New Jim Henson Pop Vinyl Figures from Funko!!!

I'm sure if you're as obsessed about Jim Henson stuff as me you already know about, and maybe even own, some of the AWESOME new Dark Crystal and Labyrinth Pop Vinyl figures that have just been released by Funko!

Back in 2012 Funko released their first Henson related series of figures with The Muppets Pop figures and Wacky Wobblers. I picked up the Kermit Pop Vinyl figure (shown above) and somehow managed to resist collecting the other nine figures in the series, instead choosing to collect the Muppets Wacky Wobblers set. Then in 2015 along came Funko's Sesame Street Pop figure series!!! As awesome as they are, especially with Big Bird and Snuffy as 6 inch figures to keep them in scale with the smaller Muppets, I was well behaved and didn't cave in to collect them! Yet, they have kept taunting me just as the Muppets series did, and now in 2016 Funko has hit the nerve of my geeky "all things Henson" obsession with the addition of not one, but TWO, more Henson inspired collections: The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth!!!

That's it, I'm toast! Hoist the white flag!

You win Funko... and thank you for winning!!!! These new figures are so amazingly detailed, with the costumes recreated exactly like in the movies, how could I possibly pass them up?!?! The Labyrinth set even includes a harder to find Jareth the Goblin King variant with his magical orb! ...and Ludo is a 6 inch figure! Ack! A Ludo action figure!!!! (Sigh!) So now I want them all... all the Muppets and all the Sesame Street gang, and all the new ones!!!  ....Farewell disposable income, farewell!!!!

Jen, Kermit, and Jareth Pop figures by Funko in their nifty boxes!

Below I've compiled a list of all the Henson related figures that Funko has made to date, because I want to be as helpful a Muppet freak as can be by passing along my obsession with these collectables to others who, like me, have been trying in vain to resist collecting them. Isn't that nice of me! :)

Oh...and dare I forget to mention the Dark Crystal action figure series that Funko will soon be releasing! These are based on the very rare action figures that were briefly available in 1982 during the films original run. Yes it's true, what was sundered and undone, has been fixed by Funko! Dark Crystal action figures that we can actually own will soon become a reality!!!

2012

The Muppets/The Muppets Most Wanted: Pop Vinyl Figures
01 Kermit - The Muppets box
01 Kermit - The Muppets box, metallic variant
01 Kermit - Muppets Most Wanted box
02 Miss Piggy - The Muppets box
02 Miss Piggy - The Muppets box, metallic variant
02 Miss Piggy - Muppets Most Wanted box
03 Gonzo - released only in "The Muppets" box
04 Fozzie Bear - released only in "The Muppets" box
05 Animal - The Muppets box (standard edition box with slanted logo)
05 Animal - The Muppets box (standard edition box with slanted logo), metallic variant
05 Animal - Muppets Most Wanted box
05 Animal - The Muppets box (limited edition box with horizontal logo), flocked variant - reissued Dec 2016 as a Funko.com exclusive, limited to 4000
06 Dr. Teeth - released only in "The Muppets" box
07 Mahna Mahna - released only in "The Muppets" box
08 Snowth - released only in "The Muppets" box
(no number) 3 pack set: Mahna Mahna and two Snowths, metallic variant, The Muppets box
09 Sam the Eagle - released only in "Muppets Most Wanted" box
10 Swedish Chef - released only in "Muppets Most Wanted" box
11  Coming soon! Superhero Kermit - The Muppets box (limited edition box with horizontal logo),  New for March 2017! (Emerald City Comic Con Exclusive)

The back of each Funko Pop box shows illustrations of all the figures that are available in a collection. In this case Sam the Eagle and Swedish Chef are not shown on this "The Muppets" box as those figures were not yet available. They're only shown on the back of "Muppets Most Wanted" boxes along with Kermit, Miss Piggy and Animal.

The Muppets: Wacky Wobblers (Bobble Heads)
Kermit
Miss Piggy
Fozzie Bear
Fozzie Bear, flocked variant
Animal
Animal, metallic variant
Dr. Teeth
Gonzo (not released)
Beaker (not released)
Sweetums (not released)

The Muppets: Plushies (I'm not aware if these were actually released or not)
Kermit
Miss Piggy
Animal

The Muppets: Cupcake Keepsakes (I'm not aware if these were actually released or not)
Kermit
Miss Piggy

Sesame Street

Here is the complete collection of all the Sesame Funko Pop characters along with Kermit from the Muppets series. Shown above in order that they were released are Kermit the Frog, Super Grover, Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, Bert, Ernie, Snuffleupagus, Count, Elmo, Grover, Big Bird, and Herry Monster. Missing from this photo are the variant figures, including an orange version of Oscar the Grouch and a few flocked versions of some characters.

This is an awesome collection of Sesame figures that I just had to have! It's a fun series and each figure is very well sculpted. I would have preferred the Cookie Monster figure to have been made dark blue to look like the actual Muppet, but as usual with Sesame toys Funko made him light blue. It's so bizarre that Cookie Monster toys are always light blue!!! Big Bird also has a white crest on his head above his eyes but it's never included on toys of the character which is odd. It would be a shrewd bit of marketing on Funko's part to reissue the same Cookie Monster figure in dark blue for die hard Muppet fans like me (Funko that's a little hint!). A limited edition Big Bird with the white crest area coloured in would also be interesting, but if I had to choose I'd rather Funko made a dark blue Cookie Monster figure.

