“There is no running in the exhibit hall,” boomed the voice over the PA.
That, naturally, seemed to only serve as permission to the runners to turn their trot into a sprint, as they hurried across the San Diego Convention Center floor and made their way to what is quite likely the hottest destination at Comic-Con, the Funko installation.
Funko occupies a massive physical footprint in a far corner of the convention center at SDCC, the annual pop culture festival that attracts over 130,000 fans and geeks from around the world. And while there are still comic artists and writers at small tables signing and sketching, and dealers selling original art out of binders in crates, a good chunk of the space is occupied by media and toy companies, trying to outdo one another. Yes, Marvel and DC are here but so are Lego, Hasbro, Nickelodeon, Mattel, and others.
Maze-like displays attract the fans, who methodically scan upcoming product lines and who also eagerly open up wallets to get their hands on not just early collectibles, but also items that won’t be on sale anywhere else.
The company has mastered the art of hyping up demand for its Funko Pops!, those big-headed figurines that are ubiquitous in office cubicles and teens’ bedroom shelves, as well as its posters and vinyl records from arty division Mondo, and then making some of those items as rare as possible. But even as it sells its limited editions collectibles, the company, which started as an online retailer, sees the convention and its booth as a chance to connect with genuine fans, and not necessarily bots trying to game the system for resellers.
“With Comic Con, the real fans have access to these unique products. And we know these are going to real human beings, that we can see and talk to,” said Funko CEO Josh Simon. “It’s an authentic way to interact with our true fans and make sure our product is getting into the hands of real people.”
This year, Funko has a slew of convention exclusives, and even an expansive guide to keep track of them all. There is a grey Wizard of Oz poster from Mondo, limited to only a 100 printing … and to make it even more rare, a small percentage of them are Wicked Witch green. One of the hottest items is a trio of Pops based on the DC’s wildly successful Absolute line, which reinvents Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman.
But causing even more buzz are the Pops from Invincible, based on the popular Amazon animated series that adapts the comic by Robert Kirkman. And that is due to the company cannily making a new character available for each day, and only for that one day. On Wednesday, it was variant character Movincihawk, limited to under 500, selling for $60.
But even as the daily sell-outs crack the spirits of fans, Funko has found ways to equalize the phenomenon. This year, part of its installation is devoted to a Spider-Man-themed Pop! Yourself, which allows attendees to make Pops of themselves, packaging included.
And there is the new Pop! Mystery, a new line being previewed at the convention that features blind-bagged figurines centered on KPop Demon Hunters, One Piece, Warner Bros. horror characters, and plants (yes, plants). The defining foil here is the line will have a one-of-one figure…that the company said it would buy back for $10,000.
“The thrill of the chase and a little bit of the hunt is what the community seems to love,” said Simon.
The company is also bringing back Funko Fun Days, its themed party for fans that attracts plenty of industry players and toy rivals who partake in food and drinks, games, and, naturally, a “Box of Fun” with event-exclusive items. The event, which takes place Friday, saw tickets sell out within minutes in April. Adding to the hype factor of the event, Funko is known to give away prototypes of its figures via raffles or trivia contests.
“Most of the booths here are about selling,” said Simon. And while acknowledging it too has a focus on selling and limited editions, the executive says “we just want to make it more experiential.”
To underscore it’s not cashing in, Funko keeps the prices for its Comic-Con exclusives in line with its real world stickers. Said Simon, “We maintain our normal pricing architecture, even though we know some will be reselling them at a premium.”
That Movincihawk figure? By Friday, many were selling on eBay for upwards of $3,000.
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