The View from Flying Colors

AVATAR: The Last Airbender Event on Sat. Jan 28!

2012-01-20T19:23:00.000-08:00

What: Release Party for AVATAR The Last Airbender: The Promise Volume One
from Dark Horse Comics

Who: Artist/writer GENE YANG and you!

Where: Flying Colors Comics, of course!

When: Saturday January 28 @ 1pm

Why? Just for the fun of it!

• There will be a Cosplay contest, so be here dressed as your favorite comics or animation character!

• There will be an AVATAR coloring contest for kids under 12!

• There will be cool prizes!

ComicsPRO Means Business!

2012-01-18T18:23:00.000-08:00

www.comicspro.org/meet12

Having been in the business of comic books for the last 25 years, I often get comments like "Work? In comics? Not possible--- it's got to be nothing but fun!"

Well, for the most part, I do LOVE my job---and it is fun, both as local small business owner and as someone who participates more fully in the wider business of comics and pop culture. As the owner of Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff, I am privileged each day to provide Contra Costa County with a widely-respected, fully-stocked store that brings pleasure to thousands every month.

On an industrywide level, I am also thrilled to work with so many talented people--- artists, writers, distributors, publishers, sales reps and other comic book specialty retailers. Over the years, I have been a part of founding WonderCon, written many articles and columns for industry publications, consulted with new retailers opening their first stores, helped cartoonists get their comics to a wider market, founded the international and huge Free Comic Book Day (2.5 million comics, 2000 stores in 40 countries leading to one million visitors to comic book stores on FCBD last year alone).

In the last six years, I've also been very proud and willing to serve as the founding president of ComicsPRO, the retailer trade and advocacy group.

Yeah, OK, what does THAT mean?

Worldwide, here are likely around 3500 comic book specialty retailers. In the U.S and Canada, that number is closer to 2500. That's a very small number of businesses on the front lines of comics-based pop culture. ComicsPRO promotes advocacy, education and opportunity for our members. We work with our members--- all small business owners that have challenges, costs and goals. By being a ComicsPRO member retailer, we are able to band together and mitigate some of those costs, overcome some of those challenges and help each other attain the goals we seek--- more professional, profitable and sustainable comic shops.

So in just a few weeks, I'll be heading to Dallas for the ComicsPRO Annual Members Meeting. This will be our 6th annual meeting and we'll be talking with publishers, manufacturers, distributors, and our fellow retailers in an effort to increase our profitability, share our concerns and potential solutions with our industry trading partners and learn from each other in ways that expand our vision and make each of us look at businesses with fresh eyes.

If you are in the business of comics, particularly as a store owner, but also as a publisher or manufacturer, I strongly urge you to attend. If you have any questions, please email me here.

The meeting info is HERE! And the time is NOW!

Peace!

Joe "FlyCoJoe" Field
ComicsPRO President

Joltin' Joe Sinnott!

2012-01-17T14:21:00.000-08:00

When I started reading Marvel Comics in the summer of 1967, Joe Sinnott was firmly ensconced as artist Jack "King" Kirby's ink-artist of preference on Marvel's flagship series FANTASTIC FOUR.

Back in the summer of '95, I met Joe Sinnott and his late (and great!) wife Betty when he was a special guest at the San Diego Comic-Con. Knowing he lived in upstate New York, I was surprised to see him sporting a San Francisco Giants' baseball cap. We struck up a conversation about the Giants---and that has turned into a long-distance friendship over the last 15+ years. Once or twice a month, Joe and I will talk on the phone, usually about baseball---"What are the Giants going to do about their offense!!??" ---but we'll also talk about comics and other topics. I'm sure he has many fans and friends calling him regularly, but he always makes me feel like I'm his most important friend when I'm talking with him

So I have learned what everyone else who has ever met Joe already knows--- he is one of the greatest guys on Earth! A true gentlemen in every sense of the word.

Here, then, is a recent interview with Joe Sinnott, going through his 60 year career in comic books.
(I cribbed this from writer Mark Evanier's site, so please do me a favor and take a look atthe entertaining and informative content Mark posts there.)

Interview with comics legend Joe Sinnott, Part 1 from The Comic Archive on Vimeo.

You know my name, look up the band!

2012-01-11T15:26:00.000-08:00

The name: Flying Colors. (Cool name... we've liked it for better than 23 years!)

The band: Debuting this March, featuring the talents of rock guitar virtuoso Steve Morse (Dixie Dregs, Deep Purple), drummer Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater, Transatlantic), keyboadist/guitarist Neal Morse (Spock's Beard, Transatlantic), bass player Dave LaRue (Dixie Dregs) and lead vocalist Casey McPherson. Produced by Peter Collins ( Rush, Queensrÿche, Alice Cooper, Bon Jovi, Suicidal Tendencies, Indigo Girls, Jane Wiedlin, October Project, the Cardigans, and Tracey Ullman.)

Hey, Flying Colors (meaning you--- Steve, Mike, Neal, Dave and Casey!)---
Flying Colors Comics is open to having you here for an intimate gig among friends. Or just a meet and greet as you go about your tour later this year.

You know, Flying Colors @ Flying Colors. It's a natural!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Now, here's a look at the recording sessions leading up to the release of the Flying Colors CD.

