Jim Hamilton, co-owner of Forbidden Planet International and Forbidden Planet Glasgow, died November 9. He was 67. Bleeding Cool reported that Hamilton and Kenny Penman had been the owners of Science Fiction Bookshop in Edinburgh, Scotland, which opened under previous owners in 1975 and was purchased by them in 1985. The first Forbidden Planet, founded by Nick Landau, Mike Lake, and Mike Luckman, launched in 1978 as a small store on Denmark Street, then relocated to larger premises.
The original partners then teamed with Hamilton and Penman to open other stores around the country, "expanding Forbidden Planet out and making it the first British proper chain of stores," Bleeding Cool wrote. In 1992 and 1993, the original chain split into two firms--Forbidden Planet and Forbidden Planet Scotland, later renamed Forbidden Planet International. Hamilton had remained prominent since, especially in the running and recent relaunch of Forbidden Planet Glasgow.
Penman, his business partner for more than 40 years, wrote to staff: "Both Jim and I came from pretty ordinary working class backgrounds, and despite not coming from wealthy families both had happy childhoods a big part of which was the escapism of the cheapest form of entertainment going--comics. It was our first passion, and for both of us, it never waned as we grew Forbidden Planet from one little shop on the backstreets of Edinburgh. We were a partnership; I had perhaps more of a business head, but Jim knew comics like no one else, and he was always the one guiding the product mix....
"When we started out, our ambition was that Science Fiction Bookshop would be the shop Jim, as a fan and collector, wanted to shop in. We worked hard to achieve that over the years, and I know he was very proud of the amazing shop that is our Glasgow store. There were always new things to be doing, but I think he felt we had nearly achieved what he set out to do, and more, by bringing all sorts of new fans into the fold, with the Sauchiehall St branch. If there was one thing we can all do to remember Jim, I think he would be more than happy if, by our love and application, we finally perfected his vision."