Mark Hamill Exclusive Funko Pop Vinyl Figures for DesignerCon

      DesignerCon is only a few weeks away so prepare for your social media feeds to be inundated with releases that make your pupils dilate and your wallet wonder what the safe word is.  For those in attendance, may God forgive the thrashing you're about to do to your credit, cause there will be too much goodness to just window shop.  One of the more unique offerings that I've seen so far will be thees exclusive Mark Hamill Funko Pop Vinyl figures.  They come in two different designs, one in which he's keeping it casual and wearing a Lave Bear shirt designed by his son Nathan, and another where he is dressed as his most famous voice over role.  Now within those two designs there will different versions for you to collect, which you can see in the pictures I've included.  Those very same pictures also give you the very important locations in which you can procure said figures, lest you run around the show floor like a crazy person screaming Mark Hamill's name only to end up with someone recording it, selling it to TMZ, and you then you're forever remembered for your stalker-like meltdown.

    If you're going to try and get them all, because why wouldn't you, I'm going to copy and paste the info you need right now so you can plan accordingly, as the purple metallic edition is only available by purchasing an MVP package to the show.  So read this carefully because unlike your other friends, I just want you to be happy:

Here is the breakdown:

- Mark Hamill (Black LavaBear shirt) Available to all attendees at booth 1805.

- Purple Mark Hamill (Edition of 1000) ONLY AVAILABLE VIA MVP PACKAGE

- Mark Hamill (Joker Suit) Available to all attendees at booth 1807.

- Mark Hamill (White LavaBear shirt) Available to all attendees at booth 1807.

- Limited Edition Combo (500 sets) with Mark Hamill POP (Black LavaBear Shirt) & LavaBear Shirt by Nathan Hamill as Seen on Big Bang Theory, booth 1805.




    

James Gunn's Funko Pop Vinyl Raffle to Aid Puerto Rico

    New York Comic Con has come and gone and one of the hottest pieces of the entire show was this James Gunn Pop Vinyl figure from Funko.  The Guardians of the Galaxy director was nearly impossible to get and a lot of them ended up on eBay for prices that exceed my monthly car payment.  But there is hope for all of you collectors out there who may have missed out and it all benefits a great cause.  James and Funko were able to get ten total figures together in a raffle to aid the folks of Puerto Rico who are still struggling after being decimated by a hurricane.  Tickets to enter are only $1 each or you can get 12 tickets for $10 and they can be purchased by visiting this link.   Each figure comes signed and all of the proceeds will go directly to help out those in need.   

NYCC Exclusive Zack Ryder WWE Pop Vinyl from Funko

    New York Comic Con is right around the corner and you're looking at the best exclusive to be offered the entire weekend.  Professional wrestler, toy collector, and all around Hype Bro Zack Ryder is finally getting the Pop Vinyl treatment.  Is this bigger than his ladder match win for the Intercontinental title at Wrestlemania?  I'm sure it ranks up there, though when he won that match I cried with happiness a little bit inside my body.  It's a skill I've picked up during my many years of extreme manliness.  

    Funko has a lottery system for anyone attending the convention that you have to enter on line and you can bet I'm gonna try to get one of these.  I'm gonna put him on my desk and he's going to inspire me to keep working hard.  Not verbally of course, unless the one I get happens to be haunted for some weird reason.  Like someone fell into the vat of plastic just as they were making these figures and his soul is trapped in mine.  This just took a dark turn.  

    Oh, and the Hype Bros deserve to be tag team champions in case anyone is reading this that has the power to make that happen and is easily persuaded by my lack of argument.  

WWE's Iron Sheik Pop Vinyls from Funko

  

    If you're not following The Iron Sheik on social media then you are missing out on some of the greatest gems the internet has to offer.  How no one has created a talk show with this guy is beyond me.  You get him a desk, some celebrity guests, and just hit record to document the magic that is sure to follow.  This is one of the reasons I need to be rich, so I can fund things like this and make the world a better place.  The Sheik has the answers, you just have to be willing to listen.

   In the realm of things that are long overdue, this is at the top. The Iron Sheik is finally getting the Pop Vinyl treatment from Funko and he swears you better give him the same place of honor in your home that you would afford The Pope or he's gonna break your back and make you humble.  