Start the New Year with THE LAST BATTLE

2012-01-03T17:42:00.000-08:00

Join us tomorrow---Wednesday January 4 at 11am-- as we welcome back to Flying Colors artist/writer DAN BRERETON, who will be showcasing his new graphic novel from Image Comics, called THE LAST BATTLE.

For a list of all the New Comics & Other Cool Stuff arriving at Flying Colors for sale tomorrow, please hit this link!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Thanks for a solid 2011--- Now let's all make 2012 GREAT!

2012-01-02T18:13:00.001-08:00

No Holiday Delay! New & Cool Stuff for Wednesday December 28, 2011

2011-12-27T14:06:00.000-08:00

... and our Y.E.S. event continues!

Great deals on graphic novels, comics compilations, t-shirts, busts, statues and back issues (see previous blog post for details).

For a list of all New Comics & Other Cool Stuff, please visit our Facebook Fan Page by hitting this link!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Merry Christmas from your friends at Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff!

2011-12-23T15:04:00.000-08:00

Flying Colors will be OPEN Christmas Eve Saturday December 24 from 11am-5:30pm.

We will be CLOSED on Christmas Day Sunday December 25.

Join us Monday December 26-Saturday December 31 for our Y.E.S. (Year End Spectacular) event! Get a scoop on the great deals by clicking HERE!

Flying Colors will be OPEN Monday December 26 - Friday December 30 from 11am-7pm.

We will be OPEN on New Year's Eve Saturday December 31 from 11am-5pm,

and will be CLOSED on New Year's Day Sunday January 1, 2012.

Peace on Earth, Good Will Towards All!

FlyCoJoe

Do Something Powerful for Our Community!

2011-12-19T18:40:00.000-08:00

Shop Local!

Put Flying Colors on your shopping list!

2011-12-19T18:36:00.000-08:00

Here's Flying Colors' new TV spot:

What's on Your Flying Colors Wish List?

2011-12-08T15:07:00.000-08:00

Want to make sure the gifts you choose are just the right ones?

The Flying Colors Holiday Wish List is the answer!

Either print out the Wish List from this page or come into Flying Colors and ask for one. Then get it filled out by the ones on your shopping list that would most love the Comics & Other Cool Stuff that Flying Colors has in abundant supply!

With more Cool Stuff arriving almost daily---and a new shipment of comic every Wednesday, we hope you'll visit us every week!

And, remember, comics fans, it is better to give than to receive, so make sure to spread your enjoyment of great comics to all those you love!

Peace!

FlyCoJoeHoHoHo

Live Music with Nick D'Virgilio--- and a Sweet Deal!

2011-12-03T14:55:00.000-08:00

Be here Monday December 5. Show door opens at 6:30. Music begins at 7PM. The sweet deal will ensue!

A few reserved seats are still available!

All the details are HERE!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

SPECIAL EVENT!

2011-11-03T17:09:00.000-07:00

This is going to be something really cool for anyone who loves to rock-- and especially those who love to prog-rock! Nick D'Virgilio, the lead singer from the mighty Spock's Beard, is coming to do a solo music event at Flying Colors Comics.

Spock's Beard is known worldwide as the premier purveyors of style-hopping Neo-Progressive Rock, plus Nick has just released a cool EP-length CD of new songs of his own (plus one written by the late great Kevin Gilbert!). Nick is also currently the assitant band-leader and percussionist for Cirque Du Soleil's "Totem"--- now playing in San Francisco! Opening the show for Nick will be his Cirque Du Soleil bandmate Joshua Geisler.


Nick D'Virgilio and Libby at a Spock's Beard show, San Francisco 2005

Monday December 5, 2011
Door will open at 6:30PM
Show starts at 7:00PM
Realizing we're doing this on a Monday night, we're starting the show a little earlier, so we expect the show to be over a little after 9PM.

This event also celebrates Libby's birthday, so there will be cake, too!

At the end of the live music, Flying Colors will be giving each attendee of the show a valuable coupon-- so we hope you'll stick around and do a little holiday shopping!

While this will be a FREE show, there will be very limited reserved (and paid) seating. Each of the paid reserved seats will also receive a FREE signed copy of Nick's new CD "Pieces." Please email coolstuff@flyingcolorscomics.com for reserved seating prices and info.

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

In my former life....

2011-10-28T17:39:00.000-07:00

... for those who don't know, I worked in radio in Stockton CA for 10 years before opening Flying Colors Comics in 1988.

I worked primarily for the 5000 watt powerhouse Top 40 station, KJOY 1280AM, "The Great 128." I worked there from June '78 until May '88, just three months before the opening of Flying Colors. In '85, I did a promotion to get Stockton, KJOY and Marvel Comics some publicity by asking Marvel to name Stockton as the "Official Birthplace of Marvel Comics' Fantastic Four."

Around that same time, I got the idea to try to syndicate a short radio feature program about comics and how comics fit neatly along the pop culture spectrum with movies, video games (really prehistoric video games!) and rock music.

So today, I am sharing with you another blast from my past... the sales brochure promoting my show, called GRAPHIC DETAILS (please note my hand-drawn and amateurish comic-style logo). This brochure was sent to dozens of radio show syndicates---and it was my vain hope it could be placed before or after Casey Kasem's popular "AMERICAN TOP 40" show.

