Each week of October we're featuring a Funatic from the Funko Family community. Please give a warm welcome to:
Dennis Lee
When and how did you first learn about Funko (include your first Funko piece in your collection)?
"I first learned about Funko when I discovered a Boba Fett Funko Pop! figure at a local Barnes & Noble. I liked that it was a bobblehead and I thought it would look great on my car dashboard. Being a big Star Wars fan, it was a must have. Then I noticed on the back of the box that there were other figures to collect. And that is how my collecting journey and my love for Funko began."
What Funko lines and fandom(s) do you collect?
"I collect Funko Pop! figures from the Star Wars, Naruto, Attack on Titans, and Funko Freddy lines. But I do also collect Funko SODA, Pint Size Heroes, Mystery Minis, and Digital Pop! from various lines. I currently have all the Star Wars Mystery Minis. I cannot wait to see more Star Wars Mystery Minis. My main fandom is Star Wars. But I also like Marvel, K-Dramas, and Anime (Naruto & Attack on Titans)."
What do you love about Funko? Do you have a favorite Funko memory?
"What I love about Funko is that their Funko Pop! figures bring back old childhood memories and as well as new memories with fellow Funko collectors. Funko have so many fandoms for everyone, and most of the lines are very nostalgic. I have made many new friends through collecting Funko, and I really enjoy the fun that Funko brings to their fans and the Funko community.
I have so many Funko memories from attending Funko events like “Making Fun” premiere in Hollywood, Grand Opening of Funko Hollywood, FunKon, Fundays, and Funko Pez event in Irvine. My favorite Funko memory was going up on stage at FunKon Hollywood and participating in a game and winning a proto. The proto that I won was a Star Wars character (Hammerhead), which was totally awesome. But my other favorite Funko memory is being able to attend and enjoy 2022 SDCC and Fundays with friends that I knew since 2017. I also got to compete in Game 1 (Ball Bonanza) for Team Proto Robos, which was fun and exciting."
Nicole Bedoya
When and how did you first learn about Funko?
"I first learned of Funko thanks to my brother, Stephen. He had several horror Pops! and I got my first Funko Sulley from Monsters Inc. followed by Snow White and Alice. "
What Funko lines and fandom(s) do you collect?
"The Funko lines and fandoms I collect consist of Disney, Horror, TV, Naruto, Ad Icons, and Movies."
What do you love about Funko? Do you have a favorite Funko memory?
"What I love about Funko are the variety of characters they create Pops! of and amazing details. They are adorable and give me a sense of nostalgia when I recall the moments of my life when I met those characters. My favorite memories of Funko are when I score my top in search of's with the help of family and friends. I love getting friends and family hooked on collecting their interests in Funko products. The people in the Funko community that I have met and friendships I have created have been epic and it has been great to share this passion with others who love Funko as well."
Jonathan Flink
When and how did you first learn about Funko?
"I first learned about Funko from my girlfriend of now eight years, Kathryn. She gifted me my very first Funko piece at Atlantic City Boardwalk Con back in 2015 – Jake the Dog from Adventure Time. Core memory unlocked! I think Jake's squiggly arms got me good because now I'm at about three hundred Funko collectibles!"
What Funko lines and fandom(s) do you collect?
"I collect a little bit of everything; Funko Pops!, a handful of Mystery Minis, a few Dorbz, some Wacky Wobblers, but my absolute favorite is the Funko SODA line. The design of the figures, the can, the collectible disc that gives me that 90s nostalgia trip – there's something that just works so well with the line. Star Wars, Destiny (the videogame), Pirates of the Caribbean, and Haunted Mansion are my favorite lines, but my number one would be Freddy Funko! I mean c'mon, look at the guy! How could you not love him – he comes in all sorts of styles and just screams FUN!"
What do you love about Funko? Do you have a favorite Funko memory?
