In 2018, director David Romero released a documentary that got Funko Pop! Collector’s excited. He outlined the history of the vinyl figures that are taking the world by storm by going over the history of how Funko came to be and how they grew in to the multi-million dollar company they are now. For any enthusiast of the Funko brand, Making Fun-The Story of Funko should be high on the list of things to watch.
Today’s generation only has had experience with the most recent releases of Funko Vinyls such as their popular Pop! releases, Funko Plush and clothing. When first created, Mike Becker was a man with a unique sense of style (and still is) that had a garage and an idea. He just liked unique and retro things. From there the rest became history.
As Mike began to meet like-minded people, thoughts began to flow and the idea came about that a unique toy could be made, a bobble head like in the old days? Big Boy being their first attempt at selling merchandise was almost a joke. Upon realizing that customers desperately wanted to have a product that represented their favorite food chain, Big Boy sold out immediately and suddenly Funko was born.
Without spoiling everything else that the documentary outlines, the approach to detailing every Funko Pop! is exciting and a neat process to look at. The company highly regards the feedback from the customers and fans, which drives their creative process. Over the years, Funko has gone from a new company to being sold in 2015 with a profit of $20 million dollars. Needless to say, people love the products that Funko makes and can’t get enough of them. Older collectors of the brand however have different insight to the original collections which the documentary goes over as well.
These days Funko doesn’t have the same original products that were made such as the Wacky Wobbler. Older collectors still prefer these items to the new Pop! Vinyl figures and this gives them an edge on looking at how the Funko company makes decisions and drives the market. The feedback from these collectors specifically shouldn’t be overlooked because everyone brings good feedback to the table when discussing the history of Funko.
When watching this documentary I was both excited and content with the information shared. There is a lot to learn about the failures and struggle from a young company (at the time). As a bonus too, even passive collectors and kids can enjoy this take on a company they like too. Anyone interested in the company or their products should look in to this Netflix documentary, you might just learn something new! Keep your eyes open, as you might spot some celebrity fans as well.
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You won’t find Ariel just sitting on any shelf. In order to get this exclusive Pop, you have to buy the Disney box which is made up to look like a treasure chest. She isn’t the only thing, as Funko has put a few other pieces into the collection. The Pop itself is beautiful with the waves sparkling like you are on the beach.
