Out + About

Destination: Funko HQ

The perfect place for Disney-obsessed littles, middle-school-age Marvel fiends, teens infatuated with anime and cult classics — and their parents, who love it all

By Jenna Vandenberg

Maybe you could call Funko HQ (funko.com) a toy store. There are plushies to squeeze, board games to peruse and legions of figures in boxes to covet. But all of the jovial adults and grinning teenagers negate the toy-store vibe. This place is far more than a toy store.

Here, you’ll find different worlds to inhabit and giant Funko statues ready to be featured in selfies. You can sit in the Batmobile, peek inside Hogwarts or explore a snow-covered “Star Wars” landscape — all while choosing which Funkos to buy.

Whatever your pop culture interest might be, there is likely a Funko figure for you. Fans of “Friends” or “Stranger Things,”

K-pop or anime can buy a Rachel Green or Eleven, a Jimin or Ginshi Shirazu Funko. There are Funko Pops! of U2, Boyz II Men and Daveed Diggs (as Thomas Jefferson). Sports stars, “Star Wars” characters, Disney princesses and Marvel superheroes can all be found inside this menagerie of ultracute figurines.

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More than a toy store or a museum, Funko HQ is a haven for collectors — called “Funatics,” naturally. Pop culture enthusiasts from all over the world make the pilgrimage to Wetmore Avenue in Everett for a chance to shop near the place where it all began.

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This purveyor of pop culture started in 1998, when Funko founder Mike Becker and founding artist Rob Schwartz bonded over their love of swap meets and roadside Americana vibes. They began Funko by designing bobbleheads — which they called Wacky Wobblers — and securing licensing deals with brands such as fast-food chain Bob’s Big Boy, cartoon character Betty Boop and New Line Cinema’s sequel to the spy spoof “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.” Soon they were creating Wacky Wobblers of all kinds of characters and shipping out toys from their office in downtown Everett. A cult following burgeoned, and in 2002 Funko hosted its first fan event: Funko Funday.

Now, Funko Funday is hosted for one night during the San Diego Comic-Con. Impossible-to-get tickets for the event sell out in nanoseconds.

The instantly recognizable Funko Pop! figures — giantheaded, big-eyed replicas of fan-favorite actors, characters and other notables from the pop culture zeitgeist — debuted in 2010, when the company began working with DC Comics. First designed to be a plushie, the block-head design was configured in vinyl instead and debuted at the 2010 Comic-Con. Although some old-school fans initially hated the design because it wasn’t a bobblehead, more women and kids started buying Pops! and a global sensation was born.

Planning your visit to Funko HQ

With all of Funko’s worldwide fame and obsessive fans, it’s a bit miraculous that the company’s headquarters, one of only two dedicated retail spaces, is located in Everett. It’s practically our duty as Pacific Northwesterners to pay homage to the place.

Every morning, a gaggle of Funko fans queues up to await the store opening in hopes of getting their hands on new or exclusive figures. Arriving early and joining this crowd can be fun, as you are likely to get an earful about the joys of finding a hard-to-get item. Exclusive Funkos are typically released on Mondays, Wednesdays or Fridays. However, if the Funatic whisper network telegraphs an exciting new release, long morning lines can accumulate at a moment’s notice. Check out the company’s Facebook page (facebook.com/funkohq) for updated hours, peeks at exclusives and news about special events.

If you can’t make the trek to Everett until a weekend or school holiday, be prepared to wait in a line that snakes around the building. You could easily be standing there for an hour. Karl’s Bakery and Cafe (facebook.com/karlsbakeryandcafe) is next door, should you require caffeine or sustenance. The streets surrounding Funko feature free 90-minute parking, and it’s usually pretty easy to find a spot.

Cash is not accepted at the store. Backpacks and water bottles aren’t allowed, but lockers are available to stash your belongings. There are bathrooms inside the store, but no food or drink options are available. There is neither a fee to enter nor a time limit once you get in.

Once inside

Remember that line you stood in? You’ll appreciate that crowd-control protocol once you enter the store. Not only are fewer folks breathing and sneezing in your vicinity, but your attempts to take pictures of your kids next to the Princess Tiana statue won’t be thwarted by people walking through your photo shoot.

If you venture in a counterclockwise direction, you’ll first wind through Wetmore Forest, where mossy trees drape over wood land creatures. Next up is a pop culture and Marvel section, featuring a Batmobile to sit in and Godzilla to pose next to. There are toy safes tucked into the walls with levers to pull and gears to turn as kids try to crack the code. You’ll next navigate a 1950s-inspired section of Funko Vinyl Soda displays, featuring mini statues tucked inside soda cans, in front of a “Jeopardy”-style TV show showcasing Funko-related trivia questions. Then there is a Disney castle to walk through, complete with the Hulk busting through walls and Spider-Man clinging to the roof. The “Star Wars”–themed area presents a snowy landscape from “The Empire Strikes Back.” In the last world, you’ll be greeted by Harry, Hermione and Ron at Hogwarts.

A standard Funko Pop! is reasonably priced at $12, so it is possible to leave the store with your bank account relatively undented. However, if you are in the mood to spend hundreds of dollars, there are scads of gift sets, pins, plushies, games, T-shirts and Loungefly backpacks to choose from. Plan to spend about an hour in the store, although if you want to examine every shelf or take a series of selfies, you could easily spend a couple of hours inside. ■

Mom of two Jenna Vandenberg teaches history at a public high school north of Seattle.