Get Your Funk On

Let it be known that if I were to collect everything some company slapped a Star Wars sticker on I'd be both broke and an irrefutable hoarder. Fortunately I am neither, yet, though I do collect certain product lines avidly and almost to completion. My one rule of thumb that keeps me in check is that, while I cannot have everything, I can at least allow myself something worthy if it happens to look like Darth Vader (and sometimes Boba Fett).

Let's use Funko for example. Funko is a company that manufactures, for the most part, Bobble-Heads and other items that take up valuable real estate on your office desk. I almost picked up the Funko Force Darth Vader that hit shelves last year but the price never dropped low enough for me to consider it seriously. This year, however, they brought out a sickeningly cute series of vinyl bobble-heads that look very much like 3D sculptures of Katie Cook's artwork. Series 1 features Vader (01), Yoda (02), Han Solo (03), Princess Leia (04), Stormtrooper (05), Chewbacca (06) and Greedo (07). Normally the ruggedly tough and manly collector in me would scoff (and gag) at such doe-eyed, cutsie collectibles but the Vader, as always, suckered me in. The biggest draw was that this little trinket looked a lot like Stewie Griffin in Vader garb from the Family Guy Star Wars specials. I couldn't resist it any more than Anakin could resist the Dark Side especially since I found it on sale at Toys R Us. He stands almost 4 1/2" inches tall (base included) and is, as described, made of soft vinyl. He has no articulation but his head does bobble quite well and when it does I can almost hear Stewie's voice echoing out from under the helmet, "I made a Darth Doodie. I Sithed my pants. My diaper's gone over to the Dark Side". Awesome.