EVERETT — A giant floating Funko Pop! will wind through the streets of New York City during this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Funko, the Everett-based pop culture toy maker, has teamed up with Macy’s and Lucasfilm to create a huge helium balloon that resembles the Funko Pop! version of Grogu, also known as Baby Yoda, a character from the “Star Wars” series. Pops are the toymaker’s signature figurines, which feature oversized heads and giant eyes.
The Baby Yoda balloon will be 41 feet high, 29 feet long and 37 feet wide.
“Funko is ecstatic to bring the Funko Pop! version of the character as a Grogu-themed balloon,” Funko’s CEO, Brian Mariotti, said in a statement.
This year’s parade will be Nov. 25.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with Funko and Lucasfilm on this Funko Pop! version of the beloved character,” said Will Coss said, executive producer of the Macy’s parade.
“The giant balloons in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade have always reflected the very best of pop culture, and there is no better example of that than Grogu, who has become an instant global sensation,” Coss said.
The first Macy’s parade took place in 1924 and featured store employees dressed as cowboys and clowns.
The helium balloons took to the air in 1927. One of the first to take part in the parade was Felix the Cat, a pop culture figure from the 1920s.
Last year’s parade was shortened and closed to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Funko was founded in Snohomish by Mike Becker in 1998. Bobbleheads and coin banks based on cereal advertising mascots and retro characters were among the company’s early products.
In 2005, Becker sold the firm to Mariotti, who expanded the portfolio through licensing deals for popular characters from comics, movies and TV shows.
Funko debuted its signature Pop! line of vinyl figures in 2010.
The company opened its flagship 17,000-square-foot store and headquarters in the old Bon Marche building in downtown Everett in 2017. That same year, Funko went public on the Nasdaq Global Select Market.
Janice Podsada; jpodsada@heraldnet.com; 425-339-3097; Twitter: JanicePods
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