Each week of April we're featuring a Funatic from the Funko Family community, tune in to see who's featured and learn more about fellow collectors. Please give a warm welcome to:

Jay Reinoso

When and how did you first learn about Funko?

"I got my first Funko Pop! during Christmas 2020. My girlfriend, Kara, got me the glow-in-the-dark Pepita from Disney's Coco. The colors and the overall design of the Pop! were absolutely incredible, so by January she and I looked into more Funko Pop! figures. We saw all of the Funko Fair reveals that were announced in 2021, including the new Pinocchio line, and I was instantly hooked!"

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

"When I first started collecting Funko, I told myself I would just stick to Pops! because there already were so many that I wanted to add to my collection. Of course, as most Funko collectors know, it's hard to just stick to one line! I eventually started collecting Funko shirts, Pop! Keychains, Pop! vinyl figures, Funko SODA, Paka Paka, and Loungefly. If you couldn't already tell, I have a bit of a collector's bug.

As of this blog, I have 455 Funko Pops!, 31 Funko shirts, 15 SODA figures, 14 keychains, 9 Loungefly bags, and 5 Paka Paka Dragons. To say I'm a Funko Funatic would be an understatement! My favorite fandoms include: Alice in Wonderland, Lilo & Stitch, Freddy Funko, Deadpool, Naruto, Robin Hood, and Hercules. Some Funko collectibles that are on the top of my wishlist include: Pop! Social Media Freddy (Version 1 and 2), Pop! Cheshire Cat in the Teacup, and the glow-in-the-dark Pop! Freddy as Hercules. Hopefully I'll be able to add these phenomenal Funko Pops! to my collection. (Fingers crossed!) As my collection has grown, I've noticed that I'm able to tie most of my Pops! to a childhood memory of watching these characters on TV or in movies. From what I've been able to gather from other collectors, we want to hold onto those memories of joy and happiness to remind ourselves that while we are no longer kids anymore, we can still have those feelings close to our hearts."

What do you love about Funko? Do you have a favorite Funko memory?

"Without a doubt in my mind, what I love the most about Funko is its community of collectors and Funatics! Like so many of us during the pandemic, I, too, was looking for a sense of community that I could engage with online seeing as in person events weren't possible. By August 2021, I had grown my collection to a sizable amount that I had them all displayed on shelves in my office. I would arrange them along with books and small knick-knacks. I started an Instagram account (@el_tio_funko) that same month where I could share photos I took of my collection for other Funko Funatics to see.

Throughout my experience on my Funko IG, I've been able to see how other collectors display their collection (in/out of the box, displayed with books, cards, figures, etc.) but more importantly, I've been able to get connected with other collectors like myself. I've met some spectacular people (shoutout @jenns_collecting, @funko.steph, @funkofunstuff) that I'm thankful I can call my Funko family and friends! My Funko IG has been my creative outlet, a source of joy and happiness and somewhere I can escape to whenever life becomes too overwhelming at times. While I wholeheartedly appreciate the Funko community online, I've also been able to participate in in-person Funko events.

When the Blue Spirit Aang was announced as the 2021 Earth Day exclusive at BoxLunch, I knew I HAD to add it to my collection. My local BoxLunch had posted on Instagram that they would have them in stock on the launch day so I knew I had to get there early for it. I thought I'll get there about half an hour early thinking this would be a reasonable time to show up. I quickly learned that I should have been there so much earlier. There must have been 20 people already in line outside of the store. As we waited to be let in, I started talking with some people around me. One of those people was Tony. He and I talked about how we got started collecting Funko, what fandoms we collect and about life in general. This was my first time showing for a Funko drop in-person. Tony had said that people had been in line as early as 2 hours before BoxLunch even opened! We continued getting to know each other as the line slowly moved closer to the register. We had gotten maybe a few feet into the store when someone had said they sold out of the Blue Spirit Aang! Tony and I were both crushed that we weren't able to get Aang that day but we had exchanged contact info to stay in touch for future drops. While it was disappointing to leave BoxLunch without the Aang Pop!, I knew I had made a new friend! Fast forward to now, Tony and I are good friends to this day! We exchanged gifts over the holidays, hang out frequently and still go on Funko hunts together!"

Kelly Reilly

When and how did you first learn about Funko?

"I first heard about Funko in 2013. At the time, I was mostly collecting video game merchandise, collectors editions and promotional merchandise so I wasn't super interested. In late 2013 I played Assassin's Creed Black Flag. While searching for cool merchandise to purchase, I came across the Pop! Edward Kenway. And the rest is history!"

What Funko lines and fandoms do you collect?

"I mostly collect Pops!, SODA figures, and Mystery Minis. The biggest fandoms I collect are DC, Marvel, The Office, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Star Wars, Schitts Creek, and Freddy Funko. But I'll collect any Pops! that I think will photograph well. Even if its a fandom I don't collect a lot of, if I think it looks cool, I'll take it."

What do you love about Funko? Do you have a favorite Funko memory?

