The new year is always an exciting time as it means the next round of comic cons are slated to begin. Kicking off convention season is Emerald City Comic Con, which starts Mach 1st. Though there’s a lot about ECCC to be excited for, like meeting creators and hearing some of what the comic companies have planned for the year, one of my favorite parts will be seeing what exclusives the con has.
As usual, Funko is giving fans a glimpse of their line-up that will be available at ECCC in their usual bit-by-bit style. Also as usual, we’ve compiled all of those micro-waves for your reading convenience! So if you’re making a shopping list for ECCC, read on to find out what Funko will have in store.
Wave 13: Funko HQ Exclusives (Announced Feb 9)
Not all of Funko’s ECCC exclusives will be available at the show; there’s a whole set of exclusive exclusives (Exclusive-ception!) that can only be purchased from Funko’s HQ or through their online store. Most of them are variants of the Funko properties, like Freddy Funko in different baseball uniforms or the blue or purple Pulpo. However, the most significant offering here is the Opera Bugs Dorbz, the companion piece to Viking Elmer. Both pieces are limited to 1,000 so fans will have to work hard to snag them. Luckily, Funko is extending their HQ hours to accommodate ECCC attendees.
Here’s the copy from Funko:
Now that you’ve seen all of our ECCC exclusives, check out these related exclusives that will be available at Funko HQ or online on Funko Shop!
Please note that Funko HQ will have extended shopping hours on Saturday, March 3rd! We’ll be open till 10PM so head on over after you’re done at ECCC!
Funko HQ Exclusives
Pop! Myths: Flocked Blue & Green Bigfoot (2500pc LE)
Pop! Funko: Spastik Plastik – Purple Pulpo (1000pc LE)
Pop! Funko: Baseball Freddy Funko – White Uniform (1000pc LE)
Dorbz: Looney Tunes – Opera Bugs (1000pc LE)
Funko Shop Exclusives
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Pop! Funko: Spastik Plastik – Blue Pulpo (2500pc LE)
Pop! Funko: Baseball Freddy Funko – Alternate Uniform (3000pc LE)
Here’s a recap to show where you can get all the variants of Pulpo, Baseball Freddy Funko, Bigfoot, and complete your Elmer Fudd & Bugs Bunny set!
Wave 12: Funko Reveals (Feb 8)
This wave is made up of Funko originals. A new Freddy Funko will debut at ECCC. Dressed in a baseball uniform, he’s a far cry from the Yankee style Freddy Funko that popped up at NYCC last year.
Also, Funko is offering a new Pop! in their Spastik Plastik series: Pulpo. I don’t collect this series but that character design is pretty cool.
I’m most excited for that Bigfoot, though. Limited to 3000 pieces, the Bigfoot is flocked and shows listed under “Pop! Myths.” I don’t know if this is a new series featuring cryptozoological creatures but I am completely down for it if so. If Funko gives me a Jersey Devil Pop!, I can die happy.
From Funko:
Pop! Myths: Flocked Bigfoot (3000pc LE)
We spotted Bigfoot! Make your cryptozoological dreams come true with this Pacific Northwest legend!
Pop! Funko: Spastik Plastik – Green Pulpo (1000pc LE)
Which squid are you? Pulpo is the latest original character from Funko’s Spastik Plastik line to join the Pop! family! Pick up the lime green Pulpo only at ECCC!
Pop! Funko: Freddy Funko – Teal Baseball Freddy (1000pc LE)
Freddy Funko can’t wait for baseball season to return! He’ll be available in his teal uniform exclusively at ECCC 2018!
Wave 11: Saga! (Feb 8)
It’s hard to deny the acclaim behind Brian K. Vaughan’s Saga. I haven’t read it myself so I don’t have much to contribute here but Funko is offering a new Pop! to the series, that of Mourning Prince Robot IV.
From the Funko blog:
Saga, the epic space opera/fantasy comic book series created by acclaimed writer Brian K. Vaughan and award-winning artist Fiona Staples is coming to ECCC!
