GeekWire
  • Home
  • News
    • Amazon
    • Microsoft
    • Startups presented by CIBC
    • Space
    • Geek Life
    • Podcasts
    • Civic presented by Microsoft
    • Sustainability
    • Impact Series
    • Health/Life Sciences
    • Health Tech Podcast
    • Geek of the Week
    • Tech Moves presented by TalentReach
    • Bot or Not presented by Google Cloud
    • Money Hacks presented by BECU
    • Guide to re:Invent sponsored by AWS
    • GeekWire Elevator Pitch presented by WestRiver Group
    • AWS Marketplace Seller Conference 2023 Spotlights sponsored by AWS
  • Jobs
  • Events
    • GeekWire Events
    • Community Calendar
  • Lists
    • Amazon Office Buildings
    • GeekWire 200
    • GeekWire Startup List
    • GeekWire Startup Resources
    • GeekWire Startup Spaces
    • Layoff Tracker
    • Northwest Women VC & Angel Investor List
    • Recent Fundings
    • M&As and IPOs
    • Seattle Engineering Outposts
    • Venture Capital Directory
  • Membership
    • Memberships
    • Health Benefits
  • About
    • About GeekWire
    • Email Newsletters
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Sponsors
    • Reprints & Permissions

Toys

Inside BrickCon 2023, where serious LEGO geeks have been building for this moment

by Kurt Schlosser on September 9, 2023September 9, 2023 at 8:33 am

If you build it, they will come. Especially if you build a train, roller coaster, coral reef, space station, warship, castle, hot rod, battle scene or countless other things out… Read More

Video

Inside the ultimate Star Wars house, where two fans built a galaxy-sized collection of toys and more

by Kurt Schlosser on May 4, 2023May 4, 2023 at 12:13 pm

On a piece of wooded property not that far, far away from Seattle, a life-size C-3PO figure is visible through a front window of the house at the end of… Read More

News Brief

Funko acquires Mondo, a pop culture company with focus on records, posters and more

by Kurt Schlosser on June 13, 2022June 13, 2022 at 8:18 am

Everett, Wash.-based Funko, sellers of pop culture toys and collectibles, has acquired Mondo, an Austin-based company that makes vinyl records, posters, apparel and more. Mondo was founded in 2001 by… Read More

T-Mobile’s latest bright idea is a magenta-infused Lite-Brite toy to promote its 5G network

by Kurt Schlosser on November 23, 2021November 23, 2021 at 10:02 am

T-Mobile is tapping into a bit of toy nostalgia to shine a light on its unending quest to let everyone know that it’s really, really into 5G. The Bellevue, Wash.-based… Read More

Funko gets into NFTs by combining physical and digital pop culture products and acquiring key app

by Kurt Schlosser on April 1, 2021April 1, 2021 at 7:28 am

Funko is taking the popularity of its pop-culture collectibles into the future and embracing the hysteria around NFTs. The Everett, Wash.-based maker of toys and figurines announced Thursday that it… Read More

How I became a ‘Pop’ icon: Testing Funko’s new personalized figurine-building experience

by Kurt Schlosser on December 11, 2020December 11, 2020 at 8:54 am

Move over Captain America, Hulk, Princess Leia, Russell Wilson and every other pop culture icon in Funko’s world of Pop! figurines. There’s a new hero in town. It’s me! And… Read More

Video

Pre-orders start for LEGO and Nintendo ‘Super Mario’ set that interacts with the physical world

by Kurt Schlosser on April 8, 2020April 8, 2020 at 11:29 am

A new partnership between LEGO and Nintendo promises to take the colorful bricks to a whole new level as the two companies have teamed on a “Super Mario” set that… Read More

News Brief

Lego celebrates 20 years of the International Space Station with an out-of-this-world new model

by Kurt Schlosser on January 21, 2020January 21, 2020 at 10:28 am

Lego is aiming high again with a new model for space geeks, this time celebrating the more than 20 years that the International Space Station has been a home to… Read More