GRAPHIC DETAILS was the result of my interviews at the '85 and '86 San Diego Comic-Cons, plus my own bits of research gleaned from various sources. It was hosted by my dear friend and KJOY deejay Jerry Fuentes, who also did the super-hero drawing on the brochure.

At some point, and I know I have them around here somewhere, I'll post a couple of our sample programs, but for now... dig into this bit of personal nostalgia. And pardon me for saying this in a boastful way, but GRAPHIC DETAILS was years ahead of its time... as was my short-lived cable TV show called The Comics Cable (video coming soon-ish).

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

New & Cool Stuff for Wednesday October 19, 2011

2011-10-18T20:13:00.000-07:00

Every week, Flying Colors receives an average of more than 100 new comic books and graphic novels, plus a selection of "Other Cool Stuff" for fans of comics and pop culture.

This week, two new items we want to call your attention to:
• BATMAN YEAR ONE, on DVD and Blu-Ray. A fantastic new animated DVD adapting one of the all-time best Batman stories.

• WALKING DEAD Action Figures. These are the first action figures tied in to the mega-hit TV show, comics and graphic novels. Figures in this series include Officer Rick Grimes, Michonne, Zombie Roamer and Zombie Lurker!

For a list of all the New & Cool Stuff arriving at Flying Colors every week, please visit our Facebook Fan Page!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Still Looking For the (Music) Answers

2011-10-13T22:01:00.000-07:00

From time to time on this blog, I like to go outside the world of comics and talk about other things for which I am emphatically enthusiastic. Dig through this blog or read the header above it and you’ll know that usually means either baseball or music.

Well, we have another post-season without any of my teams in it. The games have been fun to watch even still, but I am already looking forward to the time between the end of the World Series and the start of Spring Training to see what moves the Oakland A’s and San Francisco Giants make. Anything can happen (see: Arizona Diamondbacks going from 90+ losses in 2010 to 90+ wins in 2011).

I have to believe the Giants will be front-runners in 2012 with their strong pitching, the return of Buster Posey and some young talent developing to go along with veteran players. The A’s continue to be a low-budget team that develops a lot of talent but rarely sees that talent pay off for the A’s at the major league level (see: LA Dodgers Andre Ethier, Colorado Rockies Carlos Gonzalez and Texas slugger Nelson Cruz as three players the A’s developed in the minors but were traded before they blossomed into big league stars).

OK, so that’s enough baseball (for now, anyway). So let’s talk music.

When you visit Flying Colors, there’s always music playing. Even when the baseball is on the TV, the sound is off while the music goes on. The music we play here is a vital part of the atmosphere and I’m always happy when we get good comments about the stuff we play.

Our play-list features favorites from our Flying Colors Retailing Brigade members which includes lots of classic rock, some new music from across the rock and pop spectrum, plus the occasional forays into jazz. There’s a heavy emphasis on my favorites….you know, since I’m the boss and everyone wants to keep me happy. My tastes range from even more classic rock, lots of indie power pop and new and classic progressive rock, along with the occasional soundtrack and Big Band.

But what’s “Progressive Rock,” you may ask? Well, a few years back on this blog, I wrote a piece about progressive rock and my favorite current band that plays that varied style of music--- the mighty Spock's Beard--- a band that would be HUGE if radio programmers actually cared about a fuller range of music. You can read that post HERE!

But I digress!

There is another band that released their debut CD within the last few months getting a lot of airplay here at Flying Colors. The band is called 41POINT9… and the disc is called “Still Looking For the Answers.”

Well, when it comes to the melodic side of prog-rock, I believe I’ve found The Answer with this release. But honestly, I'm still looking for the answers of how to put into words how much I'm enjoying this debut effort from 41POINT9.

Let’s start with the name. Douglas Adams, science fiction author of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” wrote about a group of super-intelligent otherworldly beings demanding to learn the “Ultimate Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, The Universe, and Everything.” They specially construct a supercomputer, known as Deep Thought, just for the purpose of finding “The Answer.” Seven and half million years later, Deep Thought has the answer, which turns out to be 42. While the Answer is found, The Question remains a mystery.

Well, if The Ultimate Question is “What is perfection?” and the answer came back “42,” then I figure 41POINT9 has to be pretty close to perfect. At least in prog circles, anyway…

So, here come Bob Madsen, Brian Cline and Kenny Steel, with a little help from some of their friends (including drummers Nick D’Virgilio and Jimmy Keegan from the mighty Spock’s Beard), and they’re all “still looking for the answers.”

On the CD’s second track, we hear a song that fits the mood of the country right now. “Living In Hard Times” recalls without aping the dramatic Genesis opus called “Driving the Last Spike,” as both are longer songs that tell tales of trying to persevere through miserable circumstances.

“Building Blocks” feels like a lost gem from the Alan Parsons Project, with its driving bass, Brian Cline’s Eric Woolfson-like vocals and the harmony-laden pop hook in the chorus.

“Surface Tension” is an instrumental that rocks with the fusion-like precision and melodicism of Brand X.

