FunKo Toys, best known for Wacky Wobblers and Pop! vinyl toys, is the latest addition to the Pop Culture Hall of Fame. Founded in 1998 by Mike Becker, the company was originally conceived as a small project to bring back low-tech, nostalgia-themed toys.
The first FunKo toys were based on vintage advertising figures such as Reddy Kilowatt and Big Boy. Later characters included gone (but not forgotten) cereal spokescharacters such as Quisp and Boo Berry. For much of their early years, FunKo’s main products were Wacky Wobblers and vinyl banks based on various pop culture characters. The subject range expanded into pop culture themes like Ed Roth’s RatFink, Speed Racer, and various old Saturday morning cartoons.
But then they stumbled onto a whole new market. As they expanded into newer and then current comic and pop culture areas, they also began to add different types of figures. Key chains and plush toys entered into the mix, and the number of FunKo products increased exponentially.
The range of characters and pop culture icons available from FunKo is staggering. It seems every major movie will show up in Pop! form, yet no comic book, video game, vintage spokescharacter, or cult movie is too small to be represented.
Their line of Pop! figures, with large squarish heads and round beady eyes, were an instant hit. Soon After, the ultra-cute Dorbz line debuted, and collectors had another range of characters to find.
The entire FunKo brand shows no signs of slowing down, with dozens of new characters from every range introduced every month.
