Former Funko CEO Is Ready For His Next Big Toy Story With Thrilljoy
Over the past decade, Funko has become synonymous with the toy collection scene. In addition to its ever-growing line of Pop vinyl figurines, Funko has clothing, plus, pins, and even other collectible companies under its umbrella–like Mondo–all tied to dozens of the company’s licenses. Now, former Funko CEO Brian Mariotti is trying to repeat history–and then surpass it–with his brand-new company, Thrilljoy.
Mariotti officially launched the company at New York Comic Con with a premiere panel and plenty of collectibles for fans with licenses ranging from The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter to even the Rankin/Bass animated movies, and animation icons like Masters of the Universe and Thundercats. GameSpot spoke to Mariotti at the Thrilljoy booth at New York Comic Con about the trials and tribulations of not just launching the company but the plans he has in store, and the differences between this new collectible company and his former employer.
“The only thing that was a bit concerning was very little marketing ahead of time and the nature of trying to build a company in four and a half months, then launch in person at the largest comic con in the world,” the Thrilljoy CEO said. “That part was a little nerve-racking but once we got here and got set up and the fans saw the product, the rest took care of itself. The lines have been phenomenal, and the response to the product in person has been exactly what we wanted. That’s why we wanted to launch at New York Comic Con, to have fans come up and touch and look in person, so that’s been amazing.”