In 2008, in the midst of a financial crisis - and the small matter of a digital publishing revolution - this little indie was born. Nobrow is an independent publisher and passionate promotor of graphic art, comics and illustration run out of a small shop in east London. The timing was certainly bold and refreshingly counter-intuitive, but it fits in line with the shop's identifiably different graphic style and general attitude. In the words of founders Sam Arthur and Alex Spiro, it wasn't going to be enough just to champion new artists and content, the books themselves had to "deserve to be printed". Hits such as Time To Make a Monster and their (limited to 3,000 copies) self-titled magazine featuring work from the finest new illustrators have elevated this shop to cult status.
Who are you? Simon Hacking, manager of the Nobrow shop.
Where can we find you? 62 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3QR, and online at www.nobrow.net
Describe your store in five words: Independent, contemporary, kaleidoscopic, illustrated and inspiring.
What makes you different? Not only are we a book shop selling a selection of the finest art books, kids books, comics and zines from across the world, we're also the home of Nobrow Press, publisher of some of the most beautiful books in existence.
How you decide what makes the cut? Nobrow Press make a point of only using the best materials and printing methods in the design and manufacture of their books, and this is a standard to which we hold the rest of the books and prints we stock in the shop.
What were you doing before you did this? I've worked in a number of comic book shops across London, and studied comics theory before that, so I'm steeped in words and pictures.
If you were starting again what advice would you give yourself? Practice is much more fun than theory. Get involved in the scene you love.
What are you most proud of? The expansion of the store from a small gallery with a smattering of small press titles to a fully fledged book shop.
Do you have a favourite thing in the store right now? Rob Hunter's new graphic novel Map of Days is incredible.
What's hot for 2013? We have some fantastic books coming from our children's line Flying Eye Books this year, that will be some of the best, most beautiful books we've ever published.
Every Wednesday 'Indie of the week' celebrates the best independent stores around. These places sell interesting and varied collections of design-related things you don't see everywhere else. They may support young or local designers or be great at finding unique things from around the world. By thinking a little more creatively about what they stock they are fighting the bland homogenisation of so much of the high street. And since I'm down with the realities of modern life, online only stores count too, because a beautiful and easy to use website is just as delightful an encounter in cyberspace.