Pop! Comics: Saga – Mourning Prince Robot IV
Prince Robot IV isn’t his usual colorful self, he’s in mourning in his grayscale uniform and cracked screen.
Wave 10: Movies (Feb 8)
This wave has me excited. Mad Max: Fury Road was hugely popular so that Rictus Erectus should have a lot of fans salivating. Not to mention the die-hard Scott Pilgrim fans who are getting not only a new Ramona Flowers sculpt but a completely new character to the line.
Hands down, though, the most exciting one here is the Life Aquatic Vynl. 2-pack. That has to be one of the oddest vinyl figure choices that I can think of, outside of the La-La Land Pop! 2-pack we got last year. I definitely give Funko props for pulling that one out of nowhere.
Here’s what Funko had to say about this wave:
Emerald City Comic Con 2018 will debut the newest additions to Funko’s Mad Max: Fury Road and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World lines while introducing the first The Life Aquatic Vynl.!
Pop! Movies: Mad Max Fury Road – Rictus Erectus
Witness him! The Rictus Erectus Pop! rounds out our Mad Max: Fury Road series!
Pop! Movies: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World – Gideon & Ramona 2-pack (4000pc LE)
Gideon Graves and Ramona Flowers Pop!s are essentials for any Scott Pilgrim collector!
Vynl.: The Life Aquatic – Steve & Ned 2-pack (2500pc LE)
The Life Aquatic Vynl. highlights an exciting new line from Funko!
Wave 9: Cuphead & Street Fighter (Feb 7)
Yet another limited line with only a single Pop! and a t-shirt. I haven’t played Cuphead but it seemed to get a good following in the short time it’s been out so that Cagney Carnation should be a treat for fans. And though I’m not crazy about the design of that Street Fighter shirt, it is pretty cool that it comes in an arcade cabinet box.
From Funko:
Our next reveal is for fans of Cuphead and Street Fighter!
Pop! Games: Cuphead – Cagney Carnation
You’re up! It’s a good day for a swell battle! Get ready for Cagney Carnation! Be careful, this flower has thorns!
Pop! Tees: Street Fighter II (1000pc LE)
This limited edition Street Fighter II t-shirt comes in arcade style packaging!
Wave 8: Looney Tunes (Feb 7)
There’s only one offering in the Looney Tunes line, which is a shame. Fans of Bugs Bunny should be interested in the Viking Elmer Fudd, Dorbz, a nod to the classic “What’s Opera, Doc?” short cartoon.
From Funko’s blog:
Dorbz: Looney Tunes – Viking Elmer (1000pc LE)
Elmer Fudd is at it again, “hunting wabbits,” but this time he’s sporting his spear and magic helmet!
Wave 7: DC (Feb 7)
Ah, I see what you did there, Funko, with that emerald chrome Batman. Pretty clever.
Anyway, the DC line is, so far, the only line to offer up an exclusive Rock Candy, which is a shame. What’s not a shame is the nice sculpt on that Bombshell Poison Ivy.
I also like that Ace/Krypto Dorbz 2-pack. I won’t go out of my way to snag it, but I can see it being a hit with fans.
From Funko:
Our DC lineup for Emerald City Comic Con includes a Bombshell, a pair of heroic pups, and a shiny Caped Crusader!
Rock Candy: DC Bombshells – Poison Ivy
DC Bombshells’ Pamela Ysley is now a Rock Candy!
Dorbz: DC Comics – Ace & Krypto 2-pack (2000pc LE)
Ace the Bat-Hound and Krypto the Superdog are here to save the day!
Pop! Heroes: Emerald Chrome Batman (1500pc LE)
In honor of the Emerald City, it’s an emerald chrome variant of Batman!
Wave 6: Care Bears & MotU (Feb 6)
Funko has been pushing their Vynl. line since it debuted at New York Comic Con last year and I have to say, I do dig that MotU Beast Man/Sorceress 2-pack. Also, as embarrassing as it is to admit, I really like that Good Luck Bear Care Bear Pop!. That may be one of the few that I track down, if only to honor the Irish in me.
