Bandra's unique 3D printing store redefines pop culture fandom

A Mural sporting caricatures of Marvel superheroes sipping coffee greets us when we enter Wonder By House of 3D that opened on October 24 Nestled in Pali Hill the striking blues of the storersquos ambience instantly catch our eye What brings us to this emerging hotspot for all things popular culture are their inviting offerings of selfieccinos milkshakes with customisable prints and their range of collectibles from the Marvel and DC universeWe begin our fantastical adventure with a KitKat shake Rs 262 in paper glasses which we gulp down in a shot at the two tiny tables pushed to the left of the store A small section of the space is dedicated to candies A few racks are reserved for unisex merchandise including printed tshirts mugs and slippers and the rest of the store is a package of happiness for a popular culture enthusiast with superhero figurines masks comic books and themed board games And yet what wersquore most keen on trying are their selfieccinos Founder Aditya Anand 42 and cofounder Delvin Lobo 35 get to work immediatelySelfieccinos PicsDevanshi DoshiWe send them a picture wersquod like to get printed on our cappuccino elegante Rs 179 and within a few minutes they present us with our coffee On requesting for closer look we get the full tour for the behindthescenes action where their printing machine is placed Connected to their laptop they upload the image using a software called Cupshow Once the cup is placed on the surface of the printing machine it takes about 40 seconds for the print to be readiedldquoYou can get any picture printed on any edible item on the menu as long as it has a flat surfacerdquo Lobo explains as he hands us the coffee mug which we carefully take back to our table for our Instagram shot ldquoCurrently we do this only for milkshakes thick shakes and coffee Soon we will introduce the same for chocolate bars and cookies as wellrdquoThe storeldquoPeople can enjoy the world of comics superheroes and creativity and art with unique prints on their snacks created using food colouring that is certified saferdquo Anand adds The coffee is not extraordinary but the idea of having your favourite superhero or even artwork on your beverage is exciting and a definite moodlifter So when we spot a favourite figurine in the store mdash a character from the Netflix series Squid Game we check with them if it can be printed on our next round After a quick photograph of the same and barely a minute later we have our coffee in our hand It is brighter and clearer than the previous one Soon we realise that tightlyshot and vibrant pictures may have the possibility of printing betterAditya Anand retail head Surbhe Paurush and Delvin LoboldquoWersquove made this figurinerdquo Lobo points at the Squid game character beside our coffee explaining that 3D printing is their main service while the merch coffee and comic books are a result of their shared love for popular culture ldquoAs kids figurines like this were imported to India The cost was naturally high and it increased our dependence on other countries Did you know there are nearly one crore comic book enthusiasts in Mumbai alone If there is such a huge market in just one city in India why depend on countries like China where most imports come from to meet our demandrdquo he expressesAnand continues ldquoWe started this idea in July 2022 as an RampD project to understand the usage of 3D printing technology for commercial use especially D2C Direct to Consumer as not many in the Indian market are using it commercially The technology advancements help us drive the Make in India visionrdquo Materials used include PLA Polylactic Acid resin and ABS Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene which is biodegradable ldquoWe are also testing plantbased resins that we hope to launch next yearrdquo he addsAnand is clear about their vision ldquoWe want to transcend boundaries to infuse the thrill and nostalgia of superheroes into reality Here enthusiasts can revel in their passion uncover distinctive collectibles and even have them brought to life through 3D printing This is more than a space itrsquos where imagination meets a vibrant communityrdquoWonder By House of 3DAt Shop no 1 Elcid Apartments Dr Ambedkar Road Pali NakaCall 7021906282Also check outOfficial Indian Navy unisex tshirtCost Rs 899Marvel Greatest Comics 100 comics that built a universeCost Rs 2500Official ISRO Tejas Beer MugCost Rs 6503D printed model AdiyogiCost Rs 799