Throughout the various decades, there have been many collectable fads. From Pet Rocks to MadBalls, to Beanie Babies… all of them, both super-addictive as well as income-consuming. In the mid-90’s, Funko established their own collectable fad by starting their “Wacky Wobblers” line of bobble heads. Cereal mascots, Hanna-Barbera characters, even Mr. T.

After a buyout of the company in the mid-2000’s, Funko decided to up the ante on what collectibles they would sell. Enter, the POP Vinyl: Adorable vinyl renditions of characters from movies, television, and more.

As far as addiction goes, outside of my huge Transformers collection, I’ve never been compelled to collect so many POPs. So much so, that I’ve officially named my collection the “Great Wall.” With the amount of different and various properties and licenses that POP have used to create figures, I’m convinced that eventually EVERYTHING will be made into a POP. Heck, there are even blank POPs that you can purchase to make your own. There are some who even sell custom made POPs on Etsy.

Having said that, there are a few characters/properties/etc. that Funko is missing for one reason or another (I imagine due to difficulties with rights issues, etc.) Even still, here is a list (in no particular order) of some that I believe should be made into POP Vinyl figures:

8:  A Random Assortment of TV/Movie Characters

Along with the usual Star Wars, Disney, Comic Book, etc. POP figures, there are definitely plenty of “wild card” types that appear in sets of one or two. For instance, there’s a POP for Ash from Army of Darkness, as well as Robocop, the Xenomorph from the Alien series, and (because there just HAD to be) a Sharknado POP figure. This is where you can really have some fun with licenses. I mean, Funko had a Mr. T Wacky Wobbler, so lets start with making him into a POP. Since T is from the 80’s, let’s continue there. ALF would be cool to add to a random line of one or two. How about Jake and Elwood Blues of The Blues Brothers fame? Since Funko’s been throwing around vehicles, maybe even a Bluesmobile one? Going a bit obscure, if you’re going to make a Sharknado, could we also see a Tommy Wiseau from The Room figure? Ohai, Funko.

7: Classic Cartoon Network

Ok, so there are plenty of figured based on Adventure Time, as well as the five main characters from Regular Show. What about featuring some of the classic CN shows like Powerpuff Girls, Johnny Bravo, Samurai Jack, etc. There’s actually a comic book line by IDW which has all of these characters in crossovers. Perhaps tying that in would work.

6: Godzilla/Other Kaiju (and Jaegers too)!

With the fairly new Ghostbusters line, Funko has proven that a bigger POP figure is doable. They only cost a couple of dollars extra, and with the right figures, will sell rather well. In this case, why not capitalize on another Summer Blockbuster in Godzilla? We know a sequel is in the works, featuring not only the titular character, but his classic foes (Mothra, Ghidora, etc.) as well.  With last year’s blockbuster, Pacific Rim, you can also throw in some of the newer Kaiju such as Knifehead. Heck, throw in some Jaegers as well. I for one would love to have Gipsy Danger in POP form.

5: Harry Potter

Funko has POP figures for books turned into TV and Movies such as Game of Thrones, The Hobbit, and (for some odd reason) Ender’s Game. So why not show some love to one of the more contemporary yet still classic book young adult book series. There’s definitely a following in the Potterverse, and there are so many characters that can be put into a POP Vinyl series.

For instance, each series can either have characters from different books. Obviously each series has to have the three main characters of Harry, Hermione, and Ron. Hagrid could show up in the Sorcerer’s Stone set (another bigger POP opportunity). They could also do sets according to House. A Slytherin set with Snape, Malfoy, and Voldemort, perhaps? Maybe Ron in his parents’ car?

4: Mortal Kombat/Street Fighter

There are plenty of the contemporary video game characters represented in POP. Halo, Mass Effect, Sonic the Hedgehog… but no love for the two big classic fighting games of the 90s.  With so many characters in both game series, it’s simple to start with 6 of each. For Street Fighter: Ken, Ryu, Chun Li, Blanka, and Bison.  For Mortal Kombat: Scorpion, Raiden, Johnny Cage, Sonya, and Liu Kang. Funko could even throw certain stores (I know Hot Topic is among them) who have exclusive figure variants Sub Zero, Reptile, and the rest of the multi-colored ninjas.