    There is a regular edition and a chase version and they will be available this summer wherever respectable toys are sold.  And in the meantime go watch his movie and get some damn inspiration in your life.  

New WWE Pop Vinyl from Funko

    The WWE merchandising team must have done one of those '80's movies freeze frame high fives when they first saw Finn Balor in his Demon makeup.  I would have lost my mind as a kid and wanted everything I owned to be covered in it.  Give me the officially licensed hoodie, backpack, book covers, Trapper Keeper, Halloween costume, dog sweater, and whatever else you could possibly put it on.  And he has one of the best entrances of all time.  I really think that to start a business meeting off every participant should have to do an entrance as dramatic to assert their dominance in the situation.  Get some music, a fog machine, and let everyone know that negotiations are only going in your favor.  Bring some extra folks holding signs up for added drama.  

    Funko is set to release its latest wave of WWE Pop Vinyl figures and i'm going to have to track down at least one of Finn in his makeup.  I think I like the FYE exclusive one the best but I wouldn't leave the chase figure sitting on the shelf either.  They are also featuring AJ Styles, Goldberg, and Mick Foley in his former role as general manager of RAW.   These should be available everywhere in May. 

Funko Fools Day at Mothership in Philly

    April Fool's Day is typically reserved for making us all look dumb.  You can't believe anything anyone tells you unless you see proof that has been notarized with a verifiable chain of custody and sworn to under penalty of death.  Even then you still have to be suspicious, cause some folks would literally die to pull a fast one on you.  Fear not though, for there is safe harbor for you on this day filled with lies because Mothership Art Gallery and Designer Toy Store is hosting Funko Fools Days.  You can trade Pop Vinyl figures, see crazy custom ones, or just hang out until you are safe from all trickery.  Everything you need to know is in the picture there and if I'm reading it correctly they even have snacks!  I ran out of snacks days ago but hate going to the grocery store so instead I just complain about it.  

  

Review Time Suckas: Metallic Skeletor Hikari from Funko x Tenacious Toys

   It's been a hot minute since I've done one of my patented world famous reviews so why not review a Hikari figure from Funko.  I've got a few Pops hanging around the homestead but I've never dabbled with their homages to Japanese vinyl, so when Benny from Tenacious Toys asked if I wanted to check one out my curiosity took over.  Behold the results of my investigative study featuring Skeletor.

    First and foremost while the box advertises the figure as Japanese vinyl, the tag hanging from the toy makes it clear that it is inspired by the popular medium in its hand made production and paint application rather than being exactly the same.  The plastic definitely feels similar to my sofubi figures, but I'm far from a scholar on producing toys so I have no idea whether or not they're using the same stuff your favorite artists are.

Product may contain up to 90% blood of thy enemies.  

    Now let's get to what's actually important:  is the toy cool or not.  As a collector I buy stuff based on how it looks and whether or not I like it, not how or where it's made.  You could make a toy out of recycled toilets as long as it looks awesome.  And I'll be honest with you, the Hikari style works better on some characters than others but I think this Skeletor is a win.  He translates well, possibly because he's monster-ish and fits with what I traditional think of as a Japanese toy.  And he looks tough enough to whoop He-Mans behind.  I mean, anyone with a fleshless skull for a head has got to be tough right?  You don't have to work that hard at it when you're bringing that to the table.

    He features three point of articulation located at his arms and neck, so he can point at you in accusatory fashion:

You both smelt it and dealt it.

Ask for hugs:

I'll be gentle.  

Turn and look at you sideways when you say something dumb:

Your opinion was not thoroughly researched.  

Wonder where the hell you're going when he tries to hug you:

I said I'd be gentle. 

    But does he have that one feature that is most important in all Masters of the Universe figures; that one element that proves their authenticity beyond any shadow of doubt?  Does he have a fuzzy pair of man panties?

    There you have it folks.  His butt is indeed covered with the finest of yak hair.  I could have just led with that and saved myself a whole bunch of typing.  