Funko is making a Baby Yoda from Disney’s ‘The Mandalorian’ — but not in time for Christmas

by Kurt Schlosser on December 3, 2019December 3, 2019 at 12:40 pm

Star Wars fans looking to stuff a little extra cuteness in someone’s stocking this holiday season will have to wait. But at least Baby Yoda is going to become a… Read More

Lego Blue Moon lander

Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket and Blue Moon lander proposed … as Lego toys

by Alan Boyle on November 8, 2019November 8, 2019 at 5:09 pm

Which will go into commercial service first: Blue Origin’s orbital-class New Glenn rocket and Blue Moon lunar lander, or the Lego toy versions? The answer will depend not only on… Read More

Funko goes Hollywood with large new retail location in heart of pop-culture world it celebrates

by Kurt Schlosser on November 8, 2019November 8, 2019 at 9:32 am

Funko has always been a bit Hollywood, with a product line nodding to some of the biggest franchises in pop culture. Now the Everett, Wash.-based company has actually gone Hollywood,… Read More

Baseball is coming: Forget winter, spring will bring unique ‘Game of Thrones’ MLB bobbleheads

by Kurt Schlosser on February 25, 2019February 22, 2019 at 3:03 pm

Winter is leaving, and with that will come a new season of Major League Baseball and the final season of “Game of Thrones.” A collaboration announced Monday between MLB and… Read More

My kids sat in front of Amazon’s first-ever printed toy catalog: ‘Whoa! … Is everything in here free?’

by Kurt Schlosser on November 7, 2018November 7, 2018 at 10:13 am

Forty or so years after I did the same thing with a Sears holiday catalog, and about a month after that iconic retailer filed for bankruptcy, my own children —… Read More

Lego Hogwarts

Magical! Lego conjures up a 6,000-piece Hogwarts Castle for Harry Potter fans

by Kurt Schlosser on July 25, 2018July 25, 2018 at 3:35 pm

Find the Lego wizard in your house. You’re gonna need some help with this new set from the famed toymaker. The Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle was revealed on Wednesday, and… Read More

Fortnite

Funko lands another huge partner and will produce ‘Fortnite’ toys and collectibles

by Kurt Schlosser on July 18, 2018July 18, 2018 at 10:36 am

Make room, Marvel and Star Wars and many more. Funko, the pop culture consumer products company with a stable of top-shelf licenses, announced a new partnership with Epic Games to… Read More

Funko
Video

Get some Pop!corn: ‘Making Fun — The Story of Funko’ to premiere on Netflix next week

by Kurt Schlosser on May 16, 2018May 16, 2018 at 2:50 pm

You’ve probably seen “Toy Story.” Now, you’ll want to see a different type of story about toys. “Making Fun — The Story of Funko” is a documentary feature about the… Read More

Jabba's Sail Barge
Video

Star Wars fans spend $3.85M to back Jabba’s Barge, Hasbro’s biggest Star Wars toy vehicle ever

by Kurt Schlosser on April 3, 2018April 3, 2018 at 11:09 am

Fire up the R2-D2 drink cart! Star Wars geeks are going to get Jabba’s Sail Barge, a nearly 4-foot-long replica of the vehicle that was featured in “Return of the… Read More

Saga Pop!

How Funko pops out a Pop! Inside the process of creating collectible figures, from idea to product

by Daniel Rasmus on March 25, 2018March 26, 2018 at 10:45 am

Alana and Marko are interspecies lovers. They erupt onto comic book panels amid scenes of childbirth, intense battles, and robot sex. They quickly flee into an otherworldly sewer system. It’s… Read More

Toys R Us
Video

Reports: Longtime retail giant Toys R Us to close more than 800 U.S. stores; 30,000 jobs likely lost

by Kurt Schlosser on March 14, 2018March 14, 2018 at 3:58 pm

Toys R Us, the chain that grew to become the best-known toy retailer in the United States over a span of several decades, will close more than 800 stores around… Read More

Toys R Us

Hey, sad internet, use your imagination! If Toys R Us goes bust, pick a smaller box to shop in

by Kurt Schlosser on March 12, 2018March 12, 2018 at 12:42 pm

Commentary: Reports suggesting that Toys R Us and its 800 remaining stores may not be long for this retail world arrived for many this weekend like a Lego stuck to… Read More