“Promise the Moon” is a more gentle, romantic ballad that also breaks into a memorable chorus. The closing track “The Torch” is an almost country-like ballad that would seem to fit comfortably with Guns N’ Roses “November Rain.” The title track continues with the onslaught of melody, this time feeling like it was inspired by the late great band Level 42… and it makes me wonder if there wasn’t some nod to Level 42 in the naming of this band.

But whether inspired by Douglas Adams’ pursuit of perfection, the glossy production of Level 42 or the story-telling songs of Genesis, I do believe 41POINT9 should have called themselves 100% because that's the success rate they have on this CD.

I confidently recommend this CD to those who love any of the bands mentioned, throwing in Journey, too…as 41POINT9 has the sound of a band ready to be heard by a much wider audience.

41POINT9 "Still Looking For The Answers" is available from the band's web-site HERE! (where you can also get lyrics and behind the scenes info about each song) ...and from ProgRock Records HERE!

Peace n' proggy goodness!

FlyCoJoe

It was 23 years ago today...

2011-10-03T20:02:00.000-07:00

...that Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff first opened for business in Concord CA. The above shot was taken in 1990 and it shows how tight we packed things into the smaller space we had back then.

For more photos, please visit our Facebook Fan Page here! (No need to be a Facebook user to visit our Fan Page there... and it's another way to keep up with all the things going on around here.)

Many thanks go out to everyone who has supported us throughout the years!

Peace and health to you all!

FlyCoJoe
...and the Flying Colors Retailing Brigade

2011-09-27T13:07:00.000-07:00

DC's NEW 52 is a major hit! So major, in fact, that Flying Colors has sold out of some of the 52 new first issues.... temporarily. We've already received a new supply of Justice League #1, with more re-stocks coming on all 39 titles released so far.

In case you want to check out these new DC comics in a digital format, just click the image below:

And here's a link to our Digital Storefront for other publishers, such as Image, IDW and Dynamite

New comics and other cool stuff are ready to go when we open every Wednesday. Be here for the buzz!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

2011-09-21T20:19:00.000-07:00

DC Stimulus Plan Really Working

Comic Book Retailers and Readers Share in Plan’s Success

CONCORD, CA: While politicians in Washington D.C. argue about the specifics of another federal plan to stimulate the economy and restore optimism to a restless nation, a new DC stimulus plan is being met with not only bi-partisan support, but has enthusiastic fans all over the world.

It’s the DC Comics “stimulus plan.”

DC Comics, publishers of worldwide favorite super-heroes such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern, has made the unprecedented move of starting over with 52 new comic book series all beginning with first issues in September.

“It’s a bold and audacious move to do something of this scope,” said Joe Field, owner of Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff in Concord CA. “Fifty-two new series to pique the interest of thousands of readers means more reading fun for comic book readers and an economic stimulus for independent comic book store owners in all 50 states. This truly is the one DC stimulus everyone can enjoy!”

Among the marquee releases available Wednesday September 21 are the first new Batman #1 since 1939, along re-imaginings of other key super-heroes with the releases of Catowman #1, Supergirl #1 and Wonder Woman #1, along with nine other entertaining new series.

New DC titles debuting on Wednesday September 28 include an intriguing new beginning for the super-hero that started it all in 1938, with Superman #1. Twelve other new first issues will also be released, featuring reinvigorated interpretations of Aquaman, The Flash, The Savage Hawkman, and Teen Titans, among others.

"In the first three weeks of DC's 'The New 52', the response is so positive from new readers and long-time comic fans alike," said Field. "This could just be a true renaissance for super-hero comic books."

“In addition to Flying Colors, there are more than 2000 other comic book specialty stores in North America,” said Field, who also serves as president of the ComicsPRO, the retailer trade and advocacy association. “This is such a great time for new and returning readers to discover all the great storytelling across the comics’ spectrum, from super-hero favorites to independents and art-house comics. I firmly believe there’s a comic book or graphic novel for everyone who likes to read--- and that leads to another stimulus. The stimulation of the imagination!”

Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff is at 2980 Treat Blvd in Concord CA. Find Flying Colors online at FlyingColorsComics.com. To find a comic book specialty store near you, visit ComicShopLocator.com. For more information about ComicsPRO, visit ComicsPRO.org.

Flying Colors 23rd Anniversary Party Set for Saturday September 17

2011-09-07T20:22:00.000-07:00

BIG news!
So big, in fact, we'll be celebrating our 23rd anniversary here at Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff three weeks early!

On Saturday September 17, Flying Colors will be hosting THREE great artists to dazzle you with their talent, to enthrall you with their stories--- and to sell you the comics they do!

You've probably heard the buzz about DC COMICS "NEW 52"--- the bold re-imagining of DC Comics' iconic characters like Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and those fondly remembered but maybe not as well known like Resurrection Man, OMAC, Grifter and Sgt. Rock.

Well, we've got two guests working on titles that are part of The New 52, and here they are:

MICK GRAY (12noon-3pm-ish)
Superstar inker is a frequent guest here at Flying Colors--and we're thrilled to once again have him for the debut of the all-new (and one of The New 52) BATMAN & ROBIN #1. Mick is an award-winning inker and from the preview work I've seen from BATMAN & ROBIN #1, this will definitely be worth getting a signed copy!

