While Superman is flying high with a new blockbuster movie and Spider-Man continues to dominate Marvel headlines, neither comes close to the global impact of Pokémon. With more than $100 billion in franchise sales—spanning video games, trading cards, toys, mobile apps, and merchandise—Pokémon is the most successful media franchise on Earth (at least in this universe). Don’t get us wrong—we love Superman (go see the new movie!), and Spider-Man is on just about everyone’s all-time favorite list (including ours)—but we thought we would bring you some cold, hard numbers on who is king of the franchises. All of which explains why Anime St. Pete 2025 is having a Pokemon celebration with voice actors, programming, and merch (learn more below about celebration and special ticket deals).
Pokémon has generated well over $100 billion in total franchise sales, making it the most successful media franchise in the world. Spider-Man follows with around $30 billion, and Superman trails at $7 billion. In video games, Pokémon has sold nearly 500 million copies, leaving Superman’s 41 million and Spider-Man’s 35 million far behind. Merchandise tells a similar story: Pokémon leads with $83 billion in merch sales, compared to $15 billion for Superman and $5 billion for Spider-Man. And when it comes to trading cards, Pokémon is in a league of its own with $65 billion in sales, while Superman and Spider-Man don’t even appear in the category.
At Anime St. Pete 2025, happening September 27–28 at the historic St. Petersburg Coliseum, fans will experience a full-scale Pokémon Celebration featuring two iconic voice actors who’ve brought nearly 100 Pokémon characters to life. Expect a signature signing experience packed with Funko Pops, character prints, nostalgic photo ops, and everything a longtime Trainer (or a brand-new fan) could ask for.
A legend in the Pokémon universe, Michele Knotz has brought to life over 70 characters — yes, seventy — including some of the anime’s most iconic voices. She’s Jessie of Team Rocket fame, Misty of Cerulean City, May from Hoenn, and the sweet (yet oddly identical) Nurse Joy. She’s also the voice of the Pokédex and dozens upon dozens of actual Pokémon.
Signature characters voiced by Michele include:
Funko note: Several of Michele’s Pokémon have official Funko Pops, including Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Psyduck, Piplup, and Mr. Mime — all of which she can sign!
Known as the voice of Brock, the rock-solid Gym Leader and fan-favorite flirt, Bill Rogers has anchored the Pokémon anime for years. But his contributions go far beyond Brock — he’s voiced more than two dozen Pokémon and characters across seasons and games, giving him serious range in the world of Pokémon.
Here’s a short list of Bill’s Pokémon roles:
Funko note: While Brock doesn’t yet have a Funko (he should!), Lucario does, making this a golden signature target.
Tickets start at $20. And grab a bundle deal to add St. Pete Comic Con on February 28-March 1 for one low price (it’s 2 cons for the price of 1). Buy tickets before August 31 and you’re automatically entered into weekly drawings for autographed anime voice actor merch. And don’t forget the new Fandom Shopping Rewards where you can earn free con tickets with your vendor purchases at ASP25. Learn more on each below.
