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Dark They Were and Golden Eyed (bookshop)

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548:"How cult comic book shop Forbidden Planet changed the way we consume geek culture: Four decades on, the institution is still enjoying a position both at the top of the market and in the hearts of nerds across the land," 393:
Dark They Were and Golden Eyed closed in 1981. Visitors to the store following closure could see a message in the window telling them that Dark They Were and Golden Eyed may have gone, but the spirit lived on...
309:," which ran, mostly in London, from 1968 to 1981. Stokes was the main organizer of the 1969 and 1971 editions, and Landau was a key organizer of the 1972 and 1973 editions of Comicon. 386:, at that point proclaiming itself "the biggest and best science fiction, fantasy, and comic book store in the world." At round this time, the store was also partnering with the 1010: 339:
drew some of the earliest pieces of advertising artwork for Dark They Were and Golden Eyed, which ran in various fanzines, convention programmes, and magazines such as
283:, a trained architect, designed the staircase to the basement at the Berwick Street location (which historically had been a butcher shop) — he was paid in comics. 1049: 750: 547: 716: 445: 363:
and other magazines. His illustrations were also featured on paper carrier bags used by the shop. (Cawthorn's graphic novels were published by
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to the United Kingdom. It also sold American editions of mainstream science fiction books that were not easily obtained anywhere else.
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Paul Hudson, later of the London comic shop Comic Showcase, was employed in Dark They Were and Golden Eyed. Illustrator and designer
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from 1978 to 1981, and the magazine's team met every Tuesday afternoon in a room above the shop. (The shop was advertised in #28 of
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The shop was started by Derek "Bram" Stokes, who had previously been a member of the editorial collective of the
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book service. Diane Lister (later Diane Stokes) joined Stokes in 1969. The shop was managed by fantasy author
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and Forbidden Planet co-founder (with Nick Landau) Mike Lake, who was "working there at the time" in
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writes of the shop's influence on him as a teen; the introduction is reprinted in his book
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worked at the shop in the late 1970s. The shop was a key influence on three bookshops in
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in London during the 1970s; the largest of its kind in Europe. Specialising in
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The shop later moved to a much larger ground floor and basement premises in
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The shop was also the semi-official correspondence address for the magazine
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Issues 1–15 (Fortean Tomes, 2nd edition, 1995 ed.). John Brown Publishing.
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Rickard, Bob; Sieveking, Paul (ed.), et al. (June 1992) (Preface).
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Bolland, Brian. "The 1970's – Dark They Were and Golden Eyed,"
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also produced adverts for the shop in 1977; they appeared in
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Shelf Life: Fantastic Stories Celebrating Bookstores
