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6. 1999 Inkworks Sleepy Hollow Heads Will Roll #CC9 Christopher Walken as The Hessian Horseman
Batman Returns isn’t the only Tim Burton film that Walken appeared in to get the trading card treatment. There’s also 1999 Inkworks Sleepy Hollow. Like leads Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci, Walken didn’t sign for the set. He does, however appear on this foil insert that’s downright creepy. If it’s too much to look at, the back provides a nice bio that highlights some of legend’s notable acting credits.
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5. 2021 Upper Deck James Bond Villains and Henchmen Obsidian #51 Max Zorin
If you’re looking for a rare Christopher Walken card, this might be one of the toughest. Although not serial numbered, one look at the odds confirms that it’s not easy to come by. Obsidian parallels are 1:480 packs of 2021 Upper Deck James Bond Villains and Henchmen. Run the numbers with a 100-card checklist and it takes about 48,000 packs to land one. It likely means that only a handful of copies exist.
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4. 2014 Rittenhouse James Bond Archives Relics #JBR33 Max Zorin /400
It might not be a big piece of a jacket worn by Christopher Walken, but it’s better than nothing. Numbered to 400, it’s among the most plentiful Relics in 2014 James Bond Archives. However, it’s one of the few to have a costume piece. Most featured prop pieces from a variety of vehicles.
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3. 2002 Rittenhouse James Bond 40th Anniversary From the Archives Relics #CC2 Max Zorin
This is one of the first James Bond memorabilia cards, period. 2002 Rittenhouse James Bond 40th Anniversary introduced the franchise to the costume card concept with three cards. Pieces worn by Sean Connery and Patrick Macnee are also on the checklist. Although the odds sound relatively tough at 1:120 packs, with so few cards it’s not overly scarce today.
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2. 2007 Rittenhouse Complete James Bond Relics #RC9 Zorin Industries Patch
The swatch on this one might not come directly from one of Walken’s costumes in A View to a Kill, but the massive patch piece makes for an incredibly attractive memorabilia card. Although it’s relatively tough to find today, according to Rittenhouse’s rarity scale, it’s one of the more common cards in the set.
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1. 1953 Bowman Television and Radio Stars of NBC #58 Ronnie Walken
The Christopher Walken “Rookie Card” goes all the way back to the earliest days in his career when he went by “Ronnie.” Here he is as a 10-year old who, according to the card back, loves baseball and has his own science lab. The card arrived with Walken fresh off his first television credit on “The Wonderful John Acton.” With the name change, this one might slip past some. But one look at that face and there’s no doubt (the Internet Movie Database removes all doubt, too).
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