The late 20th century to the early 21st century were truly the golden years of toys with oversized heads. Enter Funko Pop!, which dominated all pop culture-themed stores and took the world by storm.
In 1998, Funko Inc. founder Mike Becker conceived the company as a small project to create low-tech, nostalgia-themed toys, starting with manufacturing a bobblehead of the iconic mascot of the restaurant chain, Big Boy. After seeing some success, Funko Inc. began branching out, producing bobbleheads and figures based on all kinds of beloved characters, from classic cartoon icons to blockbuster movie stars such as Looney Tunes, The Flintstones, Yogi Bear, Betty Boop, The Cat in the Hat, Cap’n Crunch, and Peanuts, allowing fans to relive their childhood and have their dose of nostalgic serotonin.
See also: Jo Malone and Paddington Bear collaborate on a whimsical fragrance collection
It wasn’t until 2010 that Funko Pop! vinyl figures, the company’s most successful line, were created. The figures’ cartoonish features and exaggerated body proportions are distinctive and almost instantly recognisable: oversized heads, beady eyes, and minimalist bodies. It gave fans something they never knew they needed and became a huge obsession with collectors and pop culture enthusiasts worldwide, on the internet and at conventions such as San Diego Comic-Con, the US’ largest comics and pop culture event.
Today, there are Funky Pop! versions of every imaginable fandom from various franchises, from Game of Thrones to Wizarding World, to Dragon Ball and DC, and not forgetting Disney’s portfolio of respected film studios Pixar, Marvel Entertainment, Lucasfilm, and 21st Century Fox. Funko Inc. has also signed licensing deals with Warner Bros., Nickelodeon, MTV, Sanrio, NBCUniversal, and Major League Baseball. You name it, chances are, Funko Inc. has made a Funko Pop! of it.
And it’s not limited to the vinyl figures alone. Various offshoot products using the Funko Pop! brand and its character stylisation include plush toys, T-shirts, keychains (with miniaturised versions of the figures), and mugs, feeding the collectors’ obsession and enabling them to continue tracking down everything Funko Pop!.
Fun fact: Most Funko Pop! figures are not bobbleheads except all Star Wars and Genshin Impact figures, and most Marvel figures. This is to avoid licensing conflicts with Hasbro and Good Smile Company, the companies which hold the license to make ordinary (non-bobblehead) figures of characters from these franchises.