Funko Inc. is an American company that manufactures
licensed and limited
pop culture collectibles, best known for its licensed
vinyl
Vinyl may refer to:
Chemistry
* Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer
* Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation
* Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry
* Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl ...
figurine
A figurine (a diminutive form of the word ''figure'') or statuette is a small, three-dimensional sculpture that represents a human, deity or animal, or, in practice, a pair or small group of them. Figurines have been made in many media, with clay ...
s and
bobblehead
A bobblehead, also known by common silly nicknames such as nodder, wobbler, or wacky wobbler, is a type of small collectible action figure. Its head is often oversized compared to its body. Instead of a solid connection, its head is connected t ...
s. In addition, the company produces licensed
plush
Plush (from French ) is a textile having a cut nap or pile the same as fustian or velvet. Its softness of feel gave rise to the adjective "plush" to describe something soft or luxurious, which was extended to describe luxury accommodation, or s ...
,
action figure
An action figure is a poseable character model figure made most commonly of plastic, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, military, video game or television program; fictional or historical. These figures are usually mark ...
s, apparel, accessories and games.
Founded in 1998 by Mike Becker and Claudia Becker, Funko was originally conceived as a small project to create various low-tech, nostalgia-themed toys. The company's first manufactured bobblehead was of the well-known restaurant advertising icon, the
Big Boy mascot.
Sold in 2005, Funko,
LLC, is now headed by CEO Andrew Perlmutter.
Since then, the company has increased the scope of its toy lines and signed licensing deals with major companies such as
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
,
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its networks division's Kids and Family Group. It ...
,
NBCUniversal
NBCUniversal Media, LLC is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate corporation owned by Comcast and headquartered at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, United States.
NBCUniversal is primaril ...
,
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
,
Marvel Entertainment and
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
.
History
![Funko Headquarters, Downtown Everett, WA](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Funko_Headquarters%2C_Downtown_Everett%2C_WA.jpg)
Funko was founded in 1998 by toy collector Mike Becker at his home in
Snohomish, Washington
Snohomish is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. The population was 9,098 at the 2010 census. It is located on the Snohomish River, southeast of Everett and northwest of Monroe. Snohomish lies at the intersection of U.S. Rou ...
.
He started the business after failing to find an affordable
coin bank
Piggy bank (sometimes penny bank or money box) is the traditional name of a coin container normally used by children. The piggy bank is known to collectors as a "still bank" as opposed to the " mechanical banks" popular in the early 20th centu ...
of the
Big Boy Restaurants
Big Boy Restaurant Group, LLC is an American restaurant chain store, chain headquartered in Warren, Michigan, Warren, Michigan. Frisch's Big Boy Restaurants is a restaurant chain with its headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Big Boy name, desi ...
mascot, instead licensing the rights to make his own coin banks from a Big Boy franchise in Michigan. The coin banks failed to sell and the franchise filed for bankruptcy protection, but Funko remained in business after licensing the rights to
bobblehead
A bobblehead, also known by common silly nicknames such as nodder, wobbler, or wacky wobbler, is a type of small collectible action figure. Its head is often oversized compared to its body. Instead of a solid connection, its head is connected t ...
s for ''
Austin Powers
''Austin Powers'' is a series of American spy action comedy films: '' Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery'' (1997), '' Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me'' (1999) and '' Austin Powers in Goldmember'' (2002). The films were produced ...
'', which sold 80,000 units. After this, some of the first characters that Funko sold were
the Grinch
The Grinch is a fictional character created by Dr. Seuss. He is best known as the main character of the 1957 children's book ''How the Grinch Stole Christmas!'' He has been portrayed and voiced by many different actors, including Boris Karloff, ...
,
Tony the Tiger
Tony the Tiger is the advertising cartoon mascot for Kellogg's Frosted Flakes (also known as Frosties) breakfast cereal, appearing on its packaging and advertising. Tony has also been the mascot for related cereals such as Tony's Cinnamon K ...
, and
Cheerios
Cheerios is a brand of cereal manufactured by General Mills in the United States, consisting of pulverized oats in the shape of a solid torus. In some countries, including the United Kingdom, Cheerios is marketed by Cereal Partners under the ...
mascot, the honeybee.
In 2005, Becker sold Funko to its current Chief Creative Officer, Brian Mariotti, who moved its offices to
Lynnwood, Washington
Lynnwood is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. The city is part of the Seattle metropolitan area and is located north of Seattle and south of Everett, near the junction of Interstate 5 and Interstate 405. It is the f ...
, and significantly expanded the company's licensed product lines. In 2011, Funko began selling their Pop! Vinyl line of figurines.
By 2012, the company had sold more than $20 million worth of merchandise.