934: 918: 902: 814: 767: 184: 174: 162: 152: 106: 98: 90: 71: 61: 47: 37: 458:The View from the Cheap Seats: Selected Nonfiction 390:-based wholesaler Biytoo Books/Dangerous Visions. 444:store named after another Bradbury short story " 619:"Early days of UK comics conventions and marts" 597: 595: 744: 8: 32: 751: 737: 729: 517:"Stan Nicholls - an infinity plus profile" 31: 18:Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed (bookshop) 542: 540: 538: 670: 668: 639:Yesterday's News Tomorrow: Fortean Times 480: 426:Notable customers of the shop included 628:, DezSkinn.com. Accessed 3 March 2013. 1050:British companies established in 1969 437:The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen 265:. The shop was originally located in 7: 678:#28 (May 1980), p. 40 (back cover). 488:Roberts, Peter (21 October 1972). 345:, and were commissioned by future- 27:Former bookshop in London, England 25: 515:Nicholls, Stan (December 2004). 430:. The second issue of Moore and 261:, who had worked with Stokes on 957:Dark They Were and Golden Eyed 463:The photo on the cover of the 201:Dark They Were and Golden Eyed 33:Dark They Were and Golden Eyed 1: 353:1978. Illustrator and author 350: 83: 303:British Comic Art Convention 688:Savage, Jon (10 May 2008). 293:, later to be a founder of 230:The shop was named after a 1076: 674:DTW&GE advertisement, 448:". In his introduction to 446:There Will Come Soft Rains 322:; the advert was drawn by 568:24 September 2008 at the 299:Titan Entertainment Group 180:Diane Stokes (née Lister) 660:The Art of Brian Bolland 326:who went on to draw for 1026:51.514250°N 0.134361°W 102:Out of business (1981) 962:Dillons the Bookstore 490:"6th British Comicon" 1031:51.514250; -0.134361 987:Silver Moon Bookshop 884:Treadwell's Bookshop 586:23 July 2008 at the 269:before moving to 10 94:Derek "Bram'" Stokes 1060:Bookshops in London 1022: /  997:Truslove and Hanson 719:15 May 2008 at the 581:The Write Fantastic 553:(7 September 2018). 416:Michael Butterworth 209:comic book retailer 154:Number of locations 34: 919:Formerly in London 690:"Controlled chaos" 624:2012-02-01 at the 608:(8 November 2009). 422:In popular culture 347:Titan Distributors 225:underground comics 1005: 1004: 894:Word on the Water 834:Atlantis Bookshop 829:Arthur Probsthain 714:Read Yourself Raw 305:, the so-called " 198: 197: 16:(Redirected from 1067: 1055:Comics retailers 1037: 1036: 1034: 1033: 1032: 1027: 1023: 1020: 1019: 1018: 1015: 952:Compendium Books 926:Persephone Books 869:New Beacon Books 753: 746: 739: 730: 723: 711: 705: 704: 702: 700: 685: 679: 672: 663: 656: 650: 635: 629: 615: 609: 601:Johnston, Rich. 599: 590: 578: 572: 560: 554: 546:Barnett, David. 544: 533: 532: 530: 528: 512: 506: 505: 503: 501: 485: 352: 295:Forbidden Planet 85: 35: 21: 1075: 1074: 1070: 1069: 1068: 1066: 1065: 1064: 1040: 1039: 1030: 1028: 1024: 1021: 1016: 1013: 1011: 1009: 1008: 1006: 1001: 982:Poetry Bookshop 930: 914: 910:Oxfam bookshops 898: 810: 763: 757: 727: 726: 721:Wayback Machine 712: 708: 698: 696: 687: 686: 682: 673: 666: 657: 653: 636: 632: 626:Wayback Machine 616: 612: 600: 593: 588:Wayback Machine 579: 575: 570:Wayback Machine 563:Here Be Dragons 561: 557: 551:The Independent 545: 536: 526: 524: 514: 513: 509: 499: 497: 487: 486: 482: 477: 469:St Anne's Court 424: 400: 376:St Anne's Court 244: 213:science fiction 205:science fiction 177: 165: 155: 148: 142: 127:St Anne's Court 124: 114: 56:popular culture 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 1073: 1071: 1063: 1062: 1057: 1052: 1042: 1041: 1003: 1002: 1000: 999: 994: 989: 984: 979: 974: 972:Marks & Co 969: 964: 959: 954: 949: 944: 938: 936: 932: 931: 929: 928: 922: 920: 916: 915: 913: 912: 906: 904: 900: 899: 897: 896: 891: 886: 881: 876: 871: 866: 861: 856: 851: 849:Gay's the Word 846: 841: 836: 831: 826: 820: 818: 812: 811: 809: 808: 803: 789: 784: 779: 773: 771: 765: 764: 758: 756: 755: 748: 741: 733: 725: 724: 706: 680: 664: 651: 630: 610: 591: 573: 555: 534: 507: 479: 478: 476: 473: 423: 420: 399: 396: 380:Wardour Street 355:James Cawthorn 335:Comics artist 271:Berwick Street 243: 240: 196: 195: 186: 182: 181: 178: 175: 172: 171: 166: 163: 160: 159: 156: 153: 150: 149: 146:United Kingdom 144: 138: 131:Wardour Street 117:Berwick Street 108: 104: 103: 100: 96: 95: 92: 88: 87: 80:United Kingdom 73: 69: 68: 63: 59: 58: 49: 45: 44: 39: 26: 24: 