The Incredible Comic Shop marks 15 years in Swindon town centre
Looking back, 30 April 2026: The Incredible Comic Shop in the Brunel Centre, described as Swindon's only independent comic book store, was preparing to celebrate 15 years since it opened in the covered market in June 2011.
Looking backThis story covers news from . Swindo wrote it later from the published source, and published it on 12 November 2026. More from that day
Last updated: 12 November 2026
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Photo: Roger Cornfoot via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 · source (illustrative photo of the place, not of the event)
The Incredible Comic Shop, on the first floor of the Brunel Centre in Swindon town centre, was preparing to mark its 15th anniversary, Swindon24 reported on 30 April 2026.
The shop, described as Swindon's only independent comic book store, opened in June 2011 inside the town's covered market. It was founded by Johnathan Brown with his friend and colleague Troy Loveday.
Mr Brown said: "We worked together at The Wyvern Theatre for about a year, and I managed to persuade him to open the shop with me."
How had the shop grown?
The shop moved to a temporary unit in the Brunel Centre in 2016, on international Free Comic Book Day, and later to its first-floor unit, again on Free Comic Book Day.
Its stock grew from around 10,000 comics during its time in the market to around half a million. Mr Brown worked with five members of staff. Mr Loveday had stepped away from the business two years earlier.
The shop sold new and second-hand comics and graphic novels sourced from the United States and, increasingly, Japan. Marvel and DC superhero titles remained popular and demand for Japanese comics was growing.
Mr Brown said: "I've always loved comics, it's always been my hobby, and it's why I opened the shop in the first place." He said the shop was named after The Incredible Hulk.
What was planned?
Free Comic Book Day in 2026 fell on Saturday 2 May, and the shop planned to celebrate its anniversary in June 2026.
A spokeswoman for The Brunel said: "We are absolutely delighted to congratulate Johnathan and The Incredible Comic shop".
