Hi Pop-aholics and welcome to another edition of Pop! News. I have recently had the pleasure of chatting with Mark and Ashley, better known as the Funko Pop Hunters on Facebook or Nerd Therapy on YouTube. I was able to get to know them both a bit better and ask them the questions we all want answered.
Cat: Firstly welcome to you both and thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedules to chat with me on behalf of Go Figure News. So to kick things off how did you guys discover Funko Pops?
Ashley & Mark: We both saw them originally at our local Books a Million. I believe we saw the original Avengers Pop!s right after we got done seeing the movie. We both thought they looked pretty cool but didn’t really have any immediate connection to them.
Cat: What got you both started collecting pops?
Ashley: We went on our first Funko Pop Hunt to find a few Pops that Mark was searching for. We both did not realize at the time how many different licenses that Funko had obtained. Once I saw the Disney line I was hooked. No really we bought Hook. ;) He’s a great Pop!
Mark: Originally, I was investigating Power Ranger collectibles on YouTube and was made aware that Funko released a few Power Ranger Pops. The design was highly attractive to me because they resembled the Original Power Rangers design and tossed out the famous “dotted” eyes that made pops so noticeable.
Cat: What was the first pop of your collection?
Ashley: Technically I bought 12 my first day of collecting. Once you see how adorable Pops are in person it’s difficult to only buy just the one. Among those twelve were Hook, Goofy, Hello Kitty, Jiminy Cricket, and Gonzo.
Mark: The first Pop I bought was the White Power Ranger. At the time he was a Hot Topic exclusive before Hot Topic cared about putting stickers on them. Little did they know what the future had in store for them? I also bought Homer and Bart that day!
Cat: Oh Jiminy Cricket is yet to be added to my ever growing collection of 300+, I just love him. Same goes for Homer and Bart to go with Marge and Krusty that has already been added. How long now have you been collecting?
Ashley & Mark: We have both been collecting for approximately 2 years now.
Cat: How big is your collection today?
Ashley & Mark: We are approaching 300. We should probably reach that within the month. Especially with all the amazing Pops that are on the horizon!
Cat: That’s quite impressive, and I don’t doubt that number will climb quickly with the upcoming releases. What is your favorite Pop and which do you hate?
Ashley: To narrow it down to one is extremely difficult but my top two are Wall-E and the original Stitch. I do not specifically hate any Pop but I do not care for the bobble head feature on all Marvel Pops.
Mark: My favorite Pop is the Blackest Night Batman! The colors are amazing on this one. At the time he was released, Funko rarely came out with variants of Batman so as a huge Batman fan I was thrilled. As far as Pops I hate, I have made it my mission not to buy Pops I don’t like. It is easy for a collector to gobble up everything in Pop form. I simply buy what is attractive to me. If I love the character but hate the Pop I won’t buy it. Now with that said I hate the Green Arrow, Martian Manhunter and Patina Batman because I will never own them….therefore, I hate them ;) (Ed. Note: hear! hear!)
Cat: (LOL) that’s a great way of looking at the Pops you hate Mark. I also believe that is why I have so many unfinished sets, if I’m not attracted to a Pop I just don’t buy it. What is the one thing you want made into a pop that hasn't been done already?
Ashley: Simply put HARRY POTTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I expect POPtronum to come soon! I have to have Bellatrix Lestrange, Luna Lovegood, Dobby and “always” Snape.
Mark: I personally want them to get involved with Nintendo. Lots of characters they could do. I also would like to see Puppet Master Pops!
Cat: Oh speaking of Harry Potter wouldn’t Fluffy make a great pop? I think you’re onto something there Mark; Nintendo Pops would be awesome and would open up the world of Funko to the older generation that played Nintendo’s as kids.
Cat: What are your thoughts on where Funko is heading in 2015?
Ashley: Funko has grown so much in just the amount of time we’ve been collecting (2 years). I foresee great things not only in 2015 but for many years to come. The effort and quality of their products has significantly improved over this short period of time I only see them growing.
