Funko Releases an Official Statement About the Future of Mondo; Poster Business Continuing

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Funko is doing a bit of damage control in the wake of last week’s big news about the future of Mondo, which was purchased by the company less than one year ago. Last week it was reported that the Mondo division of Funko was hit with massive layoffs that included the two co-founders of the popular Mondo brand, Rob Jones and Mitch Putnam.

The Wrap reported last week, “They killed the poster division, which is a shock considering that’s how Mondo started, along with a division meant for cutting-edge experiences and products called The Lab, which was run by Mondo co-founder Rob Jones, who was also laid off during the process. Mitch Putnam, another co-founder, also got the axe. As of now, the only two divisions of the company that remain are the toys and records divisions. But insiders tell TheWrap it’s unclear how long those divisions will remain as part of the Funko portfolio.”

In their own statement this week, Funko insists that Mondo’s mega popular poster division will continue, and they’re generally downplaying those reports from last week.

“Since there is a lot of misinformation about the recent change in leadership and the poster division of Mondo currently out there, I can tell you that our strategy is very clear,” writes Funko’s Brian Mariotti. “While we did reduce the workforce by about 10% across Funko, the majority of the company-wide layoffs weren’t in Mondo.”

Mariotti continues, “The Mondo posters business will continue, period. Our goal is to make larger edition size runs (limited but not ultra-limited) that allow more fans to participate in this world-class expression of pop culture art.” The official memo also suggests that Funko will be “investing heavily in the production of vinyl records” under the Mondo label.

“We are 100% committed to providing all the support we possibly can for the folks at Mondo, so they can continue to make amazing products that reach a larger and more diverse Fanbase through expanded licenses, better distribution, and better overall experience for the fans,” Mariotti’s letter – posted to the official Mondo Twitter account – concludes.

This statement paints a pretty rosy picture about the state of Mondo at this point in time, but it’s hard to shake the feeling that there’s a lot of damage control at play here. If the founders of Mondo are no longer on board the ship, at what point is Funko’s Mondo no longer the Mondo we know and love? And why exactly have the founders been let go, you ask?

These are questions we still don’t have answers to. But at this point in time, we can’t exactly say our concerns from last week have been assuaged. Stay tuned for more as we learn it.

In the meantime, you can read Funko’s full statement on Mondo below.

A note to Mondo fans from Brian Mariotti. pic.twitter.com/5yVTDrvcNi

— MONDO (@MondoNews) March 30, 2023

Writer in the horror community since 2008. Editor in Chief of Bloody Disgusting. Owns Eli Roth's prop corpse from Piranha 3D. Has four awesome cats. Still plays with toys.

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Killer Collectibles highlights five of the most exciting new horror products announced each and every week, from toys and apparel to artwork, records, and much more.

Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!

Night of the Demons 4K UHD from Scream Factory

Night of the Demons will be released on 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray on October 3 via Scream Factory. The 1988 cult classic has been newly scanned in 4K from the uncut camera negative with Dolby Vision HDR and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0.

Celebrating its 35th anniversary, Night of the Demons is directed by Kevin S. Tenney (Witchboard) and written by Joe Augustyn. Cathy Podewell, Amelia Kinkade, Linnea Quigley, Hal Havins, William Gallo, and Alvin Alexis star.

A workprint version of the film, under its original title The Halloween Party, is included. Other special features include two audio commentaries with cast and crew; interviews with Augustyn, Kinkade, and actresses Jill Terashita and Allison Barron; You’re Invited: The Making of Night of the Demons; and more.

Scream Factory will also release the film’s two sequels – 1994’s Night of the Demons 2 and 1997’s Night of the Demons 3 – on Blu-ray the same day.

Boo Berry Action Figure from Jada Toys

Back in 2021, Jada Toys released Count Chocula and Franken Berry action figures. Boo Berry is finally joining his fellow General Mills monster cereal mascots, and Entertainment Earth has an exclusive glow-in-the-dark version.

The 6” scale toy comes with a cereal box accessory and is packaged in window box with opening flap modeled after the cereal box. Shipping this month, it’s available to pre-order for $19.99.

Spirit Halloween: The Movie Blu-ray from Strike Back Studios

Following the recent grand opening of Spirit Halloween’s flagship store, Spirit Halloween: The Movie is coming to Blu-ray on August 22. Previously only available on DVD, the gateway horror flick is up for pre-order for only $12.99.

Rachael Leigh Cook and Christopher Lloyd star with Donavan Colan, Marissa Reyes, Jaiden J. Smith, Dylan Martin Frankel, and Marla Gibbs. David Poag makes his feature directorial debut from a script by Billie Bates.

The first pressing comes with four trading cards with monsters from the movie. Special features include behind-the-scenes featurettes, interviews with cast and crew, Spirit Halloween store grand opening footage, and more.

Halloween III Pumpkin from Trick or Treat Studios

Trick or Treat Studios has released a Halloween III: Season of the Witch pumpkin that lights up and sings the film’s infectious “Silver Shamrock” jingle. Priced at $30, it has two battery-powered modes: steady on and blinking with music.

Barbie/House of 1000 Corpses Shirts from Pentagram Peter Pan

Shameless self promotion, because this Barbie likes blood, violence, and freaks of nature!

I designed these Barbie/House of 1000 Corpses mash-up shirts for Pentagram Peter Pan. They’re available to pre-order for $25 each through Monday, August 7.

For more merch madness, peruse the Killer Collectibles archives. You can also visit Broke Horror Fan.