VIKTOR KALVACHEV
(12noon- who knows?!)
Multi-talented artist, writer, video game designer and friend to Flying Colors, readers are loving Viktor's new Image Comics series BLUE ESTATE, a hard-biting, fast-action romp that fans of movies like Pulp Fiction and Get Shorty will just love! Viktor is now also the cover artist/designer for DC Comics New 52 title MEN OF WAR... and he'll be here to sign this new issue, as well as the new BLUE ESTATE Volume One and PHERONE softcover, both from Image (and both suggested for mature readers!).

But that's not all---oh, no! To honor the 23rd anniversary of Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff, we've arranged with Marvel Comics to get a guest visit from....

TODD NAUCK (11am-3pm or so...)
Many know Todd from his work on DC Comics YOUNG JUSTICE, others smile while recalling his Image Comics series WILDGUARD. Todd is also the artist for the best-selling single issue comic book of the last five years, Amazing Spider-Man #583 in which the web-slinging wonder meets the then brand-new President of the United States, Barack Obama!

Todd has done something else that is incredibly special to the gang here at Flying Colors-- he's the artist for the Flying Colors' exclusive variant cover edition to AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #669, featuring Flying Colors very own CAPTAIN FOUR-COLOR!

Yup, that's right! Ol' CAP FC is invading the Marvel Universe (at least a cover in the Marvel Universe)---and this is such a special deal that we're flying Todd in just for the day to meet fans, sign copies of his work, do some head sketches and maybe even show the kids how to do a quick sketch or two.

MORE...
Yes, there will be refreshments. Yes, there will be some deals.
Yes, there will be all of the cool stuff you've come to expect from an event at Flying Colors Comics! Yes, there will be a good time for everyone!
And, no, sorry, we cannot reserve signed copies before the event.

We've Got Your Cool Stuff Right Here... in Flying Colors! ®

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

(For out of area mail order inquiries for any of Flying Colors exclusive comics and variants, please email
Joe at FlyingColorsComics.com)

Welcome to THE NEW 52

2011-08-30T19:04:00.000-07:00

Click here to see Flying Colors latest edition of our In-Frequent Flyer, featuring a cool deal for those wanting to get into DC COMICS THE NEW 52.

And be here Wednesday August 31 for the release of the new JUSTICE LEAGUE by Jim Lee and Geoff Johns!

It's the dawn of great new day for comics!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Flying Colors Does Digital

2011-08-24T17:46:00.000-07:00

While we remain utterly committed to a vibrant and rich print market for comics, we are also partnering with digital comics leader ComiXology to serve you with a wide variety of digital comics.

Flying Colors/ DC Comics Digital Storefront:

Plus this Digital Storefront bringing you comics from these and other publishers:

AC Comics, Arcana Comics, Archaia, Archie, Aspen Comics, Avatar, Bluewater Comics, Bongo Comics, BOOM! Studios, Dark Horse, DMP, Drawn and Quarterly, Dynamite, Fantagraphics, IDW, Image, Marvel, Moonstone, Oni, Top Shelf, Udon, Viz, Zenescope

Hope to see you soon... in Flying Colors!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Exclusive Flying Colors AMAZING SPIDER-MAN cover!

2011-08-01T17:23:00.000-07:00

Rush right in to get your copy of the latest issue of Marvel Comics' AMAZING SPIDER-MAN.

This cool comic book features an
exclusive cover made just for Flying Colors!

And while you're here, pick up these other Flying Colors exclusives:
SAVAGE DRAGON #165 featuring Flying Colors' very own super-hero, CAPTAIN FOUR-COLOR!

Also: Flying Colors 20th Anniversary Special Edition, with stories from Jeff Bonivert, Ken Hooper, Adrain Rivero and Chris Mendoza. With pin up art from Jim Lee, Dan Brereton, Grant Morrison, Ken Hooper and Terry Austin!

And our 10th Anniversary Special, featuring an original painted Dan Brereton cover. With stories by Ken Hooper, Jeff Bonivert, Jon 'Bean' Hastings, Carlos Saldana and Jeff Nicholson. Pin-ups from Andi Watson, Jim Lee, Jeff Johnson and more.

All of these cool and exclusive comics are available now in Flying Colors!

Mail orders are also being accepted by email and paid through PayPal. For more information, please email coolstuff@flyingcolorscomics.com

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Flying Colors Earns Recognition from Concord City Council

2011-07-30T16:40:00.000-07:00

The photo shown here was taken this past Tuesday evening at the Concord City Council meeting.

Flying Colors was given an award co-presented by Concord's Mayor, Laura Hoffmeister, and Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce President Ken Dami.

We feel honored to have been recognized for our longevity here, as well as what the award states “contributions to the economic vitality and the betterment of the Concord community." We also recognize this award honors the great work our staff currently does and has done over the years.

We are always trying to improve our service here, while also having a very wide selection of comic books and comic-related cool stuff.

Receiving this recognition also reminds all of us here at Flying Colors to be very thankful for your business. Whether you are one of our many regular store visitors--- including the Wednesday Warriors who are always here for new comics on their first day of release--- or one of the many shoppers that looks to Flying Colors for cool stuff every now and then, I thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you!!

