Funatics of the Week May 2023
After a brief hiatus, Funatics of the Week is back!
Ed
When and how did you first learn about Funko?
"The first time I ever saw a Funko product was at Free Comic book Day in 2012, I purchased a Rick Grimes Funko Pop! for my son who was a big fan of walking Dead. Prior to that I always collected action figures it wasn't until 2014 that I became a Funko collector myself. I had fallen quite ill that year and chose to focus on a healthier hobby and that became Funko."
What Funko lines and fandom(s) do you collect?
"My main fandoms are Star Trek, Doctor Who, The Office, Wrestling. The first piece in my Funko collection was the Hollywood Hogan Pop! that came with WWE 2K15. I was hooked after that."
Is there a particular Funko art or figure style that you enjoy?
"Aside from seeing customs from other fanatics I absolutely love the Funko SODA line. Prior to it's creation I really love to focusing on Chrome Pops!."
What’s your favorite Funko memory?
"Oh I definitely have a tie when it comes to favorite memories.
One of my all-time favorite Funko memories has to be meeting people online that I have grown to think of as more than just acquaintances they have become friends some of them I still haven't met in real life but through the years I have learned that I'm closer with them than I am with some family.
The other memory has to be my wife and I being featured on screen as a part of the 100th episode of the Funko Funkast podcast. We may not have been able to be there in person but seeing the pictures that my fellow Funko family would share with us made that a moment I will never forget."
Anything else you'd like to share?
"As alluded to earlier in 2014 I became ill, I have made poor choices in my life and my health suffered greatly for those choices and after falling into a coma for a bit that year I knew that changes needed to be made. I discovered Funko about the same time as something that I could direct my energy and my focus on and I knew that I could do it in a healthy manner.
Some people say that Funko family is an overused term and that it doesn't mean what it wants did but to me it hasn't changed, it's still something I cling to because I know that the people that I have met through this community are good people and they do look out for each other, and there are some of my best friends.
I'm very proud to be a part of a Funko family I'm very proud to be a part of this community. And being chosen as your funatic of the week is definitely one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me as a part of this community, thank you."
Week Two
Ashley
When and how did you first learn about Funko?
"I first learned about Funko through my wife back in 2012. I was given a Pop! Iron Man Deep Space Suit for my birthday. I honestly had never even heard of Funko. I thought it was cool and unique and stuck it on my desk. After a few months, I started to get curious to see if they had any other figures. I was shocked at all the characters they had and immediately started to buy here and there. Fast forward to the present, over 1,000 Pops! later, and here we are."
What Funko lines and fandom(s) do you collect?
"Majority of my collection is mixed and has a little bit of everything, from Funko, SODAs, Mystery Minis to NFT.
Freddy, Lord of the Rings, Marvel, TMNT, and Star Wars are some of the main lines.
My first Funko piece was Iron Man Deep Space Suit."
Is there a particular Funko art or figure style that you enjoy?
"Probably a tie between glow-in-the-dark and black light. I just love when they glow. The changes the figure has with the lights on vs off is unique."
What’s your favorite Funko memory?
"This is pretty recent, actually last year at NYCC Comic Con 2022. I was so blessed to get to go on such short notice. This was my very first time attending NYCC Comic Con let alone getting lucky to get into Fright Night. I was so happy to finally meet all the collectors (friends) and social media team in person! I will truly never forget that trip and the memories with my friends. I've learned over the years that collecting is fun but the friendships I’ve made through this hobby will last forever."
Week Three
Lee
When and how did you first learn about Funko?
“I discovered Funkos around 2017: I saw a Pop! of Bob Ross and thought it was darn cute! I was into Assassin’s Creed® Unity at the time and figured I’d check if there were Pops! of those, and sure enough, I discovered Funko made a ton of fan favorites in all genres!
Honestly, I was never interested in collecting Funko Pops! I only picked up a few that looked cool. In the past, I used to collect Legos® as a kid, but after seeing so many types and kinds of Legos when I got older, I gave up collecting. My collecting habit changed in 2021 when I started at my new job and met some awesome coworkers who loved Funko and had a passion for collecting. Being surrounded by creative and fun people sparked my interest in Funko again!”
What Funko lines and fandom(s) do you collect?
“Besides the Bob Ross and Arno from Assassin’s Creed Unity Pops!, my other earlier pieces include the classic Voltron Metallic, Carmen Sandiego, Sphinx, and Woodsy the Owl. I wanted to collect Pops! that reminded me of my childhood memories. The lines I collect (and yet to finish) include Disney, Marvel, DC, The Mandalorian™, Demon Slayer, Peanuts, ThunderCats, Cowboy Bebop, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Freddy Funko! Before getting into Funko SODAs, I told myself I’d never collect them since I’m already knee-deep into collecting Pops! Now with almost 500+ Funko products, SODAs and Pops! are my top favorites to collect.”
Is there a particular Funko art or figure style that you enjoy?