3: Indiana Jones

When Funko started the POP Vinyl line, it was limited to DC, Star Wars, and Disney characters… with Marvel coming in shortly after (obviously due in part to Disney buying Marvel). Now that Disney has come to terms with LucasFilms’ other big property in Indiana Jones, why not start a line? Hasbro actually had its own vinyl line (known as Mighty Muggs,) which featured various characters from the four Indy films.

Obviously Funko could follow suit and release various characters (Obviously Indy, Mola Ram, Henry Jones, and *groan* Mutt). I would honestly prefer them to release a collection of 4-6 in each, based on each film, starting with Raiders. If they did one series every 6 – 12 months, who knows… maybe that fabled 5th film will be out by then?

2: [adult swim]

Since it’s inception, the [adult swim] brand has been pretty random when it comes to making figures from their properties (I blame the fall of Palisades Toys in part for their randomness).  In recent years, we’ve only seen mainly the Venture Bros line as well as a Mego line for the upcoming Mike Tyson Mysteries. I was rather shocked last year when Funko decided to produce a POP featuring Dr. Blake Downs of Childrens Hospital. It actually made me wonder if Swim had plans to work with Funko on more POPs?

Imagine an Aqua Teen line with the 3 main characters and Carl? Characters from your favorite shows like Superjail, Metalocalypse, even the Venture Bros. Throw in some live-action with Tim and Eric, Delocated, Eagleheart, and NTSF:SD:SUV::. Even a Space Ghost POP would be awesome (although, they could always add ol’ Tad to their current Hanna-Barbera line).

1: Doctor Who

Of all the current popular TV series NOT a POP yet, I’m sure this line is on the top of most of your lists. Like many other properties, I’m sure there’s plenty of red tape (It’s a BBC property after all). There are so many different ways to start this line. The most logical, would be to work backwards from the Matt Smith era: the Eleventh Doctor, Amy Pond, River Song, etc.) After that, if it’s successful (and why wouldn’t it be?), the David Tennant era featuring the Tenth Doctor, Donna Noble, Rose Tyler, and a couple of baddies… Cybermen, Ood, etc.

A more daring way to start would be the entire run of the Doctors, from William Hartnell to Peter Capaldi (including John Hurt as the War Doctor). Speaking of Capaldi, you may have noticed I left out Clara Oswald. I would definitely save her and Capaldi’s Doctor for a future line, considering the new season is just about to start.

Of course, much of this is simply my opinion. I’m sure everyone has their own wishlist for Funko. Regardless, it will only be a matter of time until our Vinyl overlords end up making everything into a POP figure. Even us.

Yours Truly reviewed the brand spanking new Back to the Future Trilogy: Special Edition Vinyl collection. Suffice to say… they are AWESOME!

Check it out:

Transformers is certainly no exception, having had a rather consistent run since it’s inception. From 1984 until today, the concept of giant robots changing into vehicles, animals, and various items, has been engrained in many Transformer fans’ minds. I’m no exception, having been a fan of the franchise since it’s birth. That being said, I was super-hyped when I was graciously invited to chat with the Hasbro Transformers Design Team during New York Comic-Con.

In the grand scheme of things, the Design Team (led by Design Manager, John Warden and Director of Marketing, Ben Montano) have amazing things planned. Despite some plans they have yet to announce and/or reveal, with what they could share, you can bet Transformers will be getting a lot bigger in the near future.

I can definitely go on an extended talk about each line and what each figure does, but if you’re a fan you already know. If not, I’d suggest heading to Transformers Wiki or looking them up on Google…

GENERATIONS (A.K.A.: PRIME WARS TRILOGY)

Their biggest line as of current is the Generations line. Made for more adult and hardcore Transformers fans, it is a saga consisting of three parts, making up what they call the Prime Wars Trilogy:

Combiner Wars, which is made up of the classic combiner (usually either 5 or 6 figures to combine into one larger figure) robots like Devastator, Menasor, Computron, and countless others.