Mark: I see Funko expanding their licenses. More licenses mean more fans. When we first liked Funko on Facebook they had 36,000 fans. Today they have 182,000. To put this in perspective that is more likes than Mattel, Kid Robot, Mezco, and McFarlane toys. They are inching closer to Hasbro and Dc Collectibles which they will surely pass if they continue to climb at the rate they are now. 2015 looks bright!
Cat: Yes I agree with you both there. It’s certainly a bright future for Funko and their fans. What are your thoughts on flippers?
Ashley & Mark: I understand that flippers are out to make a quick buck. We understand the business behind flipping. What aggravates and annoys us is when they go into stores and purchase EVERY…SINGLE…EXCLUSIVE! It puts collectors in a predicament. Do we try to hunt them down in other stores or do we pay the mark up to ensure we get one before they are gone for good? Flipping is helpful for the collectors that live in other countries or simply can’t find them. The outcome is the average price of a specific exclusive Pop goes way up and makes other owners believe that their exclusive Pop is worth the price that the flippers are asking. This is the reason Pops gain value, sometimes more so than supply and demand.
Cat: Yes flippers certainly have their pros and cons depending on how you look at it/them. With all that being said and done we come to the wonderful world that is The Funko Pop Hunters. Where did the idea for Pop Hunters come from and how did it all start?
Ashley & Mark: We were into Skylander hunting for a while and watched the Asian Guy Gamer on YouTube hunt them down. One thing led to another and we reciprocated the process with Funko Pops!
Cat: What where your hopes for it to turn into in the beginning?
Ashley & Mark: We just wanted to connect with other collectors in the world. Sometimes being a nerd can be a lonely endeavor.
Cat: Did you expect to gain such a large following?
Ashley: No, I didn’t expect to gain this type of following. I am extremely humbled and appreciative of each and every subscriber and their continued love and support.
Mark: Large following? We are planning to take over the WORLD!!!!! lol…….No but truthfully we never expected the following. We just really feel appreciative that our videos connect with people and they continue to support us.
Cat: With over 5K Facebook likes and nearly 9K YouTube subscribers (myself included) to date that’s certainly quite the following. What are the best and worst things you have been sent to review?
Ashley & Mark: Honestly, everything we have been sent has been pretty awesome. It doesn’t take much to get us excited as you may be able to tell in our videos.
Cat: I’m sure I’m not the only one that loves the excitement and enthusiasm you both have in your videos. Makes for great viewing and even gets my 4 year old daughter excited about what she is about to see. What would you have done if Pop Hunters didn't succeed?
Ashley: Even if Pop Hunters didn’t succeed we would continue to collect toys and follow our dreams like we are currently.
Mark: I always wanted to be a Walmart greeter. Haha Just kidding. We would continue to be nerds minus YouTube.
Cat: Argh yes our hopes and dreams, where would we be without them? Customs are becoming more and more common with collectors. More custom artists are coming out of the closet along with the array of custom pieces, Mark it’s believed that you have done some yourself. What got you started making customs?
Mark: Art has always played a significant role in my life. I have always had an outlet and customizing Pops is just my current one. I am an animation/ 3D modeling student hoping to get a job in video games, illustration or maybe toy design. I plan to make art my life. Customizing Pops is just really fun!
Cat: How many custom Pops have you made and what are a few of your favorite ones?
Mark: I have currently made seven. I really like the Death of the Family Joker, Violator from Spawn and of course William Wallace.
Cat: Do you have any tips for new custom artists?
Mark: Have fun! Don’t stress about the outcome & appreciate the process. Also our YouTube Channel has a few videos that can help with the info on suppliers and details of how to get started.
Part 1
Part 2
Cat: They are some great looking custom Pops Mark and I’m certain these videos are/will be a great help to any custom artist new and old. Would either of you consider making your own line of collectable figures?
Mark: Actually we have talked about it and considered it. Unfortunately, it is not something that is going to happen in the immediate future, but maybe the near future.
Cat: Now let’s move onto a more personal level so that everyone can get to know you both a little better. How did you both meet?
