HUNDREDS – maybe thousands – of ’80s cartoon geeks and Action Man nerds are set to pour into Fordingbridge next month for a homage to two well- loved toys.
The town’s All the Cool Stuff shop, which stocks masses of classic toys to spark nostalgia for all ages, was overwhelmed with interest at what owner Dave Tree assumed would be a small gathering of Transformers enthusiasts last year.
So this year Mr Tree is planning a real feast for them in the form of a much bigger event – and what with the third Transformers film due to be released on July 1 he expects interest in the event to be high. The event will also feature the toy we all know as Action Man – or GI Joe, as he is now known globally.
Mr Tree said: “I was really surprised by the interest in a much smaller event we held last year, and believe that with this new film coming out interest will spread beyond the adult fans – children will be asking their parents to come along, too.”
He has booked a number of people to draw the crowds, including the creative team behind the niche magazine Cereal:Geek, two artists, Simon Furman and Andrew Wildman, who have worked on Transformers for more than 25 years, and John Higgins, who co-cre¬ ated the cartoon Watchmen, which was made into a film in 2009.
Mr Tree, 34, started up All the Cool Stuff 14 months ago and has been working hard to make a success of his business. Last year he launched his amazing TV and Film festival on an unsuspecting Fordingbridge – where townsfolk were treated to the spectacle of Darth Vader and Princess Leia strolling through the town.
Mr Tree said: “It’s hard competing when you have much bigger towns an easy drive away. But we’re doing alright and events like this bring business to the town.”
