Funko CEO Explains Future Mondo Strategy, and It’s Pretty Bad

Days after several core members behind the winner of Mondowere fired by Funko , Funko ’s CEOreleased a statementexplaining what comes next . And it ’s not great .

“ The Mondo poster business will carry on , flow , ” CEO Brian Mariottisaid in a statement free via societal media . “ We feel that making exceedingly limited run of posting , most of which are 150 pieces or under , circumscribe access to rooter unfairly . Many of these posters are bought with the sole purpose of flipping them at a much high cost to rooter that really want them . The posters are created by some of the most awesome artist working today . Our destination is to make larger variant size runs ( limited but not extremist - limited ) that allow more sports fan to enter in this world - class expression of pop culture art . We also conceive that broadening the pop - refinement ambit to include video belongings , sport , anime and euphony will have an awful appetency from Mondo fans and daddy - refinement fan likewise . ”

That ’s just part of the statement , which you’re able to read in full below .

Mondo’s booth at SDCC last year.

Mondo’s booth at SDCC last year.Photo: Germain Lussier/io9

There is obviously a lot to discuss here , with the biggest takeout food being that Mariotti seems to not just be miss the point of Mondo solely , but dwell about it . For starter motor , the posters being limited version is what made them cool . Low supplying match mellow demand . Yes , that sometimes lead to an unfair and esurient aftermarket , but the same can be said for circumscribed edition Pops released by Funko . You have your mass - market Pops and then the super modified 1 . Guess which ace buff require more ?

Also , Mondo card were very , very rarely in editions of 150 or under . There were certainly some , but those were almost always countersink at that number for a very specific reason , like that the property or creative person was n’t yet proven . To say “ most ” Mondo posters ran under 150 is just blatantly out of true , even if you go back to its earliest day . “ Some ” maybe . “ Most ? ” No . In fact , under Funko , Mondo started doing even more timed editions , which allowed however many fan wanted the poster to purchase it for a set amount of time .

up the runs on the posters also leads to some very important questions about quality . That ’s another understanding why Mondo runs are unremarkably small than those of a traditional poster : because each one is screen - printed by hand . The screenprinting industry is already overworked with the current output of limited - edition bill poster . If Mondo wants to up the runs on these , you ’d imagine it would either have to create its own screenprinting business or revert to a dissimilar quality of printing , which is not what fans want . A higher end product will ensue in a lower tone .

Screenshot: Funko

Screenshot: Funko

There is one very , very true statement in here though : “ The posters are make by some of the most amazing artists working today . ” That is precise . But Mariotti does n’t plunge into the fact many of those artists were impart up and nurtured by the accurate people that were fire from the party . Plus several of them , io9 first report , said they would not work out for the society again without those employees .

All in all , this is not the warm , reassuring instruction Funko thinks it is . If anything , it usher a lack of apprehension of what Mondo stand for in the first place .

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