Titans Return (their current line) made up of both the original Headmasters and Targetmasters, as well as the gargantuan robots like Trypticon, Metroplex, and the massively unmatched (save for maybe G1 Scorpinok) Fortress Maximus, again as well as countless other figures.

A third line is in the works… though the team was tight-lipped about it, only to say that it will be announced very soon.

They are committed to the entire Prime Wars Trilogy, having dug deep into the archives of Hasbro, across the spectrum of classic series including such as the Japanese Saga (which included Headmasters and beyond). Their main goal is to not only bring back fans of the classic lines, but to reintroduce Transformers to a whole new generation of fans. The Trilogy’s story is so vast, that Hasbro (in conjunction with Machinima) produced an eight-episode mini-series online for Combiner Wars, featuring Jon Bailey (a.k.a.: Epic Voice Guy, Honest Trailers Guy) as the voice of Optimus Prime.

The team hopes to do even more with Machinima in the future (Spoiler: Combiner Wars ends with a tease for a potential Titans Return series) and in addition (with their strong partnership with Paramount Studios) they can also develop movies based on the Trilogy. Sadly, they had no news to share regarding the upcoming line of toys to correspond with Paramount’s Transformers: The Last Knight, but said that they are very excited for the future of the Transformers Cinematic Universe.

ROBOTS IN DISGUISE

Where Generations is geared more towards adults and the more hardcore Transformers fanatics, RiD is geared more towards kids and young adults as their current TV product. Cartoon Network introduced the Robots in Disguise animated series early last year as the successor (and somewhat sequel) to the successful HUB series, Transformers: Prime. The series has two current seasons, which can be found on CN as well as the first season on Netflix. A third season is slated to be released sometime next year. Much like the Generations line, RiD (as well as their Rescue Bots line, geared towards younger children) will also be beefed up with even more stories, as well as a potential movie.

THE FIGURES

After my chat with the team, they let me sneak a few peeks at both lines. I’ve seen the Titans Return line in stores and honestly haven’t been too interested… but seeing them out of the box definitely changed my mind. As I mentioned before, the team is looking to bring in new as well as old fans. I was told that they go back and look at the classic figures to see what worked back then: color schemes, alt-modes, original characters, and more. It was mentioned the new lines are cut from the same cloth as their predecessors as well as giving older fans the ability to play with the toys and have the same or similar emotional connection.

Additionally, you can see where the Design Team gets a lot of their inspiration from both the 1980’s era as well as previous incarnations of Transformers. In looking at the newest version of Autobot Sideswipe, I was shown that his vehicle mode transforms when adding a second smaller Transformer (much like the 2000 era Transformers: Armada where figures would include Mini-Cons that activated alt-modes in figures). When the figure was added, Sideswipe’s doors opened much like a gullwing car… think a DeLorean from Back to the Future or Thunder Hawk from another classic 80’s cartoon, M.A.S.K. (P.S.: Since it is also owned by Hasbro, I briefly asked if there were plans, since they own that line as well… there are!)

After Sideswipe, I was treated to see the new Perceptor, which like the original is again a WORKING microscope. I also saw one of the newest incarnation of Duo-Cons, wherein two figures combine into one. One of the new Titans Return figures, named Blackshadow, is a combination of a tank and a jet, which can also combine into a mini-base. Blackshadow’s base mode will ultimately combine with the Autobot City Titan, Metroplex as a super base, along with 2 other “faction leaders,” including the return of 7-in-1 transforming Sixshot.

THE FUTURE

Besides all of aforementioned toy lines, I also inquired about Transformers Masterpiece (and was told at that point, I was the only person to ask). Masterpiece is a line produced by both Hasbro as well as Transformers’ Japanese creator Takara, and consist of the classic Generation One figures like Optimus Prime, Soundwave, Grimlock, and many others, in larger (almost statuesque) figures, ranging from $60 – $100+. While Hasbro has only put out a select few as Toys R Us exclusives, you can also find a vast array of Takara’s imported figures on eBay (usually for twice or three times the price of a Hasbro one). The Design Team sadly had no new news on new figures, but did say that they have a vested interest in the line and that we fans should expect to see an expanded run in stores within the next 12 – 18 months.

