The Forbidden Planet Rocket

Once upon a time, there was a little comic books store in Denmark Street in London – a store recalled with much fondness and nostalgia by many people who come in to the big, bright lights of its modern-day descendant.

That store was Forbidden Planet. Denmark Street is a row of music shops now – but it still has a bohemian feel that hearkens back to the chilled out, long-hair-and-bell-bottoms memories we have of those times.

Forbidden Planet has been fortunate enough to have two pieces of exclusive, now-cult artwork designed for the company. One was the ‘People Like Us’ alien, by comic books artist Brian Bolland, drawn originally in 1978. The other commemorated the company’s move from Denmark Street to New Oxford Street in 1988 – and has become the brand synonymous with top-end genre retail. It’s the Forbidden Planet rocket, designed by acclaimed artist Rian Hughes, who also drew the font and typeface used for the logo.


In 2008, when Forbidden Planet celebrated its 30th anniversary, the company decided to celebrate the New Age of Geek by fusing its long past with today’s street-smart, contemporary art – how better to tie the old with the new than to recreate the cult classic Forbidden Planet rocket in hot, Urban Vinyl 3D?

In 2009, a worldwide exclusive of 350 pieces, the realisation of this fusion has been designed by 3D vinyl artist Matt ‘Lunartik’ JOnes.

When I asked Rian how he felt about seeing his classic logo re-visualised in 3D, he said, "In the modern virtual world where design work sometimes never leaves the digital realm, there's nothing like seeing your work in full 3D reality - and with the subtle aroma of fresh vinyl, I'm a happy man".

And he’s not kidding – the rocket measures 8” of pure vinyl goodness, comes with its own base featuring the retro flare from the 2D image and features his classic typeface on the night-blue packaging.

It’s fantastic.


Not to be outdone, Lunartik has also designed his own ‘banana’ variant, a humorous take on the rocket’s wickedly suggestive shape – and, as he says, completely ‘freshly squeezed… extra juicy pure vinyl goodness’. Each banana comes signed by Lunartik and dated.

Urban Vinyl is branching out into more new formats than I have space to list – into plush toys, into computer accessories, into home accessories – and now into a world-recognised marketing retail brand. And now better to design something memorable than to make it naughty – both rocket and banana work absolutely because of their insinuation. They’re perfect urban vinyl – daring, contentious, suggestive, genius!