FUNKO POP
 The streaming era of Star Trek on Paramount+ has been a mixed bag, to say the least. Discovery has degraded steadily, Picard managed to redeem itself after two dreadful seasons, while Strange New Worlds remains competent yet aggressively overpraised. Quietly emerging as the sturdiest creative performer in the current Trek portfolio has been the animated offering Lower Decks - a misfit comedy about the low-ranking support crew who handle the menial tasks aboard the USS Cerritos. The show overcame some initial growing pains (in which it struggled to balance affectionate satire with genuine homage) to establish a consistent and comfortable groove; as it preps for its fifth and final season, it’s more than earned its place in the Trek hierarchy. As mentioned previously, the union of animation and Funko Pop often proves a delicate alchemy. Sometimes the two styles simply don’t mesh at all (Family Guy being the most notorious offender, though Peanuts was a bit rough and Big Mouth turned out about as aesthetically pleasing as you’d expect). More often than not, the figures are technically acceptable, but feel oddly leached of personality (The Simpsons, Futurama, Bob’s Burgers). Thankfully, the Lower Decks lineup generates no such complaints - the designs feel like they capture the essence of the characters perfectly. I particularly wanted the D’Vana Tendi figure, as I imagine her mint-green skin tone would pop magnificently on the shelf, but cost and space considerations typically dictate a two character limit per license… and, as the bedrock of the show, Mariner and Boimler were the obvious priority - you can’t very well have one without the other.
Mariner in particular looks virtually flawless. Her pose - wrists on hips, weight slightly shifted to her left with both feet splayed - perfectly conveys her snarky, insubordinate persona… as does her facial expression. I know I harp a lot about the art of nuance when it comes to Pop design, but I feel like I’m forever fighting the perception of Funko being synonymous with low-grade crap. Take a look at Mariner’s eyes. Her lids are lowered precisely the right fractional amount to project a sense of combative disdain (any lower and she’d appear sleepy), coupled with her sharply curved eyebrows and the fact that the lids slant inwards rather than outwards. Her hair is sculpted perfectly (I particularly like how the ponytail favors her lefthand side), popping against the bright red of her uniform top and scrunchie, while her sleeves are rolled to the elbows - exactly as they appear on the show. The likeness is absolutely spot-on. Boimler is comparatively less exciting. His expression is neutral, and he stands at attention with his hands clasped behind his back… appropriate for a character who’s an uptight stickler for rules and regulations (a mouth might have helped project his overarching enthusiasm for all things Starfleet, but that choice will always elicit mixed reactions - I’m fine not going down that thorny path). The main claim to fame here is how well the sculpt captures the tousled geometric quality of his purple hair - the proportions are slightly exaggerated compared to his cartoon counterpart, but the end result looks great (unfortunately the hair tips remain largely obscured in the box, which not only tempers the figure’s overall shelf appeal, but also lessens the impact of the purple against his red uniform top). On its own, this is a relatively nondescript Pop, but when paired with Mariner, their contrast in style and personality makes for an appealing duo… just as it does on Lower Decks itself.
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3/15/2024 0 Comments daria morgendorffer & jane lane Daria may not have had the enduring popularity or level of cultural impact as South Park or the show it was originally spun-off from (Beavis & Butt-Head), but in my opinion it remains the quintessential Gen-X animated series. I’ve been rewatching episodes on Paramount Plus and I am stunned at how well they hold up (aside from the unfortunate fact the show hasn’t been remastered in HD). There’s a gentleness to the humor that feels almost disarming by today’s standards - the sarcasm is barbed, but rarely mean-spirited… and while the supporting cast is frequently the butt of the joke, the characters are never lazy or reductive. Daria may gaze at the world through a jaundiced eye, but her wry cynicism is practically a form of nostalgic comfort now (Tracy Grandstaff’s deadpan delivery is so soothing, it might as well qualify as ASMR); it was frankly a far less complicated time to be alive. It remains a terrifically written show that should still resonate for anyone who was a teenager during the 90s.
