Beloved Poster And Collectible Company Mondo Sold To Funko As Alamo Drafthouse Focuses On Movie Theaters
It's the end of an era and a start of a new one for movie obsessives everywhere, particularly among those who've turned the act of owning collectibles from a hobby into a genuine passion. For the past 20 years, everyone knew that the Austin, Texas-based Mondo — originally an offshoot of the successful indie movie theater chain, Alamo Drafthouse — was the place to go when it came to high-end posters, toys, T-shirts, soundtracks, and various other movie-themed collectibles. Many of the most talented artists in the business have collaborated with Mondo in the past several years to create gorgeous artwork, vinyls, and other officially licensed products for the benefit of movie fans all across the globe.
Today, however, brings the rather surprising news that Mondo has been acquired by an even larger purveyor of film merchandise: Funko, which is most famous for its POP! figures. The acquisition was announced in a joint statement by Tim League of the Alamo Drafthouse, co-founder of Mondo, as well as by the Mondo team, who'll now become employees of Funko. First, League had this to say:
"Over the past few months, we searched exhaustively to find a perfect partner who saw what was unique and special about Mondo and was in a position to meaningfully invest in Mondo, nurture the team, and further its reach and vision. Funko is exactly that unicorn. The team that made Mondo amazing is staying together, making the transition to Funko, and will continue their same work with the same creative vision. I am super excited about the future plans I know about, and I'm sure I will soon marvel at the work that is not yet even a lightbulb spark."
Funko acquires Mondo
Originally founded by Rob Jones and Tim League as, in their own words on the official company website, "a 4' x 12' quasi-bootleg t-shirt shop located in the basement storage hallway of a single-screen movie theater," Mondo is now setting its sights on bigger and better things. The Mondo team released a statement of their own, saying:
"We have always loved following our passions and doing things our own way, and we'll be forever thankful to the Alamo Drafthouse for supporting those passions and helping us grow into what we are today. But we needed a bigger boat... and that's where Funko comes in. They understand what Mondo is today and are eager to help us become the company we want to be. From the outside, Mondo might seem like it is changing... but on the inside much is staying the same. We remain the same team, and our goals remain unchanged. We are still the same bunch of weirdos who share an undying obsession with popular (and maybe less popular) culture, and a craving to make cool stuff with the best artists in the world."
It sounds like fans can still expect to see more of all the usual limited-edition and timed sales of exclusive posters and soundtracks, most of which are usually sold out in mere hours. This development comes on the heels of the Alamo Drafthouse filing for bankruptcy last year as a result of the ongoing pandemic, at which time Mondo sales helped keep the business alive when theaters were closed. Hopefully the change in ownership won't materially affect the high standards of quality we've come to associate with Mondo, which we'll be sure to continue to cover on /Film.