I am going to be upfront about this. I am
not a big fan. But I wish I was because these figures are everywhere and seem
to immortalize everything that is popular. There are so many groups and series
of Funko Pops. The most popular series by far, at least among the YouTube
channels I subscribe to, seem to be My Little Pony. I have seen many video
reviews of these. The My Little Pony figures seem to come in many variants.
Here are a few pictures:
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| Picture courtesy of www.thinkgeek.com |
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| Picture courtesy of www.funkopoppriceguide.com |
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| Picture courtesy of www.toywiz.com |
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| Picture courtesy of www.toyreviewdaily.com |
Why am I not a fan of Funko Pop? It stems
from what I like about miniatures. The main things about miniatures that appeal
to me is this: viewing details on an unusually small scale. For me, the most
realistic the detail, the better. The Funko Pop vinyl figures are known for
their big square-shaped heads that outsize their bodies. This uniform shape of
head limits the amount of detail and realism that is captured in the character
of popular culture that is being portrayed.
My Little Pony is perhaps not the best
example to use because these are cartoon characters so realism is not really something
that comes into consideration for this series. Ghostbusters is another series
of Funko Pop collectibles. This is a well-known movie with characters portrayed
by actors that are human beings. Let’s take a look at these figures:
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| Ghostbusters car Picture courtesy of firewireblog.com |
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| Ghostbusters group Picture courtesy of www.gbfans.com |
Other than the ghost and monster aspects of
the movie and the way the ghostbusters are dressed, the figures are not that
realistic looking to me.
In addition to the uniformly square shaped
heads, there is a lack of articulation with the limbs and waistline of the
bodies. The heads can move from side-to-side and there are also figures who are
bobble-heads. But other than that, versatility for displaying and posing is
non-existent. I suspect that this may be why these figures are so popular. It
is due to their uniformity and oversized heads. Uniformity is one element that
may make something a collectible. The item will be compatible and fit in with
other items in a collection due to similarity in appearance such as size and
shape. I also think that the oversized head adds an amusing comical effect for
the collector. The appearance represents a memory of something the collector
enjoys but presents it in a new funny way.
Funko Pop figures are more recently
established collectibles, with the Funko company being founded as a Bobblehead
company in 1998 http://funko.com/pages/about-us
. So I was surprised to view a video in which Funko Pop figures from the 1980s
movie “Sixteen Candles” were displayed in a store. I supposed it shouldn’t be
that surprising to me since there is a series from the movie Ghostbuster
although I consider Ghostbuster more of an iconic movie than Sixteen Candles.
Those of you who are under a certain age have probably never heard of Sixteen
Candles but are familiar with the Ghostbusters franchise.
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| Cast from Sixteen Candles Picture courtesy of fuckyeahfunko.tumbler.com |
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| Jake Ryan from Sixteen Candles Picture courtesy of popvinyls.com |
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| Samantha Baker from Sixteen Candles Picture courtesy of popvinyls.com |
Many YouTube channels post video reviews of
these types of figures, with some actually being primarily devoted to Funko
Pops. The following are a few channels featuring Funko Pops:
Despite my lack
of enthusiasm, I still like to watch these video reviews and I do like to check
out the store in my neighborhood mall that has an entire wall display of Funko
Pop vinyl figures. I am hoping that perhaps just the right movie will be
featured with just the right amount of detail. Then I may become part of the
Funko Pop craze.
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