"I love Funko for so many reasons. The biggest one being this wonderful community of Funatics! Everyone is so helpful, kind and creative. I always wanted to share my collection and Funko photography with other collectors and Funatics but I wasn't sure where to start. In 2017 I shared a photo of my Pint Size Hero Wonder Woman during PSH Happy Hour (remember those?!) on Twitter. My photo was retweeted by Funko and the amount of love I received from this one photo was so surprising. From there I created my Funko photography Instagram account. I love to see everyone's collections on display and their creative photography. Once I created this account, I felt like I really joined this community and saw that we're more than collectors, we're family. Not just the Funatics, but the Funko staff too! Having a company you love engage so much with their fans is rare to see and very much appreciated. I've also been fortunate enough to have been able to visit Funko HQ in Everett in 2019 and Funko Hollywood in Los Angeles in 2020. Those were both wonderful experiences and I hope I can visit again soon!"

Anything else you'd like to share?

"Any time I go really anywhere I always bring at least one Pop! with me. You never know when an opportunity for a great photo will come up! My Funko Instagram account is @popsandsuch. I love to photograph my collection and it brings me a lot of happiness. I really appreciate all the love and support my account has received these last few years. If you're interested, give me a follow!"

FunPopPhoto

When and how did you first learn about Funko (include your first Funko piece in your collection)?

"In 2014, during a local Toy Expo, I was walking around and saw a Funko Booth. It felt amazing because there were a lot of my favorite characters that were on display which were designed into bobbleheads with big eyes. I couldn't stop looking at it until my collection grew exponentially. My very first Funko Pop! was Disney's Woody and Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story."

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

"My main Funko lines are Disney and Marvel. I occasionally collect Freddy Funko. Since I love photography, I found many different and interesting Pops! that I could use for photography. Since then I decided to be creative and join #FunkoPhotoADayChallenge and other Photo contests organized by Funko."

What do you love about Funko? Do you have a favorite Funko memory?

"I love Funko because it brings back all of my childhood memories. I really love photography and I bring a Funko Pop! wherever I go to take a photo that would match my destination. I also love to go on vacation; I usually bring some Funko Pop! as well and create memories with my Pop! photography as well and share to the community. Ever since I discovered #FunkoPhotoADayChallenge, I decided to join every time there was a theme announced. It is very fun and I feel challenged to come up with new and unique ideas. I feel happy and encouraged to take better photographs every time I make someone laugh or smile when they see my photos. I do hope I can inspire them to start taking photographs as well to show the whole world! My goal is to inspire other people to make Funko a part of their daily lives and to take photos wherever they may be. I can't say thank you enough Funko, you make me feel happy with collecting your figures. Funko has made a great community and I have made new friends with fellow Funko collectors around the world. Making fun together with Funko because we are all one #FunkoFamily."

Jenna Hernandez

When and how did you first learn about Funko?

"The first time I came across Funko was in 2016. I was gifted a Tie Fighter Pilot from Star Wars and I instantly loved the figure and all its details. Soon after I grew curious and started to learn more about Funko and all the products they made. The moment I saw there were Horror Pops! I was hooked and have been an avid collector since."

What Funko product lines and fandoms do you collect?

"My collection mostly consists of Pops! and Pop! Tees, but recently I have grown interested in SODAs. While I love the Pop! line and all the fandoms that have been made, nothing compares to the excitement & anticipation of opening a SODA to see whether it's a common or a chase.

As it goes for fandoms, the main focus of my collection has been Horror and 80s Movies but aside from those I also enjoy collecting Disney/Pixar and The Simpsons."

What do you love about Funko? Do you have a favorite Funko memory?

"One of the things I love most about Funko is the community. Since I've started collecting, I've been showered with so much love and support from collectors all over the world. It's been amazing being able to connect with others who love pop-culture and collecting as much as I do.

When it comes to a favorite memory, I don't think there's one that stands out above the others. But every month I look forward to meeting with friends and other collectors at different events/meet ups. I'm lucky enough to live in a location where Funko collecting is very common, which allows me to continue to make new memories with my friends. I'd have to say getting together with friends and meeting new collectors has definitely been the highlight of collecting Funko for me."

Anything else you'd like to share?

"Funko products are actually not the first thing I started collecting. Before I started my Funko collection, I collected pins, DVDs, and VHS tapes. I'm a big movie fanatic and I truly believe my love for movies played a big role in the start of my Funko journey. I love being able to have vinyl figures of all my favorite characters from the movies I enjoy.

Something I really admire about Funko is how diverse it is. Funko's ability to create products that reach everyone's interests makes collecting fun and exciting because everyone can enjoy it. Being a collector in the Funko community has brought me so much joy and I'm happy to have the opportunity to share that with others. Honestly without Funko I wouldn't have been able to meet and connect with so many other collectors that I am now lucky enough to call my friends."

Thank you for sharing your Funko experience with the larger Funko Family.

If you are interested in possibly being a featured Funatic, you can tag @OriginalFunko on Instagram or Twitter along with a picture of you with your collection with #FOTW and #FunaticOfTheWeek.