The company was sold to Fundamental Capital, a
private equity
In the field of finance, the term private equity (PE) refers to investment funds, usually limited partnerships (LP), which buy and restructure financially weak companies that produce goods and provide services. A private-equity fund is both a t ...
firm, in 2013 to raise funds. ACON Investments, LLC announced in late 2015 that it had acquired Funko from Fundamental Capital, LLC, but would keep current staff and the head of company.
By 2016, it had outgrown its original headquarters in Everett and announced plans to move into a downtown building with more space and a retail store.
Funko acquired British toymaker Underground Toys, also its European distributor, in early 2017.
Funko opened its new headquarters and flagship store in downtown Everett on August 19, 2017. Funko was listed on the
NASDAQ stock exchange on November 2, 2017, but suffered the worst
initial public offering
An initial public offering (IPO) or stock launch is a public offering in which shares of a company are sold to institutional investors and usually also to retail (individual) investors. An IPO is typically underwritten by one or more investme ...
of the 21st century, with shares falling by 40 percent and only raising $125 million.
![Funko Hollywood](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/Funko_Hollywood.jpg)
In May 2019, Funko acquired the fashion accessories line, Loungefly.
The company opened its second storefront in November 2019, located in
Hollywood,
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
. It has of space and includes life-size statues and movie "sets".
In June 2022, Funko acquired
Mondo, a high-end pop culture company.
Production
Products are designed at the Funko headquarters in Everett, Washington, and in other locations throughout the U.S. New figures are designed with input from licensors, in-studio artists, and fans through social media. Funko artists use
ZBrush to create digital models that are revised before being made into prototype sculptures, which are sent for approval from manufacturers and licensors. The completed figures are manufactured at factories in China and Vietnam.
Product lines
Funko has produced thousands of products across dozens of different toy lines since its inception. The first, Wacky Wobblers, was a line of bobbleheads depicting various characters, mainly from popular culture, such as
Betty Boop,
Cap'n Crunch
Cap'n Crunch is a corn and oat breakfast cereal manufactured by Quaker Oats Company, a subsidiary of PepsiCo since 2001. After introducing the original cereal in 1963, marketed simply as ''Cap'n Crunch'', Quaker Oats has since introduced numer ...
, and
The Cat in the Hat
''The Cat in the Hat'' is a 1957 children's book written and illustrated by the American author Theodor Geisel, using the pen name Dr. Seuss. The story centers on a tall anthropomorphic cat who wears a red and white-striped top hat and a red b ...
. The company's mascot, a recurring character in the Funko franchise, is Freddy Funko,
who was introduced in the year of 2002.
Funko's Pop! Vinyl line are figures modelled in a style similar to the Japanese
chibi style. The figures have large squarish heads, disproportionately small bodies, and large, circular black eyes. The figures typically depict licensed characters from franchises such as ''
Doctor Who'',
Marvel
Marvel may refer to:
Business
* Marvel Entertainment, an American entertainment company
** Marvel Comics, the primary imprint of Marvel Entertainment
** Marvel Universe, a fictional shared universe
** Marvel Music, an imprint of Marvel Comics
* ...
,
DC,
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
, ''
Star Wars'',
Wizarding World
The Wizarding World (previously known as J. K. Rowling's Wizarding World) is a fantasy media franchise and shared fictional universe centred on the ''Harry Potter'' novel series by J. K. Rowling. A series of films have been in production si ...
, ''
Dragon Ball'', ''
My Hero Academia
is a Japanese superhero manga series written and illustrated by Kōhei Horikoshi. It has been serialized in Shueisha's ''shōnen'' manga magazine '' Weekly Shōnen Jump'' since July 2014, with its chapters additionally collected i ...
'' and other pop culture entities. After a preview line of DC Comics characters were released at San Diego Comic-Con 2010, the origina
Funko Pop line of products was fully revealed in 2011 at the New York Toy Fair.
The exaggerated body proportions of Pop! figures have invited comparisons with
Good Smile
is a Japanese manufacturer of hobby products such as the Nendoroid and figma product lines, as well as scale figures. In addition to production and manufacturing, its business includes design, marketing and distribution. Its products are usual ...
’s
Nendoroid
The series is a brand of plastic figures created by the Japanese Good Smile Company in 2006. They typically depict characters from anime, manga or video games and are designed with a large head and smaller body to give them a cute appearance. T ...
figures, which are similarly described as "chibi". Both product lines depict characters from many different franchises.
