The inclusion of Metallica's "Master Of Puppets" in Stranger Things last year was an inescapable pop culture moment that translated into everything from a drone Halloween light show to the band themselves rocking out in a video.
Now Funko! Pop is getting in on the fun with a new figurine showcasing the "Master Of Puppets" scene, complete with the crackle red B.C. Rich wielded by none other than Eddie Munson.
"Funko Fair 2023: Calling all Stranger Things fans!" said Funko! in a caption. "Click the link in our bio to be notified when Phase Three will be available for your POP! Moment Deluxe collection!"
In a post by Stefan Chirazi on Metallica's So What? blog, it's discussed that Stranger Things creators The Duffer Brothers included "Master of Puppets" in the script during the writing process. Hannah Davis, Director of Creative Sync Licensing at QPrime Management (also Metallica's longtime management team), discussed the potential first with Stranger Things music supervisor Nora Felder, who among her many credits include film and television that also made effective use of popular music, including the 1995 film Tank Girl, the popular TV series Californication, and vampire mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows.
"The song was scripted in by The Duffer Brothers, so it was in their mind from the very beginning," Davis recalls. "Nora reached out to me in November 2020. They were shooting bits and pieces when they could because, of course, it was the pandemic. Nora ran me through the scene and explained the character of Eddie Munson to me.
"Because he was a new character, there wasn't a real reference for how much of a 'fan' he was, so Nora explained he was a metalhead and that the fans would love him. She detailed how it started with him playing the riff on guitar, a visual instrumental, and then Metallica's recording would come in. We didn't know the total scope in terms of how long it would play or how exactly the song would be used. For example: would it play through or stop/start? But everyone was so excited that it was a quick 'yes.'"
