Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Comics, forbidden planet, funko

Today, Forbidden Planet Cardiff Celebrates Thirty Years – Sponsored by Funko

Published Sun, 29 Sep 2019 04:34:41 -0500

Last updated Sun, 29 Sep 2019 04:36:58 -0500

Clearly it's down to the presence of Torchwood in the town, constantly popping in and buying comics, books, CDs and DVDs to keep an eye on what the Doctor is up to. But today Forbidden Planet Cardiff is celebrating its 30th birthday with giveaways, cosplay competitions and raffle prizes.

Sitting proud on 5 Duke Street in Cardiff city centre, Forbidden Planet Cardiff first opened its doors in 1989. Like its 14 sister shops around the country, it occupies a hallowed place in the hearts of local fans: although the scene might be a little more crowded today, at that time shops specialising in imported American comics and merchandise were few and far between in the UK. Through their high street presence, Forbidden Planet helped shift what was once geek culture merchandise firmly into the mainstream.

They've got over 200 goodie bags to hand out to customers as they arrive, and prizes for best cosplay in adult and child categories. Spending over £10 gets a tombola ticket to win prizes including a premium Hot Toys figurine worth hundreds of pounds. And have partnered up with US licensing giant Funko, the company behind those ubiquitous Pop! Vinyl figurines, to offer a raffle with 30 Funko prizes to win, for those who spend over £30 on Funko products to for a chance to grab one of those.

They'll also have guest appearances from local artists Chris Philips (Candleman) and Dan Harris (Druid Investigations, Lou Scannon), and face painting on site.

"We're immensely proud to have served fellow fans for so long, but it's also fantastic to see new young faces light up as they discover us for the first time," said Lucy Beese, Cardiff branch manager. "We're looking forward to celebrating with all the people, young and less-young, who've made the shop what it is."

Their doors open in half an hour…