You might notice that my version of Daria is the 2019 Fall Convention Limited Edition (which technically falls under Pop’s “Animation” umbrella), whereas Jane is part of the newly released Daria “Television” line (which inexplicably includes Jodie instead of Quinn - I mean come on. Come on). Ironically, Jane pairs far better with this original iteration of Daria, given their matching crossed-arm poses… which, on the shelf, present a united front of contemptuous disdain. Daria is clad in her trademark uniform - chunky black combat boots, pleated black skirt, unfashionable green jacket zipped over an orange t-shirt. The standard Pop proportions give her normally heart-shaped face a slightly blockier appearance, yet there’s no quibbling with her heavy-lidded gaze (Daria’s default mode was typically one of social ennui, after all, rather than overt hostility). This is really the Daria Pop you want to own (still reasonably priced on eBay, even though the Pop Price Guide claims the going rate is $70) - the new version has her half-heartedly holding an open book, for no good reason other than variety’s sake. Animation tends to be a major crapshoot when it comes to the Funko brand (some styles simply do not translate - take one look at the Family Guy figures, for instance), but Jane turned out undeniably stellar - there’s something in particular about the geometric quality of her hair that works perfectly in 3D space. Like Daria, her wardrobe is on point - black boots, black leggings, black shorts, and a red blazer over a black v-neck shirt - and her aqua blue eyes are an obvious standout (better not to have too many figures deviate from the standard black peepers, but the ones that do tend to make the most of it). Her sharp, slanting eyebrows, red lipstick, and trio of ear piercings complete the overall look (once again we bump up against the polarizing subject of mouths. Let’s just say I can’t really imagine Daria with one, I can’t really imagine Jane without one, and leave things at that). At any rate, if my Funko Pop collection serves as my own biographical pop culture tapestry - as I often suggest it does - then Daria and Jane represent a comforting corner of my teenage years as I transitioned from high school to college. Of course, I have no doubt the two of them would crap all over collecting Pops in the first place. Frankly that’s their problem.
4/7/2023 0 Comments sir mix-a-lot Whenever people describe Sir Mix-A-Lot as a “one-hit wonder” I can’t help but bristle. Sure, Baby Got Back remains one of the most recognizable hits of the 90s, basically dwarfing the rest of his catalogue… but anyone who’s listened to his 1992 classic Mack Daddy (or its follow-up Chief Boot Knocka) knows that Mix was one of the decade’s more severely underrated MC’s (hmm… maybe I should write a piece about that in the music section - stay tuned!) It’s not altogether surprising. With Death Row Records and West Coast gangster rap at its apex in the early-90s (and the East Coast coming in hot with artists such as Biggie), a tongue-in-cheek hip-hop jester from Seattle didn’t have an obvious place in the musical landscape. Nonetheless, Mix’s beats, flow, and lyrical game were far better than he ever got credit for (look, I love Baby Got Back as much as the next guy - but that song basically left him pigeonholed for the rest of his career as some crass, sexist buffoon… okay, that was admittedly a significant part of his persona, but I’m not sure people grasped how self-aware he was about it). Anyway, I was a full-fledged Mix-a-Holic back in the day… to the point that I even watched his ridiculous anthology series The Watcher on UPN, for God’s sake. My credentials are *not* to be questioned. At any rate, I was obviously delighted to see Mix receive the well-deserved Funko Pop treatment and was quick to add him to my collection. His figure, not surprisingly, is modeled directly on the cover for the Baby Got Back single - same outfit (black leather jacket, black shirt and pants, black kicks with white laces), same pose (elbows raised, hands pressed against his chest), same accessories (white sunglasses and white fedora with black band). On the downside, his heavy-lidded expression is somewhat devoid of personality (he's downright sleepy-looking), paint application on the glasses is a bit sloppy, and they didn’t get the girth quite right - Mix is looking a little too slender for my taste, you could almost mistake him for a fourth member of Run DMC or something. There are, however, two details that absolutely kick this figure up a notch. The first is the MIX-A-LOT brass knuckles (rendered perfectly)… and the second (which can be a bit hard to see while he remains boxed) is that our man is literally posed on top of a bare set of buttocks. Baby Got Back indeed. And unlike the cartoonish rendition on the bottom left, Funko Mix is standing on a lovingly crafted and almost disturbingly realistic female posterior. Who says Pops have no artistic integrity??