Mark: We met in high school, our senior year. I took her on a ghost hunt. (Take note gentleman) She later started coming to watch me play baseball and she stole my heart. Muahahahah - We also had astronomy class together and the stars were aligned for us Bwahahaahah - But for real though this is all true. Haha.
Cat: It sounds like a true Hollywood love story, the kind you only see in movies. Do you consider yourselves nerds/geeks?
Ashley: I absolutely considered myself a nerd or geek. It is the only culture I have ever felt most at home with. Nerds and geeks don’t judge you, they accept your faults and appreciate your character. Society tells us that nerds and geeks are socially inept, but the truth is everyone just needs some nerd therapy!
Mark: As you get older you realize that being a nerd or geek is what sets you apart from the horribly mundane life that people who created the world live. I absolutely consider myself a nerd and am proud to say it. There is a reason The Big Bang Theory is so popular.
Cat: I totally agree we nerds/geeks are certainly a class of our own. Don’t we all secretly wish to live the lives of Sheldon, Leonard, Penny and the rest of the gang in some way or another? Who are your favorite super heroes and villains?
Ashley: My favorite hero is Black Canary and my favorite villain is Harley Quinn.
Mark: My favorite hero is Batman and my favorite villain is the Joker.
Cat: Oh Ashley your certainly a girl after my own heart, Harley Quinn is just amazing.
Who was your childhood hero?
Ashley: I grew up with Harry Potter and considered him my hero. He was able to conquer the world and overcome obstacles while being a typical teenager. I was able to relate to his character because our ages ran parallel to each other. By living vicariously through his story I was able to grow and conquer my own obstacles.
Mark: My childhood hero was Tommy. Of course I am referring to the one and only green and white Power Ranger. He was a leader and the first to stand against evil. Also his uniform was freakin’ amazing and made all other Power Rangers jealous. Growing up money was tight in my family but the Christmas that The Ban Dai White Ranger 8” action figure came out my parents worked overtime just to get that toy off the black market for a ridiculous amount of money (thank you flippers). I was the only kid in my collective fan group that had it. They also found the Pink Ranger for my sister. During the holiday these guys were rarer than chase figures. Think of Turbo Man in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Jingle All the Way. In that aspect my childhood hero was also my parents.
Cat: Who or what did you want to be growing up?
Ashley: I always wanted to be a teacher or librarian. I love books more than people sometimes, Haha.
Mark: I wanted to be a Paleontologist. Thank you Jurassic Park!
Cat: All such rewarding career choices in so many ways relevant to each role. What do you do for work today besides Pop Hunters?
Ashley: Currently retail, soon to be a teacher or working for a not-for profit company.
Mark: Sales blah…. Soon to be a 3D generalist.
Cat: Oh the daily grind of the jobs we all love to hate but do to get us where we wish to be. Have you ever travelled to Australia or plan to in the future?
Ashley: I haven’t traveled to Australia…yet! It is however, on my bucket list.
Mark: I haven’t but the country looks beautiful and would love to visit…as soon as you Aussies kill off those ridiculously big spiders!
Cat: We would certainly welcome you both down under some time, I’m sure you both would love it, although in my case you would be certainly be on your own when it comes to our spiders. Name four things on your bucket lists:
Ashley: Publish a book, travel the world, be an extra in a movie, live in a tiny home <- (Mark says he would kick that bucket)...
Mark: Illustrate a comic/book, obtain an Alex Ross art piece, travel and see a real dinosaur.
Cat: I’m sure they would make for some great stories to tell the grandchildren. Finally do you have any tips or tricks for collectors?
Ashley: If you see it and like it, don’t hesitate because tomorrow it may be gone.
Mark: Pay attention to the paint jobs, keep an eye out for Chases, buy what you like and train your fingers to tap F5 quickly!
Cat: Some great advice there from you both. Well thanks again to you both for taking the time to chat to me, it has been my pleasure.
Now if you haven't already connected to these guys you can find them on YouTube as Nerd Therapy and on Facebook and all other social networking sites as funkopophunters so be sure to head on over to keep up to date on what they are up to.
'Till next time Happy Collecting!
Go Figure!