For February we chose to highlight a Funatic with a passion for stop motion video as well as photography. Please give a warm welcome to Caleb!

When and how did you first learn about Funko? Did you start collecting right away or did it develop over time?

"I’ve collected PEZ dispensers with my dad for as long as I can remember. My collecting world changed forever (for the better!), when Funko introduced Pop! + PEZ. I made it my mission to collect every single Pop! + PEZ. And minus minor sticker variations, I’ve successfully accomplished that goal with the exception of the Freddy Gold Pop! + PEZ, which still painfully eludes me today. From there, I decided it’d be cool to display the matching Pop! of each character, too. That’s when my Funko collecting really heated up. From there, the rest is history." 

Were you a collector before you encountered Funko?

"Absolutely! I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t purposely or inadvertently on the hunt for something. Besides PEZ, my grandpa collected Hotwheels for us grandkids, and he used to pick me up on Saturday mornings to go with him to Hotwheels Collectors events at K-Mart. It’s funny. When friends and family come over and they see my Funko collection, my mom usually feels it necessary to share, 'I can’t blame him, collecting is in his blood'."

When would you say you switched from being a collector to becoming a Funatic? 

"I want to believe I was always a Funatic. I’ve always enjoyed taking videos. In fact, I recently found an ancient GoPro camera of mine with hours of footage I filmed of me and my brother goofing off, doing trick shots and me making him do some sort of stupid stunt. At one point I had a dream (and if I’m honest, that dream lives on) of being a famous YouTube celebrity. I was also inspired by the Funko Funkast team." 

What does Funko Family mean to you?

"Funko Family means everything to me. I’ve really enjoyed meeting so many wonderful Funatics in-person and online. Funko Family also means a super supportive Funko Family at home. My parents are very encouraging of my Funko craziness. We travel quite a bit, and before we pull out of our driveway for a trip, someone in the family always asks me if I remembered to bring the “favorite son” (aka Freddy Funko). My whole family knows that if we are going…a Freddy Funko is going too!" 

What Funko lines and fandom(s) do you collect?

"My favorite Funko lines to collect are Pops! and Pop + PEZ!. I’m also a huge fan of the Funko Games puzzles. I believe I have completed nine puzzles to date! My favorite puzzle being Freddy Funko Roadtrip."

Do you have favorite fandom(s) that hold special meaning to you?

"Yes, definitely! I’m a foodie so I love collecting all the food-related Ad Icon Pops!. Of course, I collect all the latest Freddy Funko Pops! as well, especially the SMF’s! Though, I’m still trying to “chase” down the Blue Freddy Funko SODA."

Is there anyone you share your fandom(s) with?

"My dad and I share a special Funko collecting connection. For my 16th birthday, he even booked us a trip to NYCC so that I could experience a major con! When we traveled over the summer to California, the whole family was excited to visit Funko Hollywood. As a family, we’ve really drawn closer through Funko! I’d also like to give a Funatic shoutout to Sean, who shares in my Ad Icon fandom. I got to meet Sean in Las Vegas."

What was the first Funko piece in your collection?

"I’m pretty sure it was the Magneto Pop! + PEZ. I remember my dad picking me up from school and rushing out to the nearest Hot Topic to see if they got in their first Pop + PEZ shipment. My first Pop! was a FNAF Blacklight Freddy and Chica I got at GameStop for $5.00. I think it’s worth much more now." 

Is there a particular Funko art or figure style that you enjoy?

"Personally, I really like the Diamond Glitter Pops! I don’t seek them out or anything, but I do like them a lot. I think the reason for it is that I also like to bedazzle Pez and Pop! + Pez so the glitter makes them have a similar look and feel." 

How do you display your collection? In box, out of box, shelves, cases?

"All my Pop! + PEZ are in box, and I’d estimate 50/50 on out-of-box Pops! versus those that remain in box. Because–If they all remain in the box, how can a Funatic participate in all the fun Funko Photo Challenge contests and make stop vids?! There is one universal rule in our house, and that goes for all collections. If you collect, your collections must be displayed. Collecting and storing things in boxes, storage bins or shoving them in closets or under the bed will not be tolerated! I also think our displays bring people joy when they look through them."