2/4/2023 0 Comments Eddie van halen & joan jett Having evolved beyond the rigid parameters and constrained creativity, clenched fists and blank expressions that Pop figures suffered from in the early days, Funko’s design team has taken to experimenting more and more with movement in recent years. Once we abandoned the notion that figures were required to balance on their own two feet and stands could be incorporated into the pose, it opened up all sorts of creative possibilities. Rock stars, in particular, were no longer forced to remain earthbound - as evidenced by these recent Eddie Van Halen and Joan Jett additions to the “Pop Rocks” line. Let’s take a closer look --
Eddie - depicted mid-leap - lives up to the namesake of his band’s biggest hit (spoilers: it's "Jump"). By far the coolest detail is that he’s armed with his iconic “Frankenstrat” guitar, complete with its signature red-white-and-black finish. And as you can see from the above picture, the design of his outfit - the red kerchief, the sleeveless shirt adorned with a dice print, the patched jeans - is anything but incidental. Eddie’s hair ripples appreciably to convey a sense of motion, but what’s really interesting here is his expression. There’s quite a bit of debate in Pop circles regarding the subject of mouths - some feel they should be absolutely off-limits (though there’s slightly more leeway with animated characters), while others think they make the figures more expressive and should become more commonplace. I tend to lean towards the former… and yet, it’s impossible to picture this Van Halen Pop without the infectious grin. It really captures the energy and joyousness with which Eddie performed on-stage. Joan Jett’s figure, meanwhile, captures the rock legend at the apex of one of her vertical stage springs. Like Eddie, she’s not shredding just any old guitar - that’s her signature white Gibson Melody Maker that she bought from Eric Carmen of The Raspberries. Her jet-black mane is spot-on, as is her all-black outfit with the red kicks. As you can see from the pic, they even got her armbands just right (studded bracelet on the left wrist, red bandana wrapped around the right), as well as the zippers at the cuff of her leather pants and the detailing on her guitar strap. No mouth needed here; her sharp, slanted eyebrows are enough to convey her rock ’n roll game face. Whereas Eddie exudes exhilaration, she’s pure badass. The common denominator, however, is that neither figure would be half as memorable if they weren’t allowed to jam in mid-air.
 I may have had mixed feelings about the first season of House of the Dragon (see the review over on the site’s TV page), but such ambivalence doesn't extend here to the Funko Pop section, because these two George R.R. Martin-inspired beauties are absolutely lit (as the kids would say - I think). These particular Pop figures are - of course - modeled on the Milly Alcock/Emily Carey incarnations of the characters, when the two of them were still fresh-faced teens at the beginning of the series. To say they look awesome on the shelf - particularly when posed side-by-side - would be an understatement. They absolutely *pop* (um, pun… sort of intended). And their designs are not incidental --
Rhaenyra, clad in the red dress and gold cloak she wore when she was coronated heir to the Iron Throne, and Alicent, wearing the green dress and matching cape she defiantly appeared in at Rhaenyra’s wedding, hint at their impending power struggle in the latter half of the season. But, more than anything, it makes for an awesome visual juxtaposition - especially given their matching poses, and the additional contrast between Rhaenyra’s distinctive, white-blonde Targaryen tresses and Alicent’s cascade of burgundy locks. The detailing on both dresses is outstanding - look at the stitching on Alicent’s chest and the embroidery on the sleeves, the gold beading around the circumference of Rhaenyra’s black headpiece, the jeweled rings on their fingers… they even got their respective earrings exactly right. The sculpting work on Alicent’s hair - with its complex blend of waves and braiding - is particularly impressive. Meanwhile, Funko agnostics like to claim (snidely) that Pops are utterly interchangeable, but let’s take a look at the facial expressions, shall we? Rhaenyra’s eyebrows are raised just a fraction higher than Alicent’s, while her eyelashes curve upwards, giving a confident and slightly mischievous impression. Alicent’s, on the other hand, are more neutral, expressing a sense of perpetual consternation… I can’t believe how well it captures that look of internalized anxiety that Emily Carey wore throughout the majority of her screentime. The nuances are absolutely there... if you can be bothered to look for them. Anyway, these are really exceptional figures, amongst my personal favorites released in 2022 - and, not to sound harsh, but a lot more memorable than the TV series that inspired them.