"I used to say that my favorite thing about Funko was just the Pop! figures, but then that evolved into the surprise Funko.com drops. After a few years though, I have to say that what I really love about Funko are the people. Not only have my girlfriend and I been able to bond over basically everything Funko, but I've also met some great people as well. A few years back my buddy Eddy (he and I share a bit of a collecting rivalry), Kathryn, and I took a road trip to Popapalooza in Pittsburg and were able to meet Mike and Josh from the Talk'n Pops podcast – we were listening to them for some time and meeting up in person was a blast! More recently, I was lucky enough to attend Funko Fundays Blacklight Battle in San Diego – I got to play in the Round 2 Can of Cornhole challenge of the Blacklight Battle on stage! My round partner @lonikinsfunko and I unfortunately weren't able to win our team the round (sorry Bandits!), but what I did enjoy most was being able to get up there on stage with a fellow Funatic and turn to face my team to hype them up – it was honestly one of the best times I've ever had. It's indescribable everything I felt in that moment, but it was a heck of a lot of fun. A bit on the nose, I know, but that's what it's all about! Another core memory, unlocked! Nice!"
Anything else you'd like to share with us?
"Soon after Fundays I wanted to go a bit beyond the Funatic Forum and Discord and show more of the stuff I like to collect, so I created an Instagram page just for it! The #FunkoPhotoOfTheDayChallenge has been a great way to view other's people's passions and connect with folks. I've known some people through the forum, in-person local meets, and Facebook groups; but expanding those connections and sharing my stories and pictures through IG and Twitter has really put some nitrous into the hobby! Discord has also been a great way to talk with fellow Funatics – many of which I look forward to seeing at NYCC, Fright Night, and future events! Funko introduced to me a great hobby that goes beyond the vinyl, pins, and soda cans (which are all really great things) – for me, the greatest part of it all is the fans. Thank you Funko!
@FlinksPoppinPics (Instagram)
FlinksPoppinPic (Twitter)
CryptoJenkins7 (Funatic Boards)
Jenkins#7777 (Discord)"
Kelsey Murphy
When and how did you first learn about Funko?
"My boyfriend, now husband, bought me my first figure in 2015. We had been playing Borderlands 2 and he came through the door one day with a Claptrap figure. I didn't know anything about Funko at the time, thought it was very cute, took it out of the box, and put him right on top of my PlayStation console. After that, we slowly started to add more and more figures from our various fandoms. I started with The Walking Dead and he started with Star Wars."
What Funko lines and fandom(s) do you collect?
"My main collection is MCU Marvel, specifically Black Panther and Iron Man. I also collect Rick and Morty and Scooby Doo. I collect Pops!, Mystery Minis, SODA figures, and Nfts. I have also been collecting protos over the many years, and most of my Funatic friendships have been built through the proto collecting community and the Funatic forum."
What do you love about Funko? Do you have a favorite Funko memory?
"I love Funko's global reach. There are fans all over the world, who can connect through their love of pop culture, and how there is a fandom for everyone. When I went to my first SDCC Funko Fundays this past summer, I was able to meet many of the people I had been talking to online for the past 7 years in person.
My favorite Funko memory has been from the past four months. I was able to go to Funko Hollywood for the first time before heading down to Fundays and SDCC. I
spent hours wandering around the store, taking photos, and making my own Pop!. As if that wasn't enough, my first Fundays was amazing, and then attending Fright Night at NYCC. Now being chosen as Funatic of the Week is the perfect cherry on top to a fantastic Funko-filled year."
Anything else you'd like to share?
"Toy photography is one of my favorite hobbies. @Funko_Phan26 is my Instagram that I started in order to participate in the first Funko Photo A Day Challenge . I remember being so excited when I got featured in the first contest and on the first days theme- First Funko item selfie/ December 1st, 2016. I have participated in every Funko Photo A Day Challenge since, and have even won a few times!
I'm a music teacher and I have a small collection in my classroom including super heroes, Harry Potter, Hamilton, Pokémon and of course music Pops! like Miles Davis, Hendrix, and Prince. I even got the art teacher into collecting when I bought her the Keith Haring and DaVinci Pops!. Having Pops! in my room always serves as a great conversation point with my students, and help with getting to know them better. I always have some extra Mystery Minis and Pint Size Heroes in my prize box to give out and spread the Funatic spirit!"
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.