DEVOTION to cartoons has led a Radcliffe man to open a specialised store in the Lowry Outlet Mall, Salford Quays.

Robert Marks has opened the region's first official Warner Bros. animation art gallery, containing original transparencies and limited-edition signed prints from some of the world's biggest cartoon luminaries, including Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera.

Marks, who previously worked at the Warner store in the Trafford Centre, took the decision to invest in the shop following the announcement that all Warner Bros. stores were to close in the UK. The company closed its US retail operation in 2001.

With his links to a Hollywood animations studio, he was able to realise his dream and is now one of only three preferred galleries in the UK licensed to sell Warner Bros. art animation.

"It is a fascinating industry to be in, especially as some of the signed animations are becoming harder to find now that the stores are closing," said Marks.

"And prices always escalate following the death of a director. Originals from Chuck Jones, creator of Roadrunner, now fetch more than double what they were prior to his death in 2002."

With the Red Cinema above him, Marks is keen to ensure the shop capitalises on future Warner Bros products including Harry Potter, Spiderman 2 and Catwoman.