Funko Awarded 2018 Toy of the Year People’s Choice Award

Award Winning Pop Culture Company Honored by NPD Group, Toy Industry Association and Diamond Comics


EVERETT, Wash., March 15, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Funko, Inc. ("Funko,” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq:FNKO), a leading pop culture consumer products company, announced it has been honored with four major awards recognizing the Company’s diverse product lines and operational achievements from the NPD Group, Toy Industry Association and Diamond Comics.

Funko was named People's Choice of the Year at the prestigious 2018 Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards for the second year in a row by the Toy Industry Association, this time for its Mystery Minis brand. Funko also received two Diamond Gem Awards for Manufacturer of the Year and 2017 Toy Line of the Year for its POP! brand from Diamond Comics. The Diamond Gem Awards are selected by comic book specialty retailers and celebrate the industry’s key successes.

“We’re honored to be recognized by these distinguished industry organizations,” said Funko CEO Brian Mariotti. “We have developed a dedicated, passionate following for our products that has underpinned our growth, and these awards are a testament to how deeply our brand is resonating with fans. As a leader in the collectibles market, we will strive to continue to define the industry and inspire our customers. We look forward to introducing a wide variety of products this year and fans can expect to see our uniquely stylized take on beloved characters from classic properties like the Wizarding World, Marvel and Disney to trendy new onscreen characters from IT and Atomic Blonde, in addition to fan favorites from Major League Baseball and more.”

Funko was also awarded the top selling toy of the year for the subclass category Action Figure Collectibles and Accessories for the “Five Nights at Freddy’s” action figure assortment by The NPD Group. Previously, Funko was awarded the 2017 Collectible of the Year for its Pop! Vinyl brand and People’s Choice Award from the 2017 TOTY Awards.

About Funko, Inc.

Headquartered in Everett, Washington, Funko is a leading pop culture consumer products company. Funko designs, sources and distributes licensed pop culture products across multiple categories, including vinyl figures, action toys, plush, apparel, housewares and accessories for consumers who seek tangible ways to connect with their favorite pop culture brands and characters. Learn more at https://funko.com/, and follow us on Twitter (@OriginalFunko) and Instagram (@OriginalFunko).

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including statements regarding defining the industry and inspiring our customers, and upcoming new product releases. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the following: our ability to maintain and realize the full value of our license agreements; the ongoing level of popularity of our products with consumers; changes in the retail industry and markets for our consumer products; our ability to maintain our relationships with retail customers and distributors; our ability to compete effectively; fluctuations in our gross margin; our dependence on content development and creation by third parties; our ability to develop and introduce products in a timely and cost-effective manner; our ability to obtain, maintain and protect our intellectual property rights or those of our licensors; potential violations of the intellectual property rights of others; our ability to attract and retain qualified employees and maintain our corporate culture; risks associated with our international operations; changes in U.S. tax law; foreign currency exchange rate exposure; the possibility or existence of global and regional economic downturns; our dependence on vendors and outsourcers; risks relating to government regulation; risks relating to litigation, including products liability claims and securities class action litigation; any failure to successfully integrate or realize the anticipated benefits of acquisitions or investments; reputational risk resulting from our e-commerce business and social media presence; risks relating to our indebtedness and our ability to secure additional financing; the potential for our electronic data to be compromised; the influence of our significant stockholder, ACON, and the possibility that ACON’s interests may conflict with the interests of our other stockholders; risks relating to our organizational structure; volatility in the price of our Class A common stock; and the potential that we will fail to establish and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting. These and other important factors discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” in our Form 10-Q for the third quarter of 2017 and our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any such forward-looking statements represent management’s estimates as of the date of this press release. While we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

Media Contact:
Julia Young, ICR
FunkoPR@icrinc.com
203-682-8200

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d6796d5e-6bee-4405-a646-22a9db640dd1

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