Funko Pops have been a cheap and accessible way for fans to engage with their favorite pieces of pop culture, and often allow for the creation of merchandise that may not have possible otherwise. The company is prolific at attending various conventions, offering up exclusive pop vinyls with unique and interesting designs.
Whatever plans Funko had for this year's events were thrown out the window, especially after the postponement of this year's Star Wars Celebration to 2022. This called into question what exclusive merchandise Funko would have offered at the show, and what would be done with these designs following the cancellation. The postponement also affected other companies and their merch, including a Lego Star Wars set that is believed would have been exclusive to the event now becoming available for preorder online .
Lego was not the only company to be affected, however, with Funko now revealing products that were previously to be sold at the event...
NEWS
Funko has unveiled new pop vinyl figures that were originally intended to be released as Star Wars Celebration 2020 exclusives. These are based on early concept artwork by Ralph McQuarrie for the original Star Wars , depicting designs for a female version of Luke Skywalker named Starkiller, Chewbacca, Darth Vader and Boba Fett.
Also revealed are two new figures celebrating the 40th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back. One of these figures is a larger setpiece, replicating the iconic moment where Yoda lifts Luke's X-Wing from the swampy waters of Dagobah.
The other is a much more straightforward pop vinyl of a Stormtrooper, albeit being supersized to being 10 inches tall.
The postponement of Star Wars Celebration certainly shook up the plans for various vendors planning on attending the event, with Funko being no exception. To see these exclusives come out now is exciting, as they will likely be much more accessible than if they had just been exclusive to the event.
These designs are some of the most unique to come out of Funko, not being based on an actual film but the concept art instead. These make for impressive looking figures, and ones that will be sure to excite collectors and fans of Ralph McQuarrie's extraordinary artwork alike. It is also nice to see merchandise commemorating 40 years since the release of The Empire Strikes Back , celebrating the impact that it has had on the Star Wars franchise.
No official word has been given on how these products can be obtained, but more information on their availability will be released soon.