Katherine Johnson Barbie doll
Video

‘Hidden Figures’ no more: New Barbie dolls honor NASA’s Katherine Johnson and 16 other women

by Alan Boyle on March 6, 2018March 6, 2018 at 4:54 pm

“Hidden Figures” mathematician Katherine Johnson may have missed out on the Lego toy treatment, but she and 16 other women are getting the Barbie doll treatment just in time for… Read More

Video

Doll of the year: 2018’s top American Girl is an aspiring astronaut named Luciana Vega

by Alan Boyle on December 28, 2017December 28, 2017 at 10:59 am

American Girl put a Space Age spin on the centuries-old tradition of dress-up dolls today by unveiling a spacesuit-clad character named Luciana Vega as its “Girl of the Year” for… Read More

Video

Melinda Gates wants curious kids to unwrap their full STEM potential with these holiday gift ideas

by Kurt Schlosser on December 8, 2017December 8, 2017 at 10:13 am

If the holiday gift tag is signed “Melinda,” chances are pretty good that that gift will be an inspiring one for any kid with a passing interest in science, technology,… Read More

Long legged Teddy bear

Long-legged Teddy bear that creeped out the internet spotted in Seattle-area Goodwill — 88% off!

by Kurt Schlosser on November 15, 2017November 20, 2017 at 6:49 am

UPDATE, Nov. 17: This story has been updated to reflect that the bear above is not a Joyfay Teddy bear. It’s a knock-off that looks similar to one that garnered… Read More

Lego "Women of NASA"

Lego shows off its ‘Women of NASA’ toy set, without ‘Hidden Figures’ star

by Alan Boyle on October 18, 2017October 18, 2017 at 3:14 pm

Seven and a half months after its selection, Lego unveiled a set of minifigures celebrating NASA women researchers and explorers, due to go on sale just in time for the… Read More

Fidget spinner in space
Video

Watch astronauts flip when they get to play with a fidget spinner on the space station

by Kurt Schlosser on October 14, 2017October 14, 2017 at 5:26 pm

We’re not entirely sure if fidget spinners are still a thing on Earth. But judging by a new video from NASA, they’re still cool on the International Space Station. The… Read More

Funko HQ

Giant Chewbacca, Harry Potter, Batgirl and more Funko figurines added to new HQ building

by Kurt Schlosser on July 25, 2017July 25, 2017 at 11:42 am

If you ever want to pop on by the new headquarters and flagship store for Funko in Everett, Wash., giant versions of the company’s signature POP! figurines mounted outside will… Read More

Researchers run the numbers on cutting the cost of toys by 3-D printing them at home

by Chelsey Ballarte on July 20, 2017July 19, 2017 at 11:43 pm

“The Lego Movie” had parents and kids singing “Everything Is Awesome” all the way to the toy stores, which boosted sales for the Danish block makers – but now researchers are reporting… Read More

Funko HQ

Pop culture powerhouse Funko to open giant flagship store in new Everett headquarters building

by Kurt Schlosser on March 24, 2017April 9, 2017 at 11:05 am

Funko, makers of pop culture figurines and much more, is growing so rapidly that it needs more space for its headquarters in Everett, Wash. With its move to a historic building… Read More

Women of NASA Lego set
Photos

From ‘Hidden Figures’ to minifigures: Lego toys immortalize the women of NASA

by Alan Boyle on February 28, 2017March 4, 2017 at 7:47 pm

It’s all systems go for a new set of Lego minifigures celebrating women researchers at NASA, including the central figure in the acclaimed movie “Hidden Figures.” NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson,… Read More

  • Older

A Word From Our Sponsors

About

  • About GeekWire
  • Contact Us
  • Ask About Advertising
  • Send Us a Tip
  • Become a GeekWire Member
  • Join Our Startup List
  • Reprints and Permissions

Follow

GeekWire Newsletters

Catch every headline in your inbox

Read GeekWire

  • Apple News
  • Google News

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Sponsored Content Policy
Return to Top of Page
© 2011-2023 GeekWire, LLC