As the title suggests...

I have an idea for a deck theme which I'd probably fund through a kickstarter or such.

I have my idea, have an artist on board, but, have no idea where to start with sourcing manufacture, any necessary permissions with USPCC etc.

Any pointers would be greatly appreciated.

For Crowdfunding its pretty important to get a solid idea of how many decks you will move in order to get your pricing correct. Look at past campaigns to see what has funded and at what levels. This will give you an idea on quantities to ask about so the company can give you an accurate pricing structure. After that there are not that many publishing companies for cards.
Good Luck!

Yes, Dan, the background research has to be right, doesn't it?

With the idea and artist in place, I now need to spend the time making sure it all goes smoothly on the business front before launching the idea.