Most Funko Pop! figures are not bobbleheads, as their heads do not move. However, all ''Star Wars'' figures in the line are bobbleheads, most Marvel figures, and all ''Genshin Impact'' figures, although the ''Genshin Impact'' packaging does not describe them as bobble-heads, but rather as figures, unlike ''Star Wars'' and Marvel. This is to avoid licensing conflicts with
Hasbro
Hasbro, Inc. (; a syllabic abbreviation of its original name, Hassenfeld Brothers) is an American multinational conglomerate holding company incorporated and headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Hasbro owns the trademarks and products of K ...
and
Good Smile Company
is a Japanese manufacturer of hobby products such as the Nendoroid and figma product lines, as well as scale figures. In addition to production and manufacturing, its business includes design, marketing and distribution. Its products are usual ...
respectively, the companies of which holds the license to make ordinary (non-bobblehead) figures of characters from these franchises.
Various other products have been released using the Pop! brand and its character stylization, such as plush toys, T-shirts, keychains (miniaturized versions of the normal figures),
and ceramic mugs, the latter of which are enlarged, hollow copies of a figure's head, with a handle attached.
Within the Funko Pop! product line, there is a series known as Pop! Rides, featuring the Funko Pop figure in a vehicle.
The Funko Pop! line also has figures that are larger than the standard figure, in 6-inch, 10-inch, 18-inch,
and the now-retired 9-inch size.
In addition, Funko produces Pop! Deluxes, where a character is seated on external set pieces, such as a throne, a vehicle, or creature. Funko has also begun creating Movie and Comic Moments, which feature posed Pop! figures interacting with each other and on display bases in ways that replicate moments from different movies and comic books. Funko has also created a line featuring artists with their album covers, this line can be found as Pop! Albums.
At Toy Fair 2019, Funko announced a new line of Pop! Vinyl figures; Pop! Town, initially including
Ghostbusters
''Ghostbusters'' is a 1984 American supernatural comedy film directed and produced by Ivan Reitman, and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. It stars Bill Murray, Aykroyd, and Ramis as Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, and Egon Spengler, thr ...
,
Scooby-Doo
''Scooby-Doo'' is an American animated media franchise based on an animated television series launched in 1969 and continued through several derivative media. Writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears created the original series, ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are ...
,
SpongeBob SquarePants
''SpongeBob SquarePants'' (or simply ''SpongeBob'') is an American animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It chronicles the adventures of the title character ...
, and
The Nightmare Before Christmas
''The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (also known as ''Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas'') is a 1993 American stop-motion
Stop motion is an animated filmmaking technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increme ...
. This line includes a Pop! Vinyl figure alongside a stylized version of a landmark building from the source material.
Other Funko products currently on the market include a variety of collectible toy lines such as Vinyl Soda, Vinyl Gold, Mystery Minis, Popsies, Ad Icons and stuffed Plushies made to resemble their stylized array of toys. Funko also owns Loungefly, a line of collectible mini-bags and purses that feature popular characters and designs from franchises as diverse as
Harry Potter,
Hello Kitty
, also known by her full name , is a fictional Character (arts), character created by Yuko Shimizu, currently designed by Yuko Yamaguchi, and owned by the Japanese company Sanrio. Sanrio depicts Hello Kitty as an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphi ...
and even
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
princesses, the latter of which are sold at official
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
stores and parks.
Funko product lines of the past that have since been discontinued or are no longer in production include Dorbz, VYNL, Rock Candy, Hikari, Spastik Plastik, Blox, FunkoVision, Funko Force, ReAction Figures Wacky Wisecracks and Wacky Wobblers.
Chase variants
A chase variant is any Funko product within a series that is a rare variation on the original mold, originally at a ratio of 1/36 that has since increased to 1/6. This variance can be as simple as a color change, or as complex as a totally new mold. Common variances include different molds or character poses, a
flocked
Flocking is the process of depositing many small fiber particles (called flock) onto a surface. It can also refer to the texture produced by the process, or to any material used primarily for its flocked surface. Flocking of an article can be per ...
(fuzzy) finish, metallic paint, glitter, and
translucence
In the field of optics, transparency (also called pellucidity or diaphaneity) is the physical property of allowing light to pass through the material without appreciable scattering of light. On a macroscopic scale (one in which the dimensions a ...
. They are randomly inserted into shipments, and are highly sought after by collectors, often reselling for much higher prices.
Mystery Minis
The Mystery Mini series consists of a group of blind boxes that have a random character within, from a variety of series.
Examples of Mystery Mini series themes include ''
Five Nights at Freddy's
''Five Nights at Freddy's'' (''FNaF'') is a media franchise created by Scott Cawthon. The first video game of the same name was released on August 8, 2014, and the resultant series has since gained worldwide popularity.
The main series cons ...
'',
Blizzard Entertainment
Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. is an American video game developer and publisher based in Irvine, California. A subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, the company was founded on February 8, 1991, under the name Silicon & Synapse, Inc. by three gradu ...