Is there anything not made by Funko that you collect?

"As I mentioned, I also collect PEZ. I suppose I can also shamefully admit that I do own one or two (or a lot more!) food-related Squishmallows, but please keep that between us :). I also like to collect new flavors of unopened Oreo packages."

What movie/show/game/album/podcast are you currently watching/playing/listening to?

"I think my favorite TV show to watch is Jeopardy. My brother and I try to compete every night to see who’s the smarter son. I also enjoy playing on my Nintendo Switch. Right now, I really love Just Dance for some reason, but Rocket League is my all-time favorite for sure. My choice of music varies. I like some classic rock and a mix of new pop music, too. I have a lot of Christian music on my playlist as well."

What do you love about Funko?

"There’s lots to love about Funko! One of the things I enjoy the most is looking at my Funko Pop! displays. Seeing all the Pops! displayed always brings a big smile to my face. I also feel like Funko gives me uniqueness, and I like that. I’m super proud to show them off to my friends and family. And of course, I really appreciate and love the interaction and fun of the Funko social media team.

What I love most about Funko is something that I never expected to find when I entered into collecting: Funko Family. I have made true and close friends across the Nation and the world, and Funko-passion was our initial connection. From there, I have been encouraged and blessed by so many of my Funko family members, even getting to meet some of them, which has been a special gift. Funko is more than collectors, it is a family." 

What’s your favorite Funko memory?

"My top Funko memory is definitely when I took Tourist Freddy on a boat ride in the Wisconsin Dells. When I placed Freddy on the ledge of the boat to get the perfect photo, we went over a wave and Freddy almost went overboard. I was quick enough to reach out to save him from drowning in the Wisconsin river. But what I will always remember about that, is my grandpa seeing the situation unfold and him yelling, “Oh no! Freeeddddddy!”. I believe the crew thought he was having a heart attack. The rest of the day he couldn’t stop talking about how 'we almost lost Freddy'. As I mentioned, our whole family has a heart for Freddy!

Another awesome moment was having Run DMC singing “Tricky” inches from my face at Fright Night 2022."

What motivated you to start photographing your collection and sharing the photos on social media?

"As I answered previously, I’ve always enjoyed making videos and taking pictures. But the Social Media side of things came about during Covid. As all the world came to a screeching halt, including all sibling soccer practices and games, then lots of time became available, we started making family videos together and making props for the videos, etc. I did some crazy stuff like eating ketchup on my cereal, just for fun. I made many videos centered around the big dream of owning that Freddy Gold Pop! + PEZ. From all that came the excitement and just pure fun of participating in all Funko photo contests and making videos." 

Can you share a little bit about your thought process going into staging and taking photos of your collectibles?

"When I take Funko pics, I try to think out-of-the-box as much as possible. There are many times, there’s an easy or obvious option but I decide to be different. I also pride myself on designing and creating my own setups or scenes from scratch. I don’t have or own any expensive camera’s or light boxes or backdrops, so usually everything is homemade with scraps and material lying around the house. Sometimes a single picture can take me 2 hours, and at that point my parents think I’m a little nuts!"

What advice do you have for other Funatics taking photos of their collection?

"My biggest bit of advice would be to not get overwhelmed. I tend to get overwhelmed with the number of challenge dates or all the picture idea possibilities in my head. Try to keep it fun." 

If licensing rights weren't a limitation, what would be a Pop! collection you’d like to see made?

"100% Nintendo, specifically Mario! I would also like to see the Home Depot Man, Nesquik Bunny, any M&M’s characters, and most of all, Mac Tonight from McDonald’s."



Anything else you'd like to share?

"Funko is an awesome company that seems to think like me. I love what they do, and I am grateful to be a part of the Funko Family. I am not sure what the future holds, but one Funko-dream I keep is to have a Funko bride and groom on my wedding cake. My parents had the Pez Bride and Groom on theirs, and I think this would be a neat way to carry on that tradition, while putting my own Funko-spin on it. My future-wife will have to agree, but I am sure she’ll be a Funatic too."