11/9/2022 0 Comments Ted lasso I don’t pretend to understand the complex nuances of licensing, but if there were *any* TV show from the past few years I would have guaranteed Funko would be furiously milking, it’s the Emmy-winning Apple TV+ juggernaut Ted Lasso. The massive popularity of the feel-good series - and its entrenched position in the cultural zeitgeist - are precisely the sort of catnip Funko typically finds impossible to ignore (they certainly couldn’t announce those Squid Game Pops fast enough). Consider: Wave One: Ted Lasso / Rebecca Welton / Roy Kent / Coach Beard / Keeley Jones / Jamie Tartt Wave Two: Nate Shelley / Sam Obisanya / Leslie Higgins / Dani Rojas / Isaac McAdoo / Trent Crimm, The Independent Simple, right? I mean, what self-respecting Ted Lasso fan wouldn’t jump at the opportunity to own a Trent Crimm, The Independent Pop? God knows I would. Instead, all we’ve gotten so far are convention exclusives of Ted and Coach Beard, which is both frustrating and pretty disappointing. Nonetheless, Ted himself is a perfectly solid addition to any collection (FYI - in spite of the would-be cache of the “Summer Convention Limited Edition” sticker, they were simply stocking these at the Funko Pop store in Hollywood. No above-and-beyond effort was required). The figure easily captures Jason Sudeikis’s likeness with the distinctive hair and mustache (though, if I’m being honest, it would be preeeeeeetty easy to pair this head with a Chicago Bears sweater and call it a Mike Ditka Pop). The relaxed, hands-in-the-pockets pose effectively conveys Ted’s easygoing vibe, though Funko decided to forgo his trademark visor. Instead of his training attire, we get tan slacks and an AFC Richmond cardigan (complete with a pretty darn impressive rendition of the club crest, given that it’s less than half-a-centimeter wide). It’s a pretty basic figure, all things considered... and while Ted could have been holding a “BELIEVE” sign or something along those lines, I think less is actually more in this case. Another minor detail I like is the circle around the figure number being a soccer ball. Funko has become quite adept at these smart little touches.  10/5/2022 0 Comments Becky Lynch & Alexa Bliss (WWE) I don’t really watch WWE regularly anymore (and haven’t since college), though I do check out most of the PPV events these days since they stream live on Peacock, so why the hell not? Most of my pro wrestling Pops are old-school icons from my childhood (The Ultimate Warrior, The Million Dollar Man, etc…), but I couldn’t resist adding two of my favorite female superstars to the collection. Becky Lynch has had several previous Pop iterations, none of which have particularly lit me up. This one, however - this Target Con exclusive (Target Con is a thing? Who knew?) - this is *exactly* the one I’ve been waiting for. The figure is based on Lynch’s win in the Wrestlemania XXXV main event, when she defeated Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair to capture both the Raw and Smackdown Women’s Championships. The dual belt design - the Raw title draped over her shoulder, the Smackdown title held aloft and gripped by the strap - is a conceptual slam dunk. Becky’s ring attire can be hit-or-miss (as evidenced by the garish Ziggy Stardust-by-way-of-Pris-in-Blade-Runner getup she’s been rocking for most of this year), but this outfit - black, long-sleeved top and fishnet leggings - is on point. She even has the yellow piping on the sleeves and hips, though it’s difficult to see that detailing in the picture. High marks for the hair sculpting as well, complete with the braiding on the right side of her scalp - though again, it’s tough to fully appreciate while she’s still in the box. Honestly though? I can’t really imagine a Becky Lynch Pop I’d dig more.
Alexa Bliss, of course, is based on her Firefly Funhouse gimmick, when she was, like, possessed (or something) and found herself in thrall to the Fiend, which… wasn’t necessarily my favorite usage of her, but makes for one heck of a Pop figure. The white eyes and heavily scribbled eye shadow look absolutely fantastic; coupled with her blonde hair, gathered in oversized twin bunches with dyed pink ends and giant pink bow, this is easily one of the best head sculpts in my entire collection. That being said, she’s nearly as impressive from the neck down, with her pink shirt, kiddie sneakers, fingerless white gloves, and paint-spattered overall dress (complete with the “Lilly” logo on her chest for the keen-eyed observer). Oh, and the best part? She’s been posed performing a goddamn curtsy. Christ, I remember when virtually every Pop was molded with the exact same “clenched fists/constipated squat” default stance. Thankfully, we now live in more civilized times, and this iteration of Alexa artfully captures the giggly, girlish derangement of her character. Funko actually released a chase variant and a Walmart exclusive as well (three Alexa Bliss Pops?! What a time to be alive), but for my money, this is easily the best of the trio. Now then… if Funko would just release a Liv Morgan Pop and a Rhea Ripley Pop, then we'd be cooking with some serious gas.