    In conclusion: I went into this not really knowing what to expect but came out of it with a greater appreciation for the product.  If I had hated it I would have told you because I have zero poker face, but it's honestly a cool figure at a price that won't make you have to choose between the collectibles you love and eating dinner for a week.  Again, not all of them are for me, but there are a few more I wouldn't kick out of bed if they found there way into my house.  I meant that exactly as it sounded.

     Tenacious Toys now has this and a bunch of other older Hikari figures at very affordable prices that make them great for customizing as well.  You can find Skeletor, Astro Boy, Optimus Prime, Creature from The Black Lagoon and a ton of others to add to your collection.  Check out the entire line at this link. 

New WWE Pop Vinyl from Funko

    Ooooooooh I love me some wrasslin.  I'm on a sports entertainment high note, because in a few weeks I'm gonna see NXT two nights in a row and I just found out Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling are going to be in Philadelphia in May, which will be amazing.  I'm already too pumped and may have to go hit a neighbor with a steel chair.  

    Before I go and commit felony assault I'll tell you about the newest WWE superstars to be immortalized in Pop Vinyl form by Funko.  There's Kane, which I would have preferred the full mask  version, but that's just me being a nerd, and Shawn Michaels, who is to blame for me wanting to deliver "Sweet Chin Music" to every irritating soul I come across.  Believe me, they deserve it.

    These are both Walgreens exclusives so start looking for your nearest one now.  

Toys R Us Exclusive New Day Pop Vinyls Available Now for Preorder

    New...Day Pops!  New...Day Pops!  Oh, don't you dare be sour cause these New Day Funko Pop! Vinyl figures are up for preorder right now!!!!!  Sold exclusively through Toys R US, this three pack featuring your WWE world tag team champions is set to release the first week in October, but you can secure your set right now, with free shipping in the US, by visiting this link.  Not owning them would be booty to the highest degree.  Booty to the nth power.  So booty that you could not recover from it, as there is no known cure for terminal bootyitis.  So if you don't get them go ahead and alert your loved ones now so they can make your final arrangements.  This whole thing just took a really dark turn.  

Lemmy Pop! Vinyl from Funko

       This is Lemmy.  He was in a band called Motorhead.  Unfortunately he is no longer with us.  But now he is one of Funko's Pop Vinyl figures.  Just holding this toy will probably get you stoned and make you as attractive to the opposite sex as an antelope carcass is to hyenas.  That's how Lemmy would have wanted it.  

WWE's The New Day Immortalized as Funko Pop! Vinyls

    "Ooooooh Toy Viking readers, don't you dare be sour, clap for your world famous two time champs, and feeeeeeel the pooooooooooweeeeeerr...."

    It's The New Day, yes it is, shrunken down and turned into Funko Pop! Vinyls.  These are definitely not Booty and will be available this holiday season as exclusives to Toys R Us.  Will they all three be packaged together?  Will that package be a box of Booty O's?  Will the WWE ever hire me to live out my literary fantasies as a writer for their programs?  Only those with true unicorn magic know for sure.  Holders of said magic drop me an email and answer all my questions.  I'm still only half way through my unicorn magic guide but my allergy pills keep making me fall asleep right when I get to the good part.  Curse you pollen and the wall you've built blocking my path to enlightenment!

New WWE Pop Vinyl Figures from Funko

 

    Oooooh man, I tried my best to make this post as authentic as I could so I wrote it while watching RAW last night.  I was trying to channel some good wrasslin vibes from my tv to my iPad and make internet gold for you, or at least something nice enough so Kevin Owens doesn't block me on Twitter.

   Funko is set to release a bunch of new WWE figures this August just in time for Summerslam.  They've got three of my faves from the current roster in Seth Rollins, Bray Wyatt, and the aforementioned Kevin Owens, as well as Hall of Famer Brett Hart and Total Divas star Eva Marie.  Is it weird if I'm excited to buy them all and pretend to cut promos in the bathtub?  Try not to be jealous that you didn't think of it first.

    

Super Shogun Boba Fett "Prototype Edition" from Super7 x Funko

    When they make that stand alone Boba Fett movie it should start right after he falls into the Sarlac and his wife should show up and rescue him.  That's right, his wife that you didn't even know he had that's super competitive and never going to let him live down the fact that she saved him from certain digestion.  Then the rest of the movie should be reality show style as they catch various space criminals like that Dog the Bounty Hunter.  They could also have some dumb kids that they're trying to work into the family business, and I think they should have those little side interviews like they do on Parks and Recreation cause those make me happy.  My brain is literally minting gold bars with this one.