Here’s what Funko had to say:
This Emerald City Comic Con reveal includes a couple of throwback favorites!
Pop! Animation: Care Bears – Flocked Good Luck Bear
Get the fuzzy variant of this lucky green Care Bear only at ECCC!
Vynl.: Masters of the Universe – Sorceress & Beast Man 2-pack (2500pc LE)
Our latest Vynl. 2-pack includes the one and only Sorceress of Castle Grayskull and Skeletor’s right-hand man, Beast Man!
Wave 5: TV (Feb 6)
The TV wave has a few fan favorites in it, most notably the 8-Bit Barb from Stranger Things. I would have liked to have seen a better Pop! for Game of Thrones, but I guess that line has been so popular that they’re actually running out of characters to make.
But hands down, my most favorite exclusive so far is the Amy Pond. We have gone years without an Amy Pond Pop! to keep the Eleventh Doctor company and we’re finally getting it. As I won’t be attending ECCC, I’ll just have to keep my fingers crossed that this is one of the shared exclusives.
From Funko:
Game of Thrones®
Funko is proud to announce the latest 6-inch Game of Thrones Pop! is coming to Emerald City Comic Con 2018!
Pop! Television: Game of Thrones – 6″ Giant Wight
The mysterious Giant Wight is ready for battle!
Stranger Things
Stream both seasons of Stranger Things now on Netflix!
Pop! 8-Bit: Stranger Things – Barb
Barb from Stranger Things gets justice as an 8-Bit Pop! for ECCC!
Doctor Who
Funko is bringing a beloved companion to Emerald City Comic Con!
Pop! TV: Doctor Who – Amy Pond
Doctor Who fans rejoice! The beloved companion Amy Pond is joining the Pop! world!
Wave 4: Rick & Morty (Feb 6)
I’ve never watched Rick & Morty so these iterations of the characters are lost on me. I will say, though, that they are pretty cool looking so I can see how fans of the show would be excited for these.
From the Funko blog:
Wubbalubbadubdub! Welcome to the dimension in the multiverse where Rick and Morty are aliens!
Pop! Rick and Morty: Alien Head Rick
Our newest addition from the Citadel of Ricks is Alien Head Rick!
Pop! Rick and Morty: Alien Head Morty
You can’t have an Alien Rick without an Alien Morty!
Wave 3: Disney (Feb 5)
Not much in the way of Disney exclusives. Moana fans may enjoy that shark Maui, and the Toy Story Army Man is a fun little addition but otherwise this line seems to be luke warm at best.
Any way, here’s what Funko had to say about them.
Our Disney items for ECCC include characters from a couple of memorable moments!
Pop! Disney: Moana – Maui with Shark Head
Poor Maui! Struggling to regain control of his special powers, he gets momentarily stuck with the wrong head!
Pop! Disney: Toy Story – Army Man
Who can forget the Army Men’s mission to spy on Andy opening his birthday presents, so that Woody & the gang could be prepared for any new arrivals!
Loungefly: Toy Story Camo Backpack & Pencil Case Set (400pc LE)
Speaking of Toy Story Army Men… check out this amazing Loungefly set, limited to 400 pieces and available only at ECCC!
Wave 2: Star Wars (Announced Feb 5)
There isn’t too much in this wave that’s mind-blowing. Funko really seems to be pushing their collaboration with Loungefly and offering a new Star Wars backpack. That Ahsoka is kinda cute. Unfortunately, the only one I really care about, the Padme Pop!, is the most boring of them all. I guess it’s cool that we’re getting another Amidala but they could have created a better sculpt.
See the copy from Funko’s blog.
The Force is strong with Funko’s Star Wars exclusives for ECCC 2018!
Galactic Plushies: SW: Clone Wars – Ahsoka
Ahsoka makes her Funko plush debut by joining Galactic Plushies!
POP Star Wars: Padmé Amidala
Padmé Amidala is commemorated as another Pop! figure in her iconic Geonosis outfit!