10/1/2022 0 Comments Ruth Langmore (Ozark) Whenever people ask why on earth I collect Funko Pop figures (which is basically, like… ALL the time), this - this right here - this would be “Exhibit A.” Ruth Langmore. Ruth freakin’ Langmore. The secret to Funko’s eye-popping success isn’t exactly rocket science, as much as people pretend to be utterly mystified by it. It’s the licensing, stupid. More specifically, it's the sheer *breadth* of the licensing. As the company is so fond of saying “Everyone is a fan of something.” And my Pop collection is like a veritable microcosm of this entire website - a highly-personalized mosaic of self-expression, curated and distilled from the complete pop culture spectrum. In other words, anyone can own a Rey figure from Star Wars. But not everyone owns a Rey figure that sits between Beth Harmon from The Queen’s Gambit and Piper Chapman from Orange is the New Black. Which brings us back to Ruth Langmore, one of my single favorite characters from the past decade or so of television. To say I was delighted when Funko announced they were doing an Ozark line would be an understatement. The figure’s likeness is solid, effectively capturing Julia Garner’s distinctive mess of curls and subtly conveying her Ruth-ian body language (oh, you don't think Pops convey body language? Think again). Interestingly, most female Pops have a standard tri-lash design… but I don’t think I’ve ever seen this particular look (at least within my collection), in which the eyelashes are basically a single barb, jutting from the eyes like devil’s horns. But I dig it - coupled with the sharp eyebrows, it definitely hints strongly at Ruth’s volcanic personality. In spite of having seen every episode of Ozark, I have to admit I was left grasping for the significance of the headphones. I gather it may be a reference to “The Cousin of Death,” in which… something pretty momentous happens, plot-wise, but it’s an odd detail, especially since I’m pretty sure Ruth always used EarPods on the show anyway? Of course, oblique symbolism is rather fitting when it comes to Ozark, since I’d always make a special point of paying attention to the episode-specific images that appear in the opening “O”… only to completely forget about them two minutes later. Every. Single. Time.
9/26/2022 0 Comments Dustin & Max (Stranger Things) When Funko announced the first wave of Stranger Things Pops for season 4, I was… well, to be honest I was a little underwhelmed.  Dull variations of Will (who, let’s be honest, is pretty much always dull), Eleven, Lucas, etc… and a disappointing lack of new blood (I contend that Funko *drastically* miscalculated when they made Eddie a Target exclusive and can’t imagine they won’t rectify that at some point). I like Steve and Robin in their video store getups (and the poses are perfect), but I already have the two of them in their far superior Scoops Ahoy uniforms, so they didn’t feel like much of a priority. In the end, I settled on Dustin and Max. Dustin is the obvious standout here, with his literal “thinking cap,” walkie-talkie and Hellfire Club tee (which is rendered *perfectly* - for all that Funko haters like to act as if Pops are the artistic standard of a claw machine prize in Singapore, I’m continuously impressed at the level of detail that gets packed into these figures). Visually, he has pretty significant shelf appeal, particularly with his shirt’s bright colors and the eye-grabbing graphics on his hat. Max is a little less exciting at first glance (hey, she was dealing with depression this season, she’s *supposed* to appear a bit drab), but within the context of said season, her walkman and headphones are an awesome detail (if you squint *reaaaaaally* closely, you can see the Kate Bush tape. Can’t see it? You aren’t squinting hard enough). She also looks better out of the box, as you can better appreciate her ponytail and fully revel in her Sadie Sink awesomeness.  Wave two has since been announced, and I still have mixed feelings. Robin looks particularly badass in her commando getup, Argyle is fine if you’re into that character, and while I love the idea of a Vecna figure in theory, I agree with the general reaction that he doesn’t translate very well at all to the Pop style, particularly in terms of his skin texture and coloring. Mostly I’m wondering why Nancy keeps getting the short shrift. There is a two-pack of her and Robin inspired by their visit to Pennhurst Asylum at least, but a shotgun-toting combat version felt like a no-brainer. She now literally has fewer figures than Erica, for God’s sake. I really don't get it.
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