14: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1072: 1061: 1058: 1056: 1053: 1051: 1048: 1047: 1045: 1038: 1035: 998: 995: 993: 990: 988: 985: 983: 980: 978: 975: 973: 970: 968: 965: 963: 960: 958: 955: 953: 950: 948: 947:The Bookplace 945: 943: 940: 939: 937: 933: 927: 924: 923: 921: 917: 911: 908: 907: 905: 901: 895: 892: 890: 889:Watkins Books 887: 885: 882: 880: 877: 875: 872: 870: 867: 865: 862: 860: 857: 855: 852: 850: 847: 845: 844:Freedom Press 842: 840: 837: 835: 832: 830: 827: 825: 822: 821: 819: 817: 813: 807: 804: 801: 797: 793: 790: 788: 785: 783: 780: 778: 775: 774: 772: 770: 766: 762: 759:Bookshops in 754: 749: 747: 742: 740: 735: 734: 731: 722: 718: 715: 710: 707: 695: 691: 684: 681: 677: 671: 669: 665: 661: 655: 652: 648: 647:1-870870-26-3 644: 640: 634: 631: 627: 623: 620: 614: 611: 607: 606:Bleeding Cool 604: 598: 596: 592: 589: 585: 582: 577: 574: 571: 567: 564: 559: 556: 552: 549: 543: 541: 539: 535: 522: 521:infinity plus 518: 511: 508: 495: 491: 484: 481: 474: 472: 470: 466: 461: 459: 455: 451: 447: 443: 439: 438: 433: 432:Kevin O'Neill 429: 421: 419: 417: 413: 412:David Britton 409: 405: 397: 395: 391: 389: 385: 381: 377: 372: 370: 366: 365:David Britton 362: 361: 356: 348: 344: 343: 338: 337:Brian Bolland 333: 331: 330: 325: 321: 320:Fortean Times 317: 316: 315:Fortean Times 310: 308: 304: 300: 296: 292: 288: 286: 282: 278: 276: 272: 268: 264: 260: 259:Stan Nicholls 256: 252: 249: 241: 239: 237: 233: 228: 226: 222: 218: 214: 210: 207:bookshop and 206: 202: 194: 190: 187: 183: 179: 173: 170: 167: 161: 157: 151: 147: 141: 136: 132: 128: 122: 118: 112: 109: 105: 101: 97: 93: 89: 81: 77: 74: 70: 67: 64: 60: 57: 53: 50: 46: 43: 40: 36: 30: 19: 1014:51°30′51.3″N 1007: 956: 942:Better Books 854:Heywood Hill 824:56a Infoshop 709: 697:. Retrieved 694:The Guardian 693: 683: 675: 659: 654: 638: 633: 617:Skinn, Dez. 613: 605: 576: 558: 550: 525:. Retrieved 520: 510: 498:. Retrieved 493: 483: 462: 457: 449: 435: 425: 404:Floyd Hughes 401: 392: 373: 358: 340: 334: 327: 324:Bryan Talbot 319: 313: 311: 289: 285:Frank Dobson 281:Dave Gibbons 279: 262: 250: 245: 236:Ray Bradbury 229: 200: 199: 193:collectables 107:Headquarters 52:Geek culture 38:Company type 29: 1029: / 992:Sisterwrite 967:Henderson's 874:Skoob Books 816:Independent 792:Waterstones 782:Daunt Books 777:Blackwell's 699:8 September 527:8 September 500:8 September 454:Neil Gaiman 291:Nick Landau 267:Bedfordbury 232:short story 164:Area served 111:Bedfordbury 1044:Categories 977:Murder One 864:Judd Books 494:Checkpoint 475:References 428:Alan Moore 408:Manchester 307:UK Comicon 255:mail order 176:Key people 1017:0°8′3.7″W 879:Stanfords 839:Bookmarks 800:Hatchards 787:The Works 465:U.K. Subs 217:occultism 191:, books, 859:Housmans 717:Archived 662:, p. 48. 622:Archived 584:Archived 566:Archived 442:Forteana 369:Rod Vass 360:Time Out 342:Time Out 263:Gothique 251:Gothique 221:Atlantis 185:Services 115:then 10 48:Industry 935:Defunct 903:Charity 806:WHSmith 410:run by 329:2000 AD 248:fanzine 242:History 91:Founder 72:Founded 42:Private 796:Foyles 761:London 645:  523:. self 398:Legacy 219:, and 203:was a 189:Comics 169:London 140:London 76:London 66:Retail 769:Chain 388:Essex 125:then 62:Genre 701:2008 643:ISBN 529:2008 502:2008 496:(25) 414:and 384:Soho 378:off 297:and 275:Soho 135:Soho 129:off 121:Soho 99:Fate 86:1969 676:BEM 434:'s 382:in 332:.) 273:in 234:by 1046:: 798:- 692:. 667:^ 594:^ 537:^ 519:. 492:. 471:. 460:. 452:, 351:c. 277:. 238:. 215:, 143:, 137:, 133:, 119:, 84:c. 82:, 78:, 54:, 802:) 794:( 752:e 745:t 738:v 703:. 649:. 531:. 504:. 158:1 123:, 113:, 20:)

Index

Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed (bookshop)
Private
Geek culture
popular culture
Retail
London
United Kingdom
Bedfordbury
Berwick Street
Soho
St Anne's Court
Wardour Street
Soho
London
United Kingdom
London
Comics
collectables
science fiction
comic book retailer
science fiction
occultism
Atlantis
underground comics
short story
Ray Bradbury
fanzine
mail order
Stan Nicholls
Bedfordbury

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