“At first, I loved to collect anything Glow in the Dark (GITD). I really wanted to have a shelf full of them! I also loved anything Flocked – depending on the art and design of the Funko (the Funko artists always knock the designs out of the park!). Nowadays, I’m more picky about the art and style of the Pop! and SODA. My top favorite designs are Flocked, GITD, and Metallic.”
What’s your favorite Funko memory? (Or perhaps your top 2 if there’s a tie.)
“One of my favorite Funko memories is working on Funko’s Photo Challenge back in August 2022. I met so many Funko Fanatics on Instagram and Twitter that we all became great friends! I compiled a Brady-Bunch-style photo for my photo challenge and included my friends, titling it 'My Funko Family.' It was really special having a family of friends who share the same heart and joy in collecting Funkos!
And of course, my other favorite Funko memory would be attending my first-ever New York Comic Con 2022! It was super fun meeting my online friends in person and making some new ones at the convention. I got to see the Funko booth, bump into Mike Becker, and enjoy the craziness of NYCC! I was even dressed up as my favorite Funko character, Freddy Funko!”
Anything else you’d like to share?
“I love sharing my collection and passion of Funko with others, especially with my family and friends. I’ve got my sisters into collecting Funko Pops! as well as other coworkers and friends. My kids love seeing all the figures I display, and every time they ask, “Who’s that?” and “Where is he/she from?” I enthusiastically tell them why I like these characters and share the characters’ stories.
Want to give a big THANKS to @OriginalFunko, #FunkoCommunity, and my #FunkoFamily for supporting my interest of all things #Funko! Whether you want a cool #FunkoWatermark, a silly #FunkoCartoon, advice on collecting, or needing a #FunkoFriend, I’ll be there supporting you back! As a #FunkoMandalorian #FunkoFanatic would say, ‘This is the way.’”
Kelly P
When and how did you first learn about Funko?
"I first learned about Funko in 2018 after visiting my local GameStop. In the front of the store there was a large display of Funko Pops! I had no idea what they were at the time, but I knew I needed to bring the Papa Smurf Pop! home with me - it was too adorable to pass up! Within the next few days, I had started a Funko collection.
I have always been a collector at heart. Prior to collecting Funko products, I collected coins, baseball cards, comic books, and Pokemon cards (none of which are as fun to collect as Funko Pops!)."
What Funko lines and fandom(s) do you collect?
"I collect a little bit of everything! The majority of my collection includes Pops!, Paka Paka, Marvel Battleworld, and Vinyl Sodas. I also collect Mystery Minis, Dorbz, Mini Moments, and Bitty Pops.
My favorite Funko line is the Marvel Battleworld series. The figures are so small, yet so detailed. I absolutely love that not all the characters in the series are well-know Marvel characters. I really enjoy learning about the lesser known characters, such as Captain Americat from series 1 (my favorite!). Before series 1 came out, I had no idea that Captain Americat existed in the Marvel Comics. So far, I have 1,215 Marvel Battleworld figures! My goal is to have the largest Marvel Battleworld army.
My favorite fandoms to collect are Marvel, Freddy Funko, DC, Ad Icons, Disney, Care Bears, and Retro Toys. With that said, I also collect whatever catches my eye or reminds me of my childhood!
As stated above, my first Funko piece in my collection was Papa Smurf."
Is there a particular Funko art or figure style that you enjoy?
"My favorite Funko style is the flocked Pops! The Black Light Pops and Soda figures are my second favorite! I also love the new Earth’s Mightiest Heroes 60th Anniversary comic book styled Marvel Pops.
I really enjoy any type of Funko product that has a chase variant. The anticipation to see whether or not you get the chase makes collecting so much more FUN!"
What’s your favorite Funko memory?
"My favorite Funko memory was finding an Unmasked Ghost Spider to complete my Marvel Battleworld set! I spent over a year trying to track down one of these. I couldn’t have the largest Marvel Battleworld collection and be missing one of the figures!
Another one of my favorite Funko memories was bringing my Captain America Funko Pop with me on my road trip to Colorado. I documented every step of my trip with a picture of my Captain America Pop. The picture I took of Captain America at Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs is my favorite Funko picture I’ve ever taken!"
Anything additional you’d like to share?
"Collecting Funko Pops! quickly became a family activity in my house. Within a month or two of my first Pop! purchase, the rest of my family all found different lines and fandoms they started to collect. That is what is so great about Funko - there’s something for everyone to collect!
Back in 2018, I had two foster brothers move in with my family and I. At first, it was very difficult to connect with them. We didn’t like any of the same things. However, after discovering Funko Pops, we finally had something to bond over. My foster brothers and I would spend our weekends going Funko Pop! hunting trying to find all the newly released products. Funko really brought us together!
Funko has helped me find my passion for photography through the Funko Photo a Day Challenges. Prior to joining in the challenge, I was not much of a picture taker. Thank you Funko for helping me find my passion and a hidden talent I didn’t know I had! And thank you for choosing me to be the Funko Funatic of the Week!"
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.