I also asked about the current market of figures at local stores. I was saddened to mention that my local TRU stores in the area only dedicated a small bit of space to all their current TF lines, what seems a result of about 2 aisles worth being dedicated towards Star Wars (which in a way is still kind of good, since most of their toys are made by Hasbro, but still… really TRU?). The good news is, the Design Team IS looking to expand on that with all the upcoming lines, so hopefully the Autobots and Decepticons can team up to take at least half of an aisle back from the treacherous forces of Disney.

All in all, the future certainly looks amazing for Hasbro and Team Transformers. I can’t wait… and know my wallet’s screaming!

Check out the official press release below:

CELEBRATE THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF JURASSIC PARK WITH YOUR OWN CRYOGENICS CANISTER

Paragon FX Group Helps Fans Bring Jurassic Park Movie Magic Home

New York- To celebrate the upcoming 30th Anniversary of Jurassic Park from Universal Pictures
and Amblin Entertainment, Paragon FX Group has announced the newest addition to their
product line, the Jurassic Park Cryogenics Canister (Cryo-Can).

Paragon FX Group, the premiere manufacturer of high-quality movie prop replicas for film and
television, has replicated yet another iconic piece of film memorabilia, Nedry’s cryogenics
canister or the Cryo-Can as it’s come to be known.

Instantly recognizable and among the most sought after of movie prop replicas, the Cryo-Can
has been on the short list of many a collector. Now, in celebration of the blockbuster film’s 30th
Anniversary, this limited-edition replica is finally available. Nedry never made it off the island
with his Cryo-Can, but now Jurassic Park aficionados can!

Developed by Biosyn (corporate rival of John Hammond) the Cryo-Can was designed to aid
Nedry in the surreptitious removal and transport of 10 viable dinosaur embryos from Jurassic
Park. Hidden within a heavily modified shaving cream can, a self-contained cooling unit was
capable of preserving the embryos for 36 hours. A two-tiered ‘pop-up’ centrifuge rack allowed
the vials to be strategically seated for storage and then pushed into the bottom coil for protective
transport.

Working closely with Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment, Paragon FX Group’s team
was given access to the original hero-prop used in the film’s production. This close-up study of
the original has given us the opportunity to replicate everything from the proper labels on the
centrifuge tubes, right down to the very inventory tags that are present on the original prop as it
sits in the studio archives. Identical to the original, Paragon will be manufacturing this piece in
metal. This multi-piece CNC machined replica will also feature a ‘pop-up’ centrifuge rack and of
course, the entire unit can be seated within a Barbasol can.

Each machined replica will ship with 10 microcentrifuge tubes w/ labels, Barbasol canister, and
studio inventory tags. Enthusiasts can learn more at
https://paragonfxgroup.com/products/cryo-can

About JURASSIC PARK
Experience one of the biggest films in motion picture history with director Steven Spielberg’s
ultimate thrill ride, Jurassic Park! Featuring Academy Award®-winning visual effects and
groundbreaking filmmaking, this epic film is sheer movie-making magic that was 65 million years
in the making. Jurassic Park takes you to an amazing theme park on a remote island where
dinosaurs once again roam the Earth, and five people must battle to survive among the

prehistoric predators. Starring Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and Richard Attenborough,
discover the breathtaking adventure you will want to experience again and again.

About ParagonFXGroup.Com
While Paragon FX Group is a new company, their staff is comprised of established prop makers,
collectors, artists and engineers who have been active in the industry for decades. Every item
replicated is the result of an exhaustive study of the original. In some cases, a given piece may
be lost to history and must be rebuilt from film study, while others are reverse engineered
directly from the original prop. In the end, their goal is to provide a museum quality replica of
that which is seen on screen.