Juan "Juanjo" Lopez
Madrid, Spain
@funkjitox

When and how did you first learn about Funko?
I learnt about Funko four years ago when I entered a shop and saw all the Pops! they were selling. My father is a big Star Wars fan so I bought him a Stormtrooper. Since that moment I've started to look for these toys and the different franchises that Funko had in the shops and on the Internet.

Why are you a Funatic?
That's a really good question as sometimes it's a little bit difficult to explain why you have more than 700 Pops! I always liked photography and, since I started taking pictures of the Pops!, I have started to walk along the streets focusing on details for pictures. I spend a lot of time out enjoying my hobby just with the excuse of taking a picture of a new Pop! For me it is very relaxing and helps to clean my mind of stress from daily work.

I started in this Funko universe just by uploading pictures and participating in the weekly photo contests. It´s nice to see how people share their opinions, their new Pops! and how they take their photos. It´s a very good tool to learn some tricks for photography, lighting, etc. Thanks to Funko, I know people from other countries with similar interests and, at the end, you make friends and collaborations. One example is when I asked for help on Instagram to get a Pop! as sometimes it is not easy to buy some exclusives in Spain, several people from the other side of the world offered to buy it and send it to me. It´s not about the money, it´s about putting your time and effort into an unknown person just for help. That was something that really impressed me and something that made me feel so proud to be part of this family.

What's your favorite fandom(s) and why?
I'm a fan of many things—Disney, Marvel, Terror—but if I had to choose just one I would say Star Wars. I grew up watching the films with my father at home and going to the cinema to see every new movie. I love the tradition of spending time together to follow the story and discuss the plot, the starships, the laser sables, the different trooper suits, etc. I like the idea of having an internal power which we need to develop and improve just to get the best version of you. The movies ask you to believe in yourself and defeat the internal fights everyone has.

How do you display your collection?
Most of my collection is in the box. However, those which I like the most from every collection are out of the box just representing the rest of them. But I must confess that sometimes I worry they might fall down on the floor.

What movie/show/video game/album are you currently watching/playing/listening to?
Recently, I watched the new It movies. I hadn't seen the first movie before then but I really liked the Pennywise Pops! so I have finally seen them. The last film I watched was Toy Story 4 again at home. I used to watch this movie when I was a child and it is one of my favorite movies. I have two Jack Russells; one of them is called Woody and the other one is called Joy as the Inside Out movie character. I love Pixar movies.

I'm currently watching several series: Brooklyn 99, Dark from Netflix and I have recently finished Parks and Recreation which is not so known in Spain. I mostly listen to pop and techno music but I like to listen to different styles. I´m currently a little bit addicted to Imagine Dragons.

What's your favorite Funko memory?
I would say that my favorite Funko memory is when I received any recognition for my work, like this interview. It's awesome that someone finds your feed and comments. I'm planning to visit the Funko shop so this could change in the near future.

What motivated you to start photographing your collection and sharing the photos on Instagram?
I used to take pictures of many things, mostly landscape. One day I took my WALL-E Pop! with me on a photography trip and took a lot of pictures with it. I was really surprised by the result and, since that moment, I like to think about what would be the best spot for each Pop! Now I go on Funko photography trips and I take a bag of Pops! so imagine how many pictures I take. My motivation is to find the best location for each Pop!, to find places that are similar to the movie scenes where the figure comes from and try to bring them to life.

What advice do you have for other Funatics taking photos of their collection?
I would suggest everyone to follow their passion. There are so many talented photographers in this world but you should not try to imitate someone else. Try to learn from other people´s work, understand how they do things and create your own style.

Of course, it´s nice when others like your work but likes are not the only thing in the world, the main idea should be to love what you do, to enjoy the time you spend doing it and work just to be proud of the things you do. Once you start investing time in something, you learn and see results fast so just keep having fun with your hobby and enjoy.

Is there anyone you share your fandom with?
My girlfriend also collects Pops! but only from Disney and Harry Potter. She joins me on my photo sessions a lot and waits patiently until I finish. She is the first reviewer of my work, she comments on every picture, suggests different compositions, etc. She is the one who normally chooses which picture I upload to social networks. She supports and shares my hobby.

I also have friends that I met on Instagram that I go on trips to take pictures with and try new things with our photos. We learn from one another and share our work creating new material. And finally I would say that everyone that visits my apartment enjoys spending time in the “Funko room” as it´s almost identical to a toy shop.

What Funko lines and fandoms do you collect?
I have several fandoms with a large collection: Star Wars, Disney, Harry Potter, Overwatch, but I also get Pops! just because I like the figure, the pose or just because it gives me a lot of possibilities when taking pictures so I have a big random collection.

What was your first Funko piece in your collection?
The first Pop! I bought was the Stormtrooper from Star Wars as I mentioned before but it´s not mine as it was a present for my father. The first Pop! in my collection was Cookie Monster and the last one was Iceman from the new Marvel 80 years collection that I bought as an early present for my birthday on November 24. Probably there will be more early presents.

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