's ''Cute but Deadly'', Disney Heroes and Villains,
Horror Classics, ''
Asphalt 9: Legends'', ''
Steven Universe
''Steven Universe'' is an American animated television series created by Rebecca Sugar for Cartoon Network. It tells the coming-of-age story of a young boy, Steven Universe ( Zach Callison), who lives with the Crystal Gems—magical, mineral ...
'', ''
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' is an American media franchise created by the comic book artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. It follows Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael, four anthropomorphic turtle brothers (named after It ...
'', ''
Avengers: Infinity War'', and
Anime
is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...
Heroes And Vehicles.
The figures are styled differently than the other Funko products.
Unlike the other Funko products, there are not usually convention exclusives (the last ones were from 2014), but some stores, such as
Hot Topic
Hot Topic, Inc. (stylized as HOT TOPIC) is an American retail chain specializing in counterculture-related clothing and accessories, as well as licensed music. The stores are aimed towards an audience interested in rock music and video gaming ...
and
FYE, have been known to carry exclusives.
Convention exclusives
![Funkobooth](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/Funkobooth.JPG)
Funko has been offering convention exclusive versions of their products at various conventions such as San Diego Comic-Con, Emerald City Comic Con, New York Comic Con, Fan Expo, Star Wars Celebration, and E3.
This started in 2006 at the San Diego Comic-Con.
Funko Games
In February 2019, Funko acquired award winning board game development studio Forrest-Pruzan Creative, including the design studio imprint Prospero Hall, forming Funko Games. Funko Games has begun publishing strategy games across different licenses, including their flagship game ''
Funkoverse''.
Business model
Funko has over 1,100 licenses with different companies.
Another aspect of their business model is tracking the popularity of a certain item and knowing when to move on to a different character. Funko creates items that appeal to children and adults. This can be noted by their range of figures from
Golden Girls
''The Golden Girls'' is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris that aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning seven seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Bea Arthur, Betty Whit ...
to superheroes. Funko comes up with an initial design in 24 hours and can have a product from concept to shelf in 70 days.
CCO Mariotti believes that the company's eagerness to gain so many licenses and have a range in products from music icons, video game characters, to action heroes is what has made them succeed.
Collector box subscriptions
In 2015, Funko and
Marvel
Marvel may refer to:
Business
* Marvel Entertainment, an American entertainment company
** Marvel Comics, the primary imprint of Marvel Entertainment
** Marvel Universe, a fictional shared universe
** Marvel Music, an imprint of Marvel Comics
* ...
partnered to launch Marvel Collector Corps, a subscription box service featuring exclusive collectibles, apparel, and accessories. Boxes shipped every two months. It subsequently launched a subscription box service for Star Wars items called Smuggler's Bounty, a DC subscription box called Legion of Collectors, and a Disney subscription box called Disney Treasures. Also, the subscription box known as
Loot Crate
Loot Crate was a subscription box service established in 2012 which provided monthly boxes of geek- and gaming-related merchandise.
History
Loot Crate was founded in 2012 by Wes Hartman (Founder and honorary president for life with 57% of the c ...
occasionally contains an exclusive Funko Pop! vinyl figure which aligns with each monthly box theme. Loot Crate has offered an exclusive Funko Pop! figure with its other products as well.
, Funko no longer offers these boxes through a subscription. The Collector Corps, which focuses on Marvel collectibles, is now available through
Amazon
Amazon most often refers to:
* Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology
* Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin
* Amazon River, in South America
* Amazon (company), an American multinational technolog ...
. The Disney Treasures box, which focused on
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
collectibles, was available at Hot Topic, but ended in October 2019. Star Wars Smuggler's Bounty boxes were available through Amazon, but ended in December 2019.
Film
A live action/animated hybrid film based on the Funko toys is in development at
Warner Animation Group
The Warner Animation Group (WAG) is an American animation studio serving as the computer-animated feature film label of Warner Bros.' theatrical film production and distribution division, Warner Bros. Pictures. Established on January 7, 2013, ...
. The film was announced in active development on September 16, 2019, with directors
Mark Dindal
Mark Louis Dindal (born May 1960) is an American film director, effects animator, screenwriter, character designer, storyboard artist and voice actor, who is famous for having directed popular films like ''Cats Don't Dance'' (1997), ''The Emper ...
and
Teddy Newton attached to the project. In February 2021, Newton was confirmed to write the screenplay, in addition to his directing duties.
See also
References
External links
*
*
{{Everett, Washington
Toy companies of the United States
American companies established in 1998
Toy companies established in 1998
Manufacturing companies based in Washington (state)
1998 establishments in Washington (state)
Companies based in Everett, Washington
2017 initial public offerings
Companies listed on the Nasdaq