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The Origin of Custom Funko Pop
The story of how an idea became a billion-dollar company is an interesting one.
It all started in 1998 when Mike Becker realized he could use his experience as a sculptor, illustrator, and product designer to create unique prototypes for licensed comic book characters owned by different companies. These first designs were hugely popular with the newly-called “collector hunters” who scoured the country looking for limited vinyl products to add to their collections.
As of recent, the Funko pop craze has taken off. This toy is so popular that people are starting to create custom toys. Customizing your Funko Pop can be a great way to express yourself and have tons of creative potential with this toy. Not to mention the handsome money you can make from this opportunity.
Many ideas are popping up now in my head. You could partner with Funko pop artists while you focus on marketing and packaging. You also can create an interactive website where visitors can design Funko Pop properties like body type, hair features, skin color, among others.
I would go with personalized creation first than mass-produced because of the exclusiveness. This will also give you room to grow.
How can you create your own custom Funko Pop?
The original manufacturing process for these figures relies on injection molding, though some companies have converted to vacuum-forming.
- A digital model is needed to get the ball rolling and create a 3D CAD drawing (typically from photographs) with all the proportions correct, so it looks like an actual person or figment of your imagination.
- Once that drawing has been created, and then an artist is tasked with creating a ‘mold side,’ which entails sculpting every minute detail into the face and body parts; this includes hair features, jewelry, skin texture details, and other intricate appendages such as weapons or even instruments if they are part of the character design.
- These molds are then painted with acrylic paint and finalized with details such as tattoos, scars, and wrinkles.
Funko pop has this iconic look, something you need to incorporate into your design when creating a custom one while still maintain its original vibe.
Will you strike a copyright issue when creating your custom Funko Pop?
It is not legal to make a knockoff version of any licensed character, like a Back to the Future Marty Funko Pop then selling it as your own. Copyright infringement is illegal and results in hefty fines. But it’s permitted to create a custom Funko Pop of your design. Also, remember The Funko Pop company also has its patent, which prohibits any other toy from using its eye mechanism. Generally, it’s better to consult a law professional before going big-time marketing.
How much can you make from creating custom Funko Pop?
It depends on your artistic and marketing skills. You can profit around $20 a pop. The basic one could earn more with better quality and higher demand. This is akin to a custom illustration job. It would help if you had a decent portfolio and clients before you can start thriving. Also, it’s worth noting, just like another pop culture, soon it will wane out, and we need to anticipate this.
Where can you market your Funko Pop?
Crafty websites like Etsy, Instagram, Pinterest, among others. Because of the nature of its art and design, you can try to also post in Dribbble or DeviantArt and attract customers from there.
What are the biggest challenges?
It is finding an excellent manufacturer to do your production. It’s not as easy as it sounds. There will be many complications that could arise, such as quality control and quantity of orders per batch-if you want to go the mass production route. So it would be best if you found someone who is reliable without sacrificing time or cost so they can continue working with you in the future.
If you like to be crafty and passionate in miniatures, designing, and have a sense of art to make Funko Pop even more iconic and personalized, this is your chance. As of this writing, there’s still no major Funko Pop fulfilment like for T-Shirt’s print-on-demand. You can create one, dropship, or start humble one at a time from your workshop.
