Arfon's Studio: Confession of an addict

My name is Arfon and I have an addiction... Having resisted for some years I gave in to it back in 2016. At first it was just something that my friends were into, they tried to get me into it but I resisted but eventually gave in thinking I had the willpower to control it. I thought I could keep myself in check but I was wrong and I’m still coming to terms with my addiction and so that is why I am confessing my problem to you all today, admitting that I have a problem is the road to recovery, ladies and gentlemen of the internet I am a Funko Pop! Vinyl-Junkie.

So what is this addictive substance known as “Pops”?  Well it’s a type of vinyl toy created by manufacturers of licensed pop culture toys Funko in 2010. Stylized to appeal to people that have a fondness for nostalgia and figures from popular culture, intrigued to see them adapted into a Japanese Chibi style. There are literally hundreds of these out there, sold on every convention corner covering all manner of licensed brands and franchises. Although easily obtainable through dealers some are harder to find than others, often referred to by dealers as “retired” or “vaulted” as they might no longer be produced and these have been known to go for high sums of money.

What can I say? I’m not normally one for ‘cute’ but I rather like the Japanese Chibi influenced figures, particularly when applied to characters usually regarded to be grotesques, hence why I started with the Metaluna Mutant and The Creature from the Black Lagoon. Believe it or not I have actually managed to restrain myself somewhat, only buying ones based on my favorite movies or television characters that might have directly influenced or inspired me over the years even then I had to scale down slightly because sure enough they started to pile up around the studio. So now a shelf runs partially around the studio displaying them.   

Of course I am not really an addict; I can quit any time I want to! But if Funko should read this- Aside from re issuing Indiana Jones and Ace Ventura figures, here are some that I would like to see produced, the classic King Kong from 1933, Gamera, Jack Nicholson’s Joker, Danny DeVito's Penguin, Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman, Tommy Lee Jones's Two-Face, Jim Carrey's Riddler, Arnold Schwarzenegger's Mr. Freeze, Uma Thurman's Poison Ivy, Captain Planet, Red Dwarf, Columbo, The Mask (movie), Dumb and Dumber, Colonel Sanders, Ronald McDonald, Burger King, Hooters Girl, The Crypt Keeper, ALF, Inspector Gadget, Married With Children, Jurassic Park, The Addams Family, Men in Black, Lynda Carter's Wonder Woman, The Terminator and Gort... 

© Arfon Jones 2018. All images are copyrighted throughout the world.