    These Super Shogun Boba Fett figures are by far my favorite to have come from the Super7 and Funko partnership.  They're frickin huge, which I love, and they're Star Wars related, which again is ok by me.  Make a statement in your home with this Protoype Edition right now for $200 by visiting this link.


    

Roman Reigns Pop! Vinyl from Funko

    My wife and I were sitting in the crowd at Raw two weeks ago when Roman Reigns won the championship and we both got chills when it happened.  We thought the most exciting part of the night was gonna be seeing Vince McMahon in person, but when Reigns won the title it reaffirmed everything that's great about professional wrestling.  And ya, I do in fact know that it's scripted, but I think that makes it even harder when you're talking about a show that runs every week of the year.  You have to plan out the ebb and flow of the story, you have to many times do the opposite of what the viewer wants so that when you hit them with a great moment it is even more powerful.  You need a hearty dose of familiarity while still attempting to surprise.  And if you think about any other tv show they don't have to deal with major characters getting hurt out of the blue and they also get plenty of down time to rethink plot points.  I've always enjoyed it since I was a kid but learning about what it takes to actually make the WWE happen has made me fall in love with it for different reasons.

     This March you can add the champ to your Pop! Vinyl collection when Funko releases this figure.  I have a suggestion for the people in charge of making these things.  How about a set of accessories to go with the toys?  You could make all of the belts, the Money in the Bank briefcase, a steel chair, a ladder, and countless other items to enhance our displays.  Just a thought.

New WWE Pop Vinyl! From Funko

   "Let me tell you something, Tony Schiavone, people have themselves a lot of opinions about a lot of things.  Some people think Nickleback makes listenable music.  Some people think Nicholas Cage would have made an awesome Superman.  Some people, Tony Shiavone, actually acknowledge the Star Wars prequels as having happened.  I know, it's disturbing to contemplate.  But even the most misguided person can't look at themselves in the mirror and pretend they're not jealous of John Cena's   jorts.  Admit it, you wish you could rock a pair of denim shorts with half the conviction he does.  It would make summer clothes shopping so much easier if they were a possibility, cause I've got meaty thighs and they just don't have a section in JCPenny that caters to my man legs."

    I just dropped the sickest promo on you right then.  Any minute now Vince McMahon is gonna call me and shower me with cash.  So before that happens I should probably tell you about these new WWE Pop Vinyl! figures from Funko.  You will soon be able to own Paige, The Ultimate Warrior, and the aforementioned John Cena.

Funko Announces Bi-Monthly Star Wars Subscription Boxes

    Man, let me tell you how caught up I got in all the new Star Wars excitement.  I drug my behind, and that of my wife, out to Toys R Us at midnight just to get a look at the new toys.  I walk in and there's these four foot tall Stormtrooper and Darth Vader figures for $100 each and I almost came home with them.  I was trying to justify buying them, but once civil war broke out in my brain the reasonable side totally won out, leaving behind them a trail of dead, irrational soldiers.  Then we go into Bed Bath and Beyond a few days later and they have that killer smart phone controlled BB-8 toy, and yet again a war was fought in the confines of my skull.  I ended up leaving with a headache and no droid.  Sometimes being an adult is beyond dumb.

    Finally, after years of seeing people freak out about those subscription box thingys there's finally one I'm interested in.  I've completely given up on anyone coming out with the "Human Skull of the Month" club, but Funko's Smuggler's Bounty is pretty intriguing.  They're kicking this thing off in November and the first box will feature 2 exclusive Pop! Vinyl figures and other stuff related to the new film.  Supposedly every box will focus on a different aspect of the Star Wars universe, but hopefully they're smart enough to leave Jar Jar out of it.  Unless it's a severed head, then by all means.  Each box will cost $25 and will be available bi-monthly, but if you subscribe for a full year you get a special surprise at the end of it that's exclusive to those not afraid of commitment.  Get it going over at www.smugglersbounty.com.  