Loungefly: Star Wars Backpack & Pencil Case Set (400pc LE)
Stormtroopers & Tie Fighters adorn this out-of-this-world set from Loungefly, limited to 400 pieces and available only at ECCC!
Wave 1: Marvel (Announced Feb 5)
This whole wave is pretty fantastic, full of characters that no one really cared about until a couple of years ago. That lawyer She-Hulk is outstanding, Yondu doing his “Mary Poppins” bit from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 would be a great addition to any GotG collection ad even though I don’t like Deadpool, I love Howard the Duck, so that Deadpool the Duck Dorbz is an arm-twisting buy for me.
From Funko:
We’re kicking off our Emerald City Comic Con reveals with some fan-favorite additions to the Funko Marvel family!
Pop! Marvel: Lawyer She-Hulk
She-Hulk isn’t just a strong contender, she’s also a powerful lawyer!
Pop! Marvel: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 – Yondu
Yondu is looking as pretty as an angel with his red fin and trusty arrow!
Dorbz: Marvel – Deadpool the Duck
Deadpool + Duck = Deadpool the Duck!
Daku Con 2018 Photo Gallery
Daku Con 2018 Convention Recap!
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Nan Desu Kan 2018 Photo Gallery
The other day I stopped into my local GameStop to see if they had any of the San Diego Comic Con exclusive Funko Pop!s available. What I discovered when I walked in, however, was much more exciting. Recently, Mega Construx released a line of Pokémon-themed building block sets. Being the Pokémon fan that I am I was at first embarrassed that this line had completely flown under my radar when it was announced back in February, but at least stumbling on them the way I did was validating.
There were about twelve sets in total, roughly six larger boxed sets and six little minifigs sort of that come in a Pokéball. I bought a little Eevee Pokéball on the spot. I figured I’d get one of the small ones to dip my toe in a bit, see how I like them. When I got home, it took me about ten minutes to put together (which really only took that long because I kept dropping all the pieces.) Once the figure was complete, I was hooked. At first it looked a little janky with the thick little legs and awkward tuft of fur on its chest but eventually all that became part of its charm.
It’s still adorable.
A couple of days later I went back to the store and pored over which of the larger sets to buy. What I like most about the line is there are a few different themes; besides the smaller figures, a couple of the larger Pokémon are represented, like Charizard and Gyarados. The line also includes the starter mid-evolutions, Charmeleon, Wartortle and Ivysaur as their own stand-alone sets. Each of the starters, Charmander, Squirtle and Bulbasaur, along with Pikachu are paired off for battle scene building sets.
After much, much deliberation, I decided to go with Charizard. I also picked up Abra and Magikarp, a couple of my favorites, from the line of smaller sets so I can display next to little Eevee.
Again, the little ones were quick to assemble; total time for both of those was about fifteen minutes. Charizard, on the other hand, took roughly an hour to build. The build instructions were slightly confusing as the way they’re drawn isn’t as clear as what you’d get from a LEGO manual. I managed, though, and I’m really proud of myself.
I’m also really proud of this Charizard, which turned out to be a nice display piece. A lot of the articulation is really good, especially around the head, legs and tail. I would have liked if there was a bit more articulation, like maybe if the arms moved a little better and get some moveable fingers and jaw in there but I also realize that those features would impact the price, which may turn off a few potential fans.
That Great Ball is a nice touch.
I also really like the display base.
As far as quality, it’s easy to tell why LEGO is the cream of the crop. That’s not to say Mega Construx are bad; in fact, they’re intricately designed and really capture the likenesses of the Pokémon they’re meant to replicate. However, the building aspect of the set was difficult at times. I found myself struggling to click blocks in place, having to rely on using my teeth to get the amount of pressure that I needed. This could have been due to some microscopic defect in the stud that made it just too big to fit. In fairness, though, it could have just been small parts and sweaty hands (it was a really hot day, you guys.)
