As you may have heard by now, or at least those of you who keep up with comics industry news may have heard, Forbidden Planet co-founder Michael Luckman passed away this past weekend after a long illness. We at FPNYC are deeply saddened by this news. Mike's time as a boss, a co-worker and friend directly touched the lives of at least three generations of staff and we extend our support and condolences to the rest of his loved ones.
There's a ton that can be said about Mike (and is being said about him), but what is undeniable is that he was one of the most unique individuals anybody who interacted with him had ever met. As more than one of my pals have put it via text, "Quite the character." He had absolutely bonkers stories about nearly every famous sci-fi writer and comic artist from his era and they had equally bonkers stories about him.
Though I'd worked other jobs before, Mike was the first boss to take a chance on me for management responsibilities - I grew up shopping here and was handed the keys to the store when I was 19 years old after having only worked here a year. I think that says a lot about him as a person and I'll forever be grateful for it. By the time I knew him in the 90s, he was pretty much THE Forbidden Planet NYC guy. His delight in identifying new trends, taking chances on diverse staff and independent creators, embracing counterculture and championing the quirky and weird led to a store that looked and felt like no other. Bred a NYC comics scene like no other.
Every day we open our doors for you folks is a chance to keep that legacy alive. It's my hope that we accomplish that for many years to come.
-Jeff Ayers
GM Forbidden Planet NYC
