Sheffield’s iconic Forbidden Planet comic book shop has relocated after 36 years, with a grand opening event designed to attract new fans from across the city.
The revamped store is set to open on The Moor at the heart of Sheffield’s city centre.
When asked about the transition, Dan Liles, a senior member of staff at Forbidden Planet Sheffield, said: “There have been plans to move for a while, we were at our previous location for about 40 years, and it was a bit out of the way, we had a lot of people coming in that didn’t even know we were there – the most important thing was to be on the main stretch of The Moor.”
He added: “I can’t give too much away but there is a plan, we have another floor that is currently used for storage, but we intend to utilise it.
“There’s days like Batman Day and Superman Day and lots of other anniversaries to look forward to.”
The fresh storefront boasts over two-floors of comics and collectibles and the larger venue will provide a space for community events.
The shift, which began earlier this month, will coincide with free comic book day, attracting many fanatics to the store.
There will be a Deadpool and Spider-Man ribbon-cutting ceremony and plenty of other incentives for pop culture consumers.
Customers will be invited to discover collectibles and interact with fellow comic enthusiasts, helping to foster a welcoming atmosphere.
Tom Wallace, a member of Forbidden Planet’s Collector’s Club, added: “While it’s early to say definitively, the new store has already seen more customers in the short time since its opening than the old store did in the past month – several of my friends have already expanded their comic collections.”
He added: “The new store’s layout is a significant improvement over the old one; they are practically incomparable, the cramped space in the old store limited my focus to just my weekly comics – I would be delighted to see them host launch events, Q&A sessions with creators, and perhaps even some trivia contests.
Dan Liles said: “We hope to see you at the Grand Opening on May 3rd.”