‘Pokémon’ Pikachu Comes To Funko Pop!
Funko, the pop culture toy collectible company famous for their Pop! vinyl figures, made an announcement on Thursday about a new item they’re planning to release. A specific date for the debut has not been stated; however buzz is already going around on Variety, hyping the coming soon addition of Pokémon Pop! Figures to Target stores at some point in July.
Coming in at number 353 in this long line of big headed figurines will be none other than the beloved. yellow electric mouse-creature, Pikachu. It’s not clear if the company is planning an actual long line of Pokémon toys, or if this will be a one and done type of scenario is uncertain at this point, since the company has not made a clear statement regarding that specific question.
It has been speculated by Variety that, due to the recent announcement of new Nintendo Switch games Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! this fall, coupled with the incredibly powerful popularity of Pokémon, this may wind up being brand new army of toy figures. Certainly a long line would likely be lucrative to the company, given the fan base for Pokémon in both younger and older generations. There would be a large pool of characters to choose from within the series and could add to the already large empire that is Funko.
After Pikachu, the company has not remarked on any further character figurine plans, if any. Because of his status as Pikachu’s companion, Ash Ketchum might make sense to come up next.
The company has previously released numerous Pop! figures for various franchises. Mini versions of fan favorites in universes such as the recent Friends toy representations, all manner of movie figures and other television series, such as TaleSpin and Dragon Ball Z, are already available on shelves at local stores, even outside of Target. San Diego Comic-Con exclusives have even made past debuts. Selections such as the 13th Doctor — played by actress Jodie Whittaker — from the popular series, Doctor Who, are also part of the Funko treasures.
The headquarters for this innovative toy company is located in Everette, Washington. Before Funko can invent any of their pop culture products, there is a licensure process that must be adhered to in order for the company to avoid running into copyright issues of any sort. Clearly, the creators at Funko have not had issues gaining such licenses for many fan favorite toy lines in the past. To get a look at past Pop! figure releases, check out the vault on Funko‘s website.
