It's not the range ... which is good ... just the friendliness that changed after the Odyssey 7 days ... became just another FP ... i.e. comics 'downstairs' ... whereas comics used to be the main focus (until the split between the Precinct Center and Dale taking charge of the Hanging Ditch Shop.
Just prefer the fact Traveling Man is (just about) comics first ... though even that's changing a bit.

Unless there was more than one shop it was definately called Brainstorm when I visited. Two rooms I think, with the comics (that I bought) in the rear. It was nearly 30 years ago! Had a look for it a few years ago (not expecting to find it open, just on a nostalgia trip) and the whole block is gone.

Looking back at my older posts on this thread can I just say that FP Newcastle no longer qualifies as a contender for most tatty shop in the UK. Whilst not looking descernably different it is now much tidier and no longer has such a religious carpet (holy).

It may well have been but it advertised as Bensham Books in zines ... it's definitely the same place as there's no way two places in Bensham could have been so amateur (which I don't necessarily mean in a bad way) and the location / layout are identical.

As for FP Newcastle ... I haven't been in it for at least three / four years so it's probably changed ... last time I was in it was crowded and comics had been relegated to a small space at the back.

The shop may have changed it's name (later/earlier?), anyway I knew I had some reference to it and found this on the back of the same titled fanzine Ad here.

As to the comics in FP Newcastle, yes they are still the same, back half of the main floor. Not as good as when it was Son of Timeslip and the latest imports were 70p(?) ../<snip>/.. and still have change from a fiver!

They just seem to put Jessie on when they want a quick 10 second break

I have to agree with this too.

While at college and then Uni I used to buy my comics from Odyssey 7 and really enjoyed popping in each week. At first when they moved to the "Space Odyssey" megastore things weren't much different - shortly after this I moved away from the area and on each return visit I found the store felt less inviting. On my most recent visits I almost felt that, as a customer, I was an inconvenience to the staff serving me.

Having just moved back to the area I was looking to start a standing order and decided to give Travelling Man a look and found the staff to be friendly and helpful, they were welcoming to me and my family and have now got us as regular customers. It just has a nicer feel to it.

I live in Grampian so my nearest shop is in Aberdeen. However I get my favourite titles delivered as I order them from Comicana in London. (I used to go there all the time when I lived in the East End of London - Really friendly staff)

We have a comic/gaming store on Paul Street, Cork, called Other Realms.

I go to Forbidden Planet and Sheffield Space Centre. Used to go to one at Meadowhall called The Last Picture Show, but that died out..........the staff were useless anyways.

I asked for recommendations and got told "Dunno mate, I just work here...." Fools!!!

I knew the guy that started Brainstorm: Mark he was called but I can't remember his second name. I can't remember the name of the guy who joined with him either. Mark used to work in Robinson's second hand book store in the Grainger Market. In the days when you could buy 3 second hand comics for 10p. Got many a rare DC and Marvel item there.

I also remember my first trip to Dark They Were and Golden Eyed on Berwick Street in London at the tender age of 15. It advertised itself as a an SF bookshop and I remember being startled that the comics cost 25p each (imports of course) rather than the 6p price at the newsagents. Didn't stop me buying loads though.

Coincidentally, I just visited the new Gosh, after the Frightfest festival, which is now on Berwick Street. The staff didn't realize they were on the same street as the first ever import comic shop in Britain.

As mentioned by others Newcastle now has FP and Travelling Man. I buy all my new comics form Travelling Man.

Nice to see a goodly number of long time comic fans from Newcastle on here. I never found any other Geordie horror fans at Frightfest. Anyone know of any?

I have to pop down to Newcastle to either visit Forbidden Planet or Travelling Man.

That said, our local library stocks manga. Borrowed Fruits Basket vol 1 from there today.

cbr?

Yeah, they've got a Forbidden Planet in Newcastle. I think I've been in once but it was YEARS ago.

Comic Book Resources.

i only have a comic stall on market days near me, no proper shops. waterstones does TPB but I tend to find them on amazon for about £5 cheaper.

Before leaving London, my local comic shop was "They walk among us" in Richmond. I miss that place.
They filmed a scene of that terrible Red Dwarf comeback in there.

Sorry I know this is dragging this thread up, but I never realised there a comic place in Castlemilk (just looked it up), funny the things you learn.

I've never been to Forbidden Planet.

Well..... I have but I wasn't allowed in.

Apparently it's forbidden.

Atomic Comics and Games, Yeovil, Somerset Opened 2 weeks ago.

Ground Zero, Mansfield, Notts. Been going there since I was about 13 (I'm 25 now). Excellent service, great prices (GOW 3 figures in Travelling man £16.99, Ground Zero £14.99) and as I've been going in for so many years the guy will often give me a discount or set aside new comics that he thinks I might like.

There's also Forbidden Planet in Notts, but I haven't been there since last year.

Anyone here from near Blackpool remember Thunderbooks? Doesn't seem to be open very often now. Also Startrader in Preston owned I think by the same guys but sold it on and it became "that comic book store" Don't know if that is still open or not. Wasn't when I used to pass it on the bus but may have been because it was too early!

I used to go to Sheffield Space Centre too but the place has a weird smell that always reminded me of fish food!

Also used to go to Forbidden Planet in Sheffield and used to have a look in The Last Picture show when i was dragged round Meadowhall but could never find anything, it was as if they got the comics and just threw them in the air!

Now i have my own comic shop as i was sick of being fleeced by forbidden planet *cough www.inter-comics.com cough*

I get mine from forbidden planet in london That is the closet to me.

There are some Book shop near me, but they have no enough rich collections of comic book but there are many comic books reader around us.

Hi, folks! I just tripped over this forum while researching old Viz comics and was astonished to see my old shops Timeslip and Son Of... mentioned.

I opened the Pink Lane shop in 1980 and as it rapidly took off, I partnered up with Chris, who managed the Virgin record store but was as avid a comics fan as myself, so enabling us to open Son Of Timeslip in (I think) '83.

By 1985, I'd been working as a volunteer counsellor for awhile with the North-East Council On Addictions (NECA) and was offered a job with them around the same time as FP began discussions with us for a further joint project under their banner. It suited us perfectly for me to leave (I wasn't keen on the toy franchises and games side of things) and the very able and eager Chris to carry on the business with FP.

I went on to greater things in the NHS and am now semi-retired in Cornwall.

So a big hello to all who enjoyed the little original shop, and it'd be nice to hear from any of you who remembers me, Ray T.