More WWE Goodness Coming from Funko

    Oh you all know I looooooooove my wrasslin.  I haven't been to an event since Sharon and I went to the Royal Rumble in January, but that wrasslin-less streak is about to be broken in a big way cause we got tickets to Summerslam!!!!!  I was already beyond psyched when they announced The Undertaker was gonna fight Brock Lesnar, but just yesterday I discovered that it's going to be a FOUR HOUR pauper view.  Usually they're all three hours except for Wrestlemania, but now we're getting an extra hour of brutality!!!!   And now that I think about it, this is probably the only thing that could last for that long that I'd ever be excited about.  Usually when I'm at work and I see there's four more hours before I can leave it takes all my will power not to shove a screw driver into my heart and swirl it around.  But if you're talking about some serious sports entertainment, I'm there the whole day.

    Do you have enough WWE Superstar Pop! Vinyls in your collection yet?  Probably not, jabroni, but Funko's gonna help you out with new ones featuring Sting, Andre the Giant, and The Bella Twins.  All of these should be available in September.

    

    And they've got these little blind boxed dudes coming out too, which I'm sure will be delayed now as they're gonna have to not only redo the packaging but pay someone to open em all and remove a certain someone who is going through a bit of controversy right now.  But enough about that, let's focus on how badly I want a little Iron Sheik figure!!!!!!!!!  Even if you're not a wrestling fan, you need to follow the Iron Sheik on every form of social media you have, cause that dude is the best thing to happen to the internet since the domestication of cats.  

Target Exclusive Ric Flair Pop! Vinyl from Funko

    WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!  I don't talk too much about Pop! Vinyls, cause honestly the dang things are everywhere.  I renewed my car insurance it came with an exclusive figure.  I find the things stuffed behind my books, a handful fell out of a new bag of cat litter, and I think I may have my own likeness available any day now.  At one time I as trying to collect all the different versions of Batman, but some of those suckers are priced so outrageously on the secondary market that I abandoned that quest for the sake of my own mental health.  But then this.  Let's go to the video, Tony Shiavone:

 

    I don't think that really had anything to do with toys, but I can't stop listening to The Nature Boy tell you what's what.  And if you buy this Target exclusive figure he can inspire you to cut the most over the top, energetic promos on everyone in your life.   Whether it's your boss, the pope, or anyone else giving you a heap of sass, you put your aviators on, sling your title belt over you shoulder, and let them know that if they wanna be the man, they gotta beat the man.  You should probably do a few push ups too just in case they try and call you on that last part.

    I have no idea when these are coming out and no one else in the world seems to either, so just keep harassing you local Target until victory is yours.

More Star Wars Pop! Vinyl Coming Soon from Funko

    Scientists predict that there will never be a time from now until the end of the human race that there will not be new Star Wars stuff to buy.  And it will probably continue beyond that as a superior race of beings from somewhere in space discovers our once vibrant planet, covered in sand and ruins and near mint packaged action figures.  They will fall in love with them so much that they will start bootlegging them on their home world, to be sold in whatever passes for a Chinatown there.  It's exactly what the "Circle of Life" song in The Lion King was talking about.

    Funko is continuing it's quest to make every character from every thing you can think of into a Pop! Vinyl figure with the latest series from Star Wars.  They will be available in July and I'm gonna need the Darth Vader one, but I'm holding out on anymore until they make one of the guy who ran catering on set.  It'll happen.


    

Batman Dorbz from Funko's Vinyl Sugar Line

   
    Now I for one prefer my Batman a little dark and gritty, but being that I'm no longer a teenager with a closet full of band shirts and a bad attitude (ok, so I got older but the other two still stand) I'm trying to appreciate the cuter things in life.  Like these Dorbz figures from Funko's Vinyl Sugar division.  They totally make me not angry while watching a Subway commercial with that Jarad guy who lost all the weight eating those gross sandwiches.  No one is impressed any more ya idiot!  I mean, no big deal, look how cute these figures are.  Total meltdown avoided.  ( there actually was a Subway commercial on while I typed this by the way.  It's like I've invited you right into my living room without having to awkwardly wait for you to leave).   Pick up these precious little crime fighters and villains this June.