Convention - SDCC 2025: Funko’s Love Letter to San Diego and Pop Culture Fans

By Mulder, San Diego, Convention Center,, 23 july 2025

At San Diego Comic-Con 2025, the Funko booth (#5341) was once again one of the most magnetic destinations on the show floor, drawing in Funatics from all over the world with an experience that perfectly blended shopping frenzy, themed immersion, and a heartfelt tribute to its host city. This year’s booth was designed as a full “love letter” to San Diego, adorned with visual nods to local landmarks, sunny coastal vibes, and colorful, photo-ready set pieces. As soon as you stepped inside, you were greeted not just by walls of Pop! vinyls but by an atmosphere that felt part pop culture art gallery, part local street festival. Fans wandered through the space with smartphones in hand, stopping every few feet to snap selfies in front of playful backdrops, from palm-lined boardwalk scenes to stylized cityscapes, capturing their moment at one of SDCC’s most photogenic booths. The booth’s energy was matched only by its exclusives—rare and coveted collectibles that turned casual browsers into determined hunters.

Accessing this treasure trove was no small feat. Funko once again used the SDCC Exclusives Portal to control crowd flow, a system that required badge holders to apply for access starting Monday, July 7. This wasn’t just a first-come, first-served race—selection was randomized, adding a layer of suspense that became part of the Funko pre-con ritual. By Thursday, July 17, lucky winners received confirmation of their secured time slots, each granting a precious window to enter the booth and shop. But even with a slot, the race wasn’t over—items were sold on a strict first-come, first-served basis, meaning that the rarest Pops could vanish within minutes of the day’s opening. Anecdotes from veteran attendees suggest that even those with early slots often had to pivot quickly, swapping wishlist items on the fly depending on availability. For those unable to attend in person, Funko provided a lifeline: many of the exclusives were also made available online via Funko.com and shared retailers starting Thursday, July 24, at 6 AM PT (2 PM BST in Europe). The difference for collectors came down to stickers—con-purchased items proudly bore the SDCC 2025 sticker, while shared retailer items carried the “Summer Convention” version, a distinction that has become an unspoken badge of honor among serious collectors.

The exclusive lineup this year was a kaleidoscope of pop culture touchpoints, designed to appeal to as broad a spectrum of fandom as possible. Anime fans were thrilled by the Pop! Moment Demon Slayer Tengen with His Wives, the Pop! Moment Naruto Sasuke (Susano’o), and the charming Pop! Naruto Uzumaki Sasuke’s Paw Encyclopedia. Retro animation lovers gravitated toward the shimmering Pop! Sanrio My Melody Metallic and Pop! Sanrio Kuromi Metallic, as well as the nostalgic Pop! Pingu and Pop! Hanna-Barbera Huckleberry Hound (limited to 2000 pieces). Gamers and action fans found themselves drawn to the sleek Pop! Sonic the Hedgehog Buccaneer Shadow, the pirate-inspired twist on a gaming icon, and to Marvel standouts like Pop! X-Men ’97 Gambit, Dazzler, and Onslaught (LE 5000). Meanwhile, Disney fans could not resist the bittersweet charm of Pop! Inside Out Bing Bong, while Nickelodeon devotees grinned at the Pop! Premium SpongeBob SquarePants SpongeBob Cleaning.

Some of the biggest talking points came from Funko’s “show-only” exclusives—items available exclusively on the convention floor and packaged with extra collectible flair. Chief among these were the Pop! Heroes: Batman Blueprint and Pop! Heroes: Robin Blueprint (each limited to 2010 pieces), both designed with a striking technical-schematic aesthetic, and the Pop! Batman Azrael (LE 1500), which quickly became one of the weekend’s most sought-after pickups. These were joined by a nostalgic trio—Pop! Batman, Pop! Robin, and Pop! Penguin—packaged in clamshells reminiscent of SDCC 2010 releases, appealing directly to long-time Funatics. Other exclusives, such as the dazzling Pop! Barbie and the Rockers Faceted Barbie (LE 2000) and the ultra-rare Pop! Freddy Funko Voltron (LE 500), had fans forming mental strategies to either score them on the floor or find them on the secondary market later.

Beyond vinyl figures, the booth also offered smaller-scale charmers like Bitty Pop! Fun Force 4-Pack, the Bitty City Funkoville Land Starter Pack, and the Bitty City Funkoville Road Starter Pack, catering to the growing collector interest in miniature formats. Themed sets like the Fantastic Four: First Steps Bitty Pop! 4-Pack—featuring Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, The Thing, and Human Torch—provided a crossover appeal between Marvel loyalists and miniature collectors. Funko’s collaborative presence with Loungefly and Mondo added to the appeal, allowing fans to pick up matching bags, apparel, posters, and high-end art prints without leaving the booth space.

The Funko experience at SDCC 2025 didn’t end with shopping. The company hosted its panel, Funko Funderdome, an event that brought behind-the-scenes insights, surprise reveals, and a community feel that fans have come to cherish. Attendees shared stories of trading line tips, swapping Pops, and bonding over their mutual victories (and losses) in the booth lottery. For many, it was less about walking away with the rarest item and more about being part of the shared Funko culture that thrives each July in San Diego.

By the close of the convention, the Funko booth had once again proven why it is a perennial SDCC highlight. Its blend of immersive theming, exclusives that span decades of pop culture, and the thrill of the chase created an atmosphere where every collector—whether they walked away with an LE 500 grail or just a selfie with San Diego-themed set pieces—felt like they were part of something bigger. It wasn’t just about buying Pops; it was about joining a yearly pilgrimage, where fandom is celebrated as much in the lines and conversations as it is in the figures themselves. For Funatics, SDCC 2025 will be remembered as another chapter in the ongoing love affair between the brand and its ever-passionate community.

You can discover our photos in our Flickr page here and here

Photos and video : Boris Colletier / Mulderville