Comic Book Men 713 “Pop Goes the Stash”
The final episode of Season 7 of Comic Book Men takes Kevin and the gang to the Grand Opening of Funko Headquarters where they are honored with their very own Pop! figures. Pop Goes the Stash features some vintage toys and comics and a familiar face joins the crew to fill in while the staff heads west for the Funko opening.
First up is a customer who brings in a Clash of the Titans Kraken action figure from 1980. After releasing the Kraken form its toy box, Walt and the boys go down memory lane waxing nostalgic about the movie and legendary FX pioneer Ray Harryhausen who worked on the film. The Kraken’s scarcity and novelty piques Walt’s interest and after some negotiating and deal is completed.
Kevin contacts Ming and he relays the message that Funko will be making Pop! figures based on the Comic Book Men. The honor takes everyone by surprise and the fact that Funko wants them to be on hand for the launch of their first retail mega store in near Seattle only makes it sweeter. The only hiccup is that Walt doesn’t fly so he can’t go. Besides, the Stash can’t stay open if there’s no one to run it so it’s Rob Bruce to the rescue to fill in for Ming, Bryan and Mike while they are out west.
Some vintage coin medallions featuring the Hulk, Conan and Spider-Man are brought into the store by a customer who has bronze and silver versions of each. The coins were originally advertised in Marvel’s comics in the early 70’s and sold for $3.99 at the time. The customer offers to sell all six for $2500 but Walt and Rob try to get him to sell them separately. Their target is the silver Spider-Man coin and the wheeling and dealing begins.
A lucky customer who survived the usual comic book purge of his youth comes into the store with his collection of books from 1964 -1969. Unlike most comic book collectors his mother didn’t throw out his books and now he’s looking to unload them. The collection includes the first appearance of Poison Ivy, The Amazing Spider-Man #50 and Creeper #1. Walt and Rob pick out the issues they like and make a deal for them.
Meanwhile at Funko HQ, Mike, Bryan and Ming meet Brian Mariotti, Funko’s CEO and Mike Becker, Funko’s creator. They chat a little about the company’s history as well as the impact their figures have had on pop culture. Before the grand opening Brian and Mike take the boys on a tour of their new mega store including the Harry Potter, Batman and Star Wars themed rooms. Kevin joins the lads at the opening and their new figures are unveiled before an enthusiastic crowd.
It’s only appropriate that pop culture afficionados Bryan, Ming, Mike and Walt join Kevin by being immortalized as Funko! figures. Pop Goes the Stash is a fitting conclusion to another enjoyable season of Comic Book Men. Season 7 was filled with enough laughs, cool guests and nostalgia to prove that geek culture is a long way from running out of steam.
