Stephanie T
Sacramento, CA
@the_stephil

When did you first learn about Funko?
It's hard to pinpoint the first time I learned about Funko. I owned a few without even recognizing they were Pops!. I started planning my wedding in 2017. My husband and I wanted a video game themed wedding and Funko Pops! were perfect centerpieces. I started looking at the collectibles Funko had and I was blown away at the variety. Funko had enough video game Pops! (even then) for all of our table centerpieces. We had Claptrap, Kingdom Hearts Mickey, Q*Bert to name a few. They were a huge hit and a few of the pops wandered off with new owners.

Do you remember what your first Funko piece was?
Technically the first Funko piece I had was Batman as Joker Pop! from Loot Crate in 2016. However, the first Pop! I purchased was Claptrap from Borderlands and little did I know the Funatic this purchase would soon create. GameStop had the Blue Claptrap as an exclusive to their GameStop PowerUp Rewards members. We spent all of our saved up PowerUp points to buy two Blue Claptraps. One of myself and one for my uncle.

Why are you a Funatic?
Being able to collect a physical representation of my fandoms brought me to Funko. The community made me a Funatic. I joined the Funko Forums and started interacting with other fans a year ago today. I was instantly surrounded by positive and excited fans that welcomed me in with open arms. I've made so many new and close friends this year. I look forward to interacting with my Funko Family on a daily basis and count down the days to the next Funko event.

What do you love about Funko?
There are so many things I love about Funko but my top two reasons are:

1. Funko's fan interaction is unmatched. Funko truly cares about its fans and always tries to do right by them. A perfect example is the Virtual Con that took place in lieu of ECCC 2020. The last minute pivot, planning and hard work that went into that event was a labor of love.

2. Funko is not afraid to try new things. Funko is constantly trying new brands, lines and characters. From board games, purses, apparel... even soda! Funko is willing to try new products and see how the fans react.

What are your favorite fandom(s) and why?
My absolute favorite fandom is Harry Potter, specifically Sirius Black and Hedwig. Sirius Black is the best character in the Wizarding World and if you disagree... you are entitled to your own opinion. Harry Potter was the first book I read growing up and it created a love of reading that has lasted into my adult years.

My two other favorite fandoms are Borderlands and My Hero Academia. Both of these fandoms are shared with my husband. We love playing Borderlands together and watching My Hero Academia. Claptrap is definitely my favorite character and I am so pleased Funko has made so many versions of him.

Is there anyone you share your fandom with?
I share my fandoms and love of collecting with my husband, uncle and best friend Liz.

My husband, Drew and I have collected together since the beginning. We share a lot of our collection with each of us having our own niche collections. We have a lot of similar fandoms and love going to conventions together. He is the Rocket to my Groot.

My uncle, Brian, is also a Funko collector and shares a lot of my fandoms including Harry Potter, Marvel, Anime and Video Games. We attend Funko and pop culture events together and he brought me as his +1 to Fundays 2019.

I share my love of Harry Potter with my best friend Liz. We went to Universal Studios Hollywood together last summer to experience the Wizarding World for the first time and bought matching wands. She has a small collection of magical creatures thanks to my constant gift giving and she is slowly becoming a Funatic herself.

Why do you love pop culture?
Pop culture allows for an escape from every day stresses. No matter what is going on in the real world, put on a movie or dive into a book and everything melts away. Pop culture connects people from all walks of life and is a way to connect with strangers.

How do you display your collection?
Mostly out of box but I have a few treasured pieces that are kept in box. I love all of the little details that are often missed when keeping figures in the box.

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

Due to the current situation, I am consuming a lot more media than normal.

Shows: My Hero Academia, Walking Dead and West World while rewatching Stranger Things and The Office.
Podcasts: Funko Funkast, The Four Dorksmen, Geek Together, Secondary Heroes and The Movie Jungle.
Movies: Just watched Onward and it is amazing. I am rewatching the Harry Potter series as well.
Album: Aurora by Breaking Benjamin is pure joy and a great workout soundtrack.

What's your favorite Funko memory?
Without question the Grand Opening of Funko Hollywood is my favorite Funko memory. Everything about that day was a memorable event and reminded me of what drove me to be a Funatic in the first place. I got to see friends again, meet online friends for the first time and make brand new ones. My husband and I played "find the Funkast member" and we got to meet them all. We even met Kyle by shouting "Hey Kyle" near Funko staff until he looked over and we introduced ourselves. All this excitement happened before we even walked into the store for our 2pm slot. Walking into Funko Hollywood was like walking into Disneyland for the first time. There was no way to take that all in in just an hour. Can't wait to go back to make even more memories. I am typically a shy person in big crowds but by the end of the day I had a blast and almost forgot how to be shy.

What motivated you to start photographing your collection and sharing the photos?
At first I started taking picture of my collection for the Photo a Day challenges. My pictures weren't very good compared to the featured photos. This motivated me to get better and I vowed to take a photo every day even if I didn't post it anywhere. Before long I was starting to improve my skills and I started to have fun. Now photography is my stress relief and a way to appreciate my collection in a new light. It's my favorite pass time and I love going on photoshoots with my husband and my best friend, Liz.

What advice do you have for other Funatics taking photos of their collection?
Having fun is always priority #1. Don't compare yourself to other photographers, instead use them as inspiration. Keep trying new things including different angles and environments. You never know what will end up working until you try it.

What Funko lines and fandoms do you collect?
Fandoms include Harry Potter (and Fantastic Beasts), Borderlands, Freddy Funko, Anime (MHA, Fairy Tail, Pokemon, RWBY, Demon Slayer, etc. ) and Marvel (Avengers and Guardians of The Galaxy)

I collect primarily Pops! and Dorbz but I dabble in Mystery Minis, Paka Paka and Funko SODA.

I will collect my favorite characters in all Funko forms. For example, I have all of the Sirius Black items that Funko has created including the Loungefly wallet and pin. I even have a custom Freddy Funko as Sirius Black. I'm also collecting the Sirius Black prototypes and have most except the prisoner outfit versions (Mystery mini, Rock Candy and Pop).

"Thank you Funko! Thank you for all you do this community. It's crazy to think that a toy company started in a garage in Washington could have such an impact on my life. But it has! There are so many key moments in my life that include Funko and I can honestly say my life wouldn't be the same."

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