We’ll continue to try our best in the months and years ahead--- and we hope you continue to support our vision for what a world-class comic shop is all about!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Flying Colors Co-Sponsors PROJECT ROOFTOP's “Spider-Man: Webhead 2.0″ Redesign Contest

2011-07-11T12:40:00.000-07:00

He may be Marvel’s most recognizable character by far, but Spider-Man’s no slouch when it comes to costume changes. From the classic design by Steve Ditko to the black-and-white attire of the 80s and the upcoming redesign in the pages of Ultimate Comics, Spider-Man has a full closet. In the latest of Project: Rooftop’s line of of innovative costume redesign challenges, we turn to Spider-Man.

Partnering with long-time comics retailer Joe Field and Flying Colors Comics, Project: Rooftop’s “Spider-Man: Webhead 2.0″ Contest gives artists, designs and fans worldwide the chance to spin a new web for Marvel’s resident wall-crawler for the world to see.

“Encouraging artists is something I’ve always enjoyed doing,” said Joe Field, owner of Flying Colors Comics in Concord CA, president of ComicsPRO and founder of Free Comic Book Day . “I came up with some cool Spidey-related prizes and look forward to seeing all the Project: Rooftop entries!”
As usual, check our guidelines, include your name and website, and send your art as an attachment in jpg, png, or gif format to projectrooftop@gmail.com.

Joining our regular P:R staff in judging these entries will be the co-founders of the comics commentary site iFanboy.com: Josh Flanagan, Conor Kilpatrick and Ron Richards. Launched in 2000, this fan-friendly comics website has become one of the key sites for comics news and criticism in recent years, with its iFanboy Pick of the Week podcast becoming the most popular comics podcast on iTunes.

The prizes for this contest, provided by Flying Colors Comics, are:
First Prize: The Spider-Man Diamond Select Maquette (retail value of $85) and a bagged copy of Ultimate Spider-Man #160.
Second Prize: Spider-Man Masterworks Vol. 5 Softcover (retail value of $25) and a bagged copy of Ultimate Spider-Man #160.
Third Prize: Spider-Man: Peter Parker Essential Vol. 3 (retail value of $18) and a bagged copy of Ultimate Spider-Man #160.

Entries for “Spider-Man: Webhead 2.0″ must be received by August 8, 2011.

See you in San Diego?

2011-07-08T16:00:00.000-07:00

With Comic-Con International's San Diego convention coming up in less than two weeks, I wanted to invite anyone who might be interested to attend the following event I will be hosting. The room is always full, so get there early and hear some of the ComicsPRO retailers' experiences.

Even if you are not interested in opening your own comic book store, this event will give fans a look "behind the curtain" at comic book specialty retailing.

FRIDAY JULY 22
4:00–5:30 Room 32AB
So You Want To Be a Comic Book Retailer? – Presented by ComicsPRO’s Retailer Mentoring Forum. This Comic-Con tradition is always a lively and fun discussion, where your dreams of owning your own comic book specialty store take flight! Your career in comics’ retail starts here! You have questions? Our panel of experienced retailers has answers! Hosted by Joe Field (ComicsPRO President, Flying Colors Comics, Concord CA) with Portyln Polston (Brave New World, Newhall CA), Jennifer Haines (The Dragon, Guelph ON), Chris Brady (4 Color Fantasies, Rancho Cucamonga CA) and Diamond Comic Distributors Outside Sales manager Dave Hawksworth.

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Great FlyCo Faithful email!

2011-06-30T16:52:00.000-07:00

We just received this great email from a long-time, but only semi-occasional visitor to Flying Colors. It made out day, so we decided to share it with you.

I just wanted to let you know I came in Friday and was looking around, and Marty came up and said "I think Joe would recommend this to you", and handed me a copy of 'Who Are The Mystery Men'- well the recommendation was on the nose! Great book!

I think it is so cool that I can go a couple of months without buying comics (caught up in life's currents), and come into Flying Colors, be remembered, and get a recommendation that is spot on. Awesome!

I also had an opportunity to talk comics with Marty and Susie, and it was great to have that personal 'old fashioned' experience. That's definitely why I like Flying Colors so much.

It really makes me feel like 'home', like a small town experience, and I really appreciate that type of effort by you and your staff.

So, thanks for having such a great shop!

We love to get emails, letters and pertinent posts to our Facebook Fan Page.
If you have any comments, concerns or questions, please email them to coolstuff@flyingcolorscomics.com or mail them to:
Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff
2980 Treat Blvd
Concord CA 94518

2011-06-28T21:56:00.000-07:00

NEW THIS WEEK... hit the link!

RIP, Gene Colan! A fine gentleman and a terrific artist whose work will live on forever!

New & Cool

2011-06-21T16:51:00.000-07:00

Check out a full ist of everything coming in this week at our Flying Colors Facebook Fan Page...

... including Ultimate Spider-Man #160--- The Death of Spider-Man!

Here's hoping your week is going better than Spidey's!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

New & Cool This Week at Flying Colors!

2011-06-13T19:27:00.000-07:00

With Fathers' Day coming up Sunday June 19. we hope you'll remember to come by Flying Colors for a cool assortment of fun stuff Dad.

Every week, Flying Colors receives close to 100 new comic titles, plus graphic novels, fan magazines, t-shirts, action figures and other cool stuff. You can find a list of new items posted every week at Flying Colors Facebook Fan Page (no need to be a Facebook subscriber to check out our fan page.)