If you do manage to get them clicked into place and realize you put the piece in the wrong spot, good luck getting it apart. Unlike LEGO, Construx don’t come with a handy separating tool so, once again, I lucked out that I had a mouthful of teeth to do the job. In fairness, though, I don’t fault Construx for this. It took LEGO years to realize a tool like this was a necessity and since they likely have a patent on it, Construx will need to design their own.
As I mentioned earlier, in addition to the larger sets, the series offers a few single figures, such as Pokémon’s mascot, Pikachu, and a few other fan favorites, like Eevee, Magikarp, and…Zubat. What I like most about these are the packaging; they all come in a plastic Pokéball that can be used as a display base once building is complete. And at around $7 each, they’re a pretty good deal. Considering LEGO minifigure blind bags can retail for right around $5 and only have about 5 pieces each and a substandard display, these Pokémon characters are basically a steal.
Even the larger sets are a good value. At this time, the biggest set was Gyarados, with a total of 352 pieces retailing for $30. Compared to some of LEGO’s franchised sets, that’s an amazing deal. The LEGO Batman Movie Riddler Riddle Racer playset has 254 pieces and is regularly priced at $35 (though was on sale for $24 at the time of this writing, for whatever that’s worth).
Then again, you get what you pay for. With LEGO being the Cadillac of building blocks, the Pokémon Mega Construx don’t size up to quite that level. Sure, the models are well done and really capture the likenesses of the Pokémon, but the builds aren’t as sophisticated as what one would expect from LEGO.
It was a great choice for Mega Construx to jump into the Pokémon arena, especially given the mainstream popularity of Pokémon GO. Building sets like these now appeal to a wider audience since they are familiar with the characters. Even though they aren’t perfect, they are fantastically modelled and offer great playability.
Bottom line: I want more. Not just “I want to buy more sets,” which is definitely true. The low price point and great showcaseability really make these sets a good value despite their shortcomings. When I say I want “more,” I mean more sets. I want this line to do well so that Mega releases additional sets, like maybe the Generation 1 legendaries, Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, and Mewtwo. Even a tiny little Mew hovering over a Pokéball would be sweet.
Also, I want to see some from the later generations of games: Tyranitar, Hoot Hoot, Lucario. There are so many great Pokémon that would make amazing display pieces that this could go on forever…just like the games!
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Sharing because this is my most desired SDCC exclusive.
Given the size, popularity and market share Funko currently enjoys, it’s no surprise that their booth at San Diego Comic Con is one of the most anticipated. They will be offering a metric buttload of exclusives (all of which you can find here), and that’s on top of the Pop-Up Shop they’re hosting outside of the convention in San Diego (news of which you can read about here).
Daku Con 2018 Photo Gallery
Daku Con 2018 Convention Recap!
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The latest San Diego Comic Con exclusive announcement from Funko is different from the rest. Instead of an individual figure, it is a launch for an entirely new line called, Vnyl., which is “vinyl” without the “i.” Why the name? Well, according to Funko, “there’s no “i” in Vynl. because there’s always two of them!”
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We’re getting on the hype train with more Funko exclusives at this year’s San Diego Comic Con. Well, SDCC adjacent, we should say. Following up on the success from last year, Funko will be hosting another Pop-Up Shop at this year’s SDCC. According to Funko, it will be held at 448 West Market Street in the Marina District. Though the shop will be open for all four days of Comic Con, it will only have hours of 10 AM until 3 PM and, knowing Funko, will likely be a madhouse.
So if you’re not able to get into Funko’s booth at SDCC, at least you have the opportunity to purchase something from them.
Second Reveal
– June 29
Daku Con 2018 Photo Gallery
Daku Con 2018 Convention Recap!
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PAX South 2019: Jump Force, Skellboy, A Fold Apart
PAX South 2019: Devil May Cry 5, Young Souls, Magequit
Nan Desu Kan 2018 Photo Gallery
For the Collector Corps Fall edition, we have the theme Villains. I suppose they picked this theme to go along with Halloween, and they make a strong case for it with Venom featured on the box’s cover licking into the foreground. Today I will be showing off the awesome gifts inside and going over what you have to look forward to next edition of Collector Corps.
(more…)
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