It would also be awesome if Funko continued the series to make more retro Sesame characters as they did with the special edition Herry Monster. In any case, when I was collecting these I left the light blue Cookie Monster figure for last along with Elmo, who I find a tad annoying, but I'm glad to have both of them now as they complete the collection! Below are more pictures of these awesome little Funko Sesame dudes.... which I am a tad obsessed with! :)

Here's a closer look as series 1 of the Sesame Pop figures along with Kermit the Frog from the Muppets Funko Pop series. Below is series 2 along with the recently released Herry Monster.

Here is the complete collection of Sesame Street Funko Pop figures in their original boxes. Kermit is also shown in his original Muppets box. It would be neat if Funko re-issued this same Kermit figure in a Sesame Street box to make him officially part of the collection! (That's another little hint Funko!) ;)

Below is a complete list of all the figures and exclusive variations that were also made. All of the variant figures have flocking except for the orange Oscar the Grouch. Personally, I'm not too interested in the flocked figures, but I am hoping to eventually add the orange Oscar to my collection.

*Note: Be careful when buying flocked variants of Sesame characters as I've seen customized, home-made flocked figures online that were not issued by Funko!

2015 - 2017

Sesame Street: Pop Vinyl Figures
01 Super Grover
01 Super Grover, flocked variant* - reissued Dec 2016 as a Funko.com exclusive, limited to 4000
02 Cookie Monster
02 Cookie Monster, flocked variant* (New York Comic Con Exclusive)
03 Oscar
03 Oscar, orange variant (Entertainment Earth Exclusive)
04 Bert
04 Bert, flocked variant* (Barnes & Noble Exclusive)
05 Ernie
05 Ernie, flocked variant* (Barnes & Noble Exclusive)
06 Mr. Snuffleupagus (6 inch)
06 Mr. Snuffleupagus (6 inch), flocked variant* (San Diego Comic Con Exclusive)
07 The Count
08 Elmo
08 Elmo, flocked variant* (Barnes & Noble Exclusive)
09 Grover
10 Big Bird (6 inch)
10 Big Bird (6 inch), flocked variant* (Barnes & Noble Exclusive)
11 Herry Monster (Funko Specialty Series Exclusive) New for March 2017!

Here is the exclusive "Funko Specialty Series" Herry Monster released in March 2017.

The back of the Sesame Street Pop boxes for figures number 2 to 5 (series 1) show an illustration of the first five figures on the back of the boxes, while figures number 6 to 10 (series 2) have the entire collection on the box. The back of Super Grover's box (number 1) has a photo of the actual Muppet with text listing selected characters from both series as "coming soon". The back of special edition Herry Monster box is the same as the series 2 boxes and does not mention any additional characters as coming soon, which I had hoped to find! My wish list for additional Sesame Funko Pop figures is posted here: http://mikeysmuppetmemorabiliamuseum.blogspot.ca/2017/05/mikeys-wish-list-for-sesame-street.html

Here's a closer look at the series 1 figures in their original boxes. I forgot to take a photo of just the series 2 figures in their boxes, so I'll add that one here soon!

2016

Labyrinth: Pop Vinyl Figures (these were added to the Pop vinyl "Movie" series)
363 Sarah & Worm
364 Jareth (brown jacket with cane)
365 Jareth (white outfit, holding crystal orb), Hot Topic Exclusive
365 Jareth (white outfit, holding crystal orb), "Glitter" variant (not shown)
366 Ludo (6 inch)
367 Hoggle

The Dark Crystal: Pop Vinyl Figures (these were added to the Pop vinyl "Movie" series)
339 Jen
340 Kira & Fizzgig (open mouth)
340 Kira & Fizzgig (closed mouth), variant
341 Aughra
342 The Chamberlain Skeksis
343 Ursol the Chanter

The Dark Crystal Pop figures in their boxes, above, and loose, below.

I've included the side and back views to show the amazing attention for detail that Funko has applied to these figures. The costumes are amazing!!! Click on any picture for a larger view.

The Dark Crystal: Reaction Figures (to be released Nov 2016)
Each figure comes with a different section of the Dark Crystal...awesomeness!!!

Carded figures:
Jen
Kira (no wings) & Fizzgig (open mouth)
Aughra
The Chamberlain Skeksis

Boxed figures:
Ursol the Chanter
Garthim, Kira with wings and Fizzgig (closed mouth)
Landstrider and Jen

If Funko actually releases all of these awesome action figures then, logically, we'll have to beg them to make a Dark Crystal castle playset in the style of Castle Grayskull, along with some pod people, more Skeksis, and one of those weird light dudes from the end of the movie! Wouldn't that be yummy! :)

And, Oh my goodness, maybe they would - gasp! - do the same for Labyrinth and issue Reaction figures based on those characters too!!!