Meanwhile, included here are some pix of some of the new & cool items we have in stock!
Peace!

FlyCoJoe

GREEN LANTERN the movie opens Friday June 17, so Father's Day will be a perfect time to get Dad in the cosmic swing of thing with this Funko Pop! Vinyl Bobblehead.

The cover to FLASHPOINT: Wonder Woman & The Furies #1, new this week from DC Comics!

Saturday June 4-- be here for LEVEL UP!

2011-05-31T20:38:00.000-07:00

LEVEL UP Creators Yang and Pham Debut New Graphic Novel at Flying Colors

June 4^th event at Concord CA store will feature Live Art demo, exclusive bookplate

When award-winning artist/writer Gene Luen Yang and up-and-coming artist Thien Pham debut their graphic novel LEVEL UP at Flying Colors Comics in Concord CA this weekend, they’ll be hoping to accomplish something that touches on the theme of their new book.

LEVEL UP centers on the conflicted character Dennis Ouyang who lives in the shadow of his parents’ high expectations. They want him to become a doctor--- he just wants to play video games. To find out more, Yang, Pham and Flying Colors owner Joe Field are asking all video gamers, along with comics fans, of course, to turn off their video games, get off their couches and visit Flying Colors Comics on June 4^th from 1:30PM-4PM to check out LEVEL UP and witness a demonstration of Live Art in the making, as Yang and Pham go at it in an EPIC DRAW-OFF!

Now just what is an EPIC DRAW-OFF? Here’s the way Gene Yang describes it: “While I talk a bit about how I got started in comics, Thien will illustrate my story as I speak. Then, he will talk about how he got started, and I'll illustrate Thien’s story. After, it’ll be a competition using suggestions from the audience.”

In addition to the Live Art demonstration, Flying Colors will have an exclusive bookplate for the artists to sign in the brand new LEVEL UP graphic novel.

“I have been a fan of Gene’s work since he did DUNCAN’S KINGDOM for Image Comics in 1999,” said Flying Colors owner Joe Field. “ Looking at his body of work in the 12 years since, including the award-winning AMERICAN BORN CHINESE and ETERNAL SMILE, I am thrilled to finally have Gene visit Flying Colors. Seeing Thien Pham’s work on LEVEL UP also leads me to believe that his star is rising among cartoonists.”

Schedule for June 4^th event:

1:30 Introduction of Gene Yang and Thien Pham, book signing

2PM EPIC DRAW-OFF Live Art demonstration

3PM Q&A, book signing.

3:30PM Pizza and refreshments will be served.

For additional information, please visit FlyingColorsComics.com or call Flying Colors Comics in Concord CA at 925-825-5410.

FCBD 2011 wrap-up!

2011-05-14T16:08:00.000-07:00

Photo by Ben Margot, Associated Press

OK, we've just about recovered from the insanity that is Free Comic Book Day.

A few numbers for all you keeping score:

It's estimated that between 300,000 and 500,000 people visited FCBD particpating retailers in 40 countries on May 7!

FCBD 2011 generated an estimated $1.5 million in publicity for comics and comic shops!

At Flying Colors, we had almost 1100 people visit the store on FCBD. The store remained shoppable and comfortable all day long.

For more than 250 people, it was their very first visit to Flying Colors! Welcome, one and all!

We gave away more than 6000 total comics at Flying Colors!

Libby made more than 200 of her "HULK SMASH" (creme de menthe) brownies!

And she and Jenny dished out roughly 200 pieces of cake!

We had 11 people working the event (current and former staff and friends), plus guest visits from Captain Jack Sparrow and Wonder Woman!

Free Comic Book Day 2011 also got tremendous coverage in the media. Here are some links to stories featuring FlyCoJoe:

Associated Press, pre-event coverage

Associated Press, Day-of-Event Coverage

CNN

Los Angeles Times, Hero Complex

National Public Radio (NPR)

Scoop (Diamond Galleries): Pre-Event Interview with Joe Field

Scoop Post-FCBD Report

Comics Bulletin: Joe Field Interview with Karyn Pinter
The Comic Chronicles by John Jackson Miller

The Examiner.com by Oscar Benjamin

Northwestern University

The Oklahoman--- Nerdage by Matt Price

Ohio State Lantern

San Diego Union-Tribune (AP pick-up)

Brownsville Herald

...and here's one from out of left field,
an interview on Quality Logo Products.com

...and that's just a few! Check Google for another 1600+ articles about FCBD!

For more pix from our event, go to the Flying Colors Facebook Fan Brigade page!

I'd like to thank everyone who visited Flying Colors on FCBD. If you were one of the 250+ first-time visitors, we'd love to get your thoughts about the event and our store--- and we invite you back to see us when we're not quite so crazy.

For everyone who makes Flying Colors your comic shop every week, please accept the thanks of everyone on staff here. It's a challenge to keep a small business going strong these days, so each and every sale and every relationship with those who shop here are important to us.

We are always looking for ways to improve our service to you, including our current project of installing Point-of-Sale equipment that will hopefully increase our efficiency.

