In what will, hopefully, be the last surprise of 2020, Netflix’s The Queen’s gambit gets your Pop set! Vinyl figurines from Funk. The three figurines will feature Anya Taylor-Joy’s main character, Beth Harmon, in a variety of clothing combinations from the show, none of which are related to chess, but are all modern. Fans can buy Pops to own a snippet of the show’s unique aesthetics, filtered through that of Funk’s Dead Eyes, but the real question is, why The Queen’s Gambit getting Funko Pops?
Maybe if you let me guess crazy The Queen’s gambit gets Funko Pop, not because it’s a Netflix show that’s both critically well-received and popular by Netflix’s metrics, but because “getting Funko’ed” (it’s now forged) solidifies popular content that can be a bit transient due to streaming algorithms.
Netflix managed to maintain an aggressive release schedule during 2020 due to how many shows and movies it has already collected. But can you honestly say you remember any of those early hits from February and March, for example The king of the tiger or Love is blind?
Broadly speaking, was your media ownership really popular if it wasn’t “teasing”? I would say no. Netko’s other interactions have also perpetuated similar popular streaming hits like Money Heist i Stranger Things,, before putting them together in Netflix soup, to reappear for new seasons.
Getting Funko’ed is almost like getting a panel at Comic-Con; signals a level of fan engagement that guarantees capitalization, at least in cash. The show may disappear due to interest (or many Netflix carousels), but plastic trash is forever.
Funk’s ability to spin the figurines quickly certainly helps in that regard. Even if Netflix’s deal was made before the show was a hit, Funk’s fast-paced fashion approach to production allows Pop to enter production in less than two months, the report said. Robe. Given the premiere date of October 23 for The Queen’s gambit, Beth Harmon Pops fit well into Funk’s compact production window. (Another weird thing: these Funko Pops start shipping on April 20 next year.)
The Queen’s gambit Funko Pop! is an interesting blend of Funk’s productive power, Netflix’s development skills, and the strange ways in which popularity surfaces in culture. Probably no one will talk about the show in 40 years, but when I clean up the wastelands of California and find Beth Harmon Pop in a sprawling suburb, I will remember and trade for water accordingly.