Like most little boys, he grew up adoring fantasy.  In his case he grew up on Tarzan books; his very favorites.  And like many little boys, he grew up to have a safe and sane career -- as an investment counselor.  So what had grown into a 25 year hobby, because of his long love affair with fantasy and science fiction, evolved into a full-fledged business when Stephen Pierson, president of September Publications, opened the first Fantasy Castle in 1977.  Aided by the success of Star Trek, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica, the original Fantasy Castle on Ventura  Blvd in Woodland Hills , California was the first full-scale science fiction and fantasy supermarket in the country.  From the colorful side of the imagination, all things tied to the fantasy and science fiction motif such as comics, magazines, books, t-shirts, jewelry, knick-knacks, posters, art prints, games, miniatures and calendars were available for the first time in one location.  The store’s  reception and popularity enabled the opening of the second location in 1978 on Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood, California . 

In an interview at the opening of the Hollywood location in 1978, Stephen Pierson was quoted as saying “The bottom line is that Star Wars is a product of science fiction – not the other way around, and I don’t think science fiction is a fad.  I don’t think that Star Wars is necessarily the key thing.  I think it certainly helped, as will Galactica and Star Trek before… but there has been an enormous explosion of interest in fantasy art for a number of years now.  The subject itself is not new.  Fantasy covers a broad range of things.  The tremendous numbers of people that are being exposed to the product because of the media … and that are enjoying it, will certainly become more involved in it.  Although with some of them it may pass, many of  the people will stay interested.  I don’t think it will be a short-lived thing.  It hasn’t been with most people who get to liking it.”

In 1981 the Woodland Hills store was moved to Tarzana, California and the continuing success of  Fantasy Castle enabled the opening of four stores over a fifteen year period proving indeed, as we can see now in 2009, that it isn’t at all a fad or a ‘short-lived’ thing.

Kennedy Estate Sales is pleased to take Steve Pierson's Fantasy Castle line of sci-fi and fantasy memorabilia to a new level by making these collectibles available on the internet to fans worldwide.