Free Comic Book Day may have been my idea ten years ago, but seeing the remarkable things this event has done for the entire comics world is really encouraging. Many of my comics retailer colleagues in the U.S., Canada and 40 other countries bring energy, creativity and enthusiasm to FCBD, making it a very special community event that is now the world's largest annual comics' event. All of this shows just how current the comics' medium is--- and how vital comic book specialty stores are to our local communities.

As I mentioned to a number of reporters I talked with leading up to FCBD, if you want to find the Next Big Thing, frequently visit your well-stocked local comic shop. If you want to read and absorb the ideas that will be developed in other, more passive mass media later, read comics today. Comics ARE the cool and creative nerve-center of visual entertainment--- the sugary core of pop culture.

Stay tuned for more! The best is yet to come!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Saturday May 7 is the 10th Annual FREE Comic Book Day!

2011-04-30T15:03:00.000-07:00

FCBD is a party of EPIC proportions!
Please invite everyone you know to get in on the fun of reading comics by starting with FREE comics on Free Comic Book Day, Saturday May 7 at Flying Colors Comics and Other Cool Stuff (and nearly 2000 other comic shops in 35 countries around the world!)

Special Guests at Flying Colors!

Cartoonist JEFF BONIVERT (Captain Four-Color, TMNT)!
Artist/Inker MICK GRAY (Batman and Robin, Promethea)!
Artist/Writer STEVE MONCUSE (The Fish Police)!

Flying Colors features the following EXCLUSIVE items available on Free Comic Book Day:

• A signed, numbered limited edition full-color print by artist JEFF BONIVERT and inker MICK GRAY featuring Flying Colors' own CAPTAIN FOUR-COLOR! Proceeds of the sale of this limited edition print will be donated to The HERO INITIATIVE

• A signed, numbered limited edition exclusive bookplate edition of FISH POLICE Volume 1 from IDW with original art from creator STEVE MONCUSE!

MORE! There will be refreshments, cool deals and maybe even a costumed character or two! Be prepared to have fun!

Stay in touch with what's going on at Flying Colors by "liking" our FACEBOOK Fan Page (no need to be signed up for Facebook to follow our fan page).

Countodown: Free Comic Book Day is One Week from Today!

2011-04-30T13:55:00.000-07:00

Here's the new song from Cyrus & Isaiah--- "The First Saturday in May at Flying Colors".

Free Comic Book Day Commemorative T-Shirt Available NOW!

2011-04-25T13:13:00.000-07:00

Superstar comics artist DARWYN COOKE (DC New Frontier, Richard Stark's PARKER: THE HUNTER and THE OUTFIT) has designed a very cool t-shirt to commemorate the 10th Annual Free Comic Book Day.

The Flying Colors Retailing Brigade will be wearing these shirts on FCBD... and you can, too! Now in stock at Flying Colors, we have these shirts available in adults sizes S-M-L-XL and XXL. The shirts are also available in three colors--- Stone Blue, Burnt Orange and Black. $14.99 each (XXL $17.99).

Come and get 'em!

And BE HERE Saturday May 7th for
FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!

Party Time!

2011-03-26T16:48:00.000-07:00

Join us at Flying Colors Comics for the first-ever Post-WonderCon Wake!

After a long three days at the convention... hundreds of pros, thousands of fans, millions of comics... you still want MORE and Flying Colors is going to deliver!

Wind down from the WonderCon wildness with a casual meet-up, featuring artists VIKTOR KALVACHEV, ANDREW OSBORNE, TOBY CYPRESS from IMAGE Comics BLUE ESTATE, along with JOHN HOFFMAN (Anthology 451)... and who knows who else?

We'll have light food and beverages, beer and wine. There will be signing, some sketching and maybe even some jam-drawing.

There may even be a sweet deal or two...who knows? Just be here to find out!

Sunday April 3 7PM-10PM... or?

let us know you can make it by replying in the comments section here or by going over to the "Events" section of our Facebook Fan Page.

Peace 'n' Good Times!

FlyCoJoe

WonderCon 1988 Review

2011-03-25T13:19:00.000-07:00

Here's one from the vaults! This video was shot at the 1988 Wonderful World of Comics Convention in Oakland... still before it was called WonderCon (celebrating its 25th anniversary event April 1-3 at San Francisco's Moscone Center---don't miss it!).
This video is a look back to the simpler times of comic book conventions of the '80s, when a "crowd" of 4000 was really a huge deal!

New & Cool!

2011-03-22T19:38:00.000-07:00

The FANTASTIC FOUR is no more...

Launching on Wednesday March 23, 2011, nearly 50 years after the debut of FANTASTIC FOUR #1 by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby...

it's simply FF #1.
The Future Foundation is here.

So much more in store, head over to our Facebook Fan page for
a full list of this week's new releases.

WonderCon tickets are still available, too!

New Releases for Wednesday March 16, 2011...

2011-03-15T20:27:00.000-07:00

...are posted on the Flying Colors Facebook Fan Page.

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Vote Today for Flying Colors for Best Comic Shop in the Bay Area!

2011-03-14T12:52:00.000-07:00

With just a few days left in the voting,
the Flying Colors' team would be honored
to get your vote on BayList.

Please click the following link to vote for
Flying Colors Comics on the BayList site.

It only takes a minute and every vote counts!
Thanks for your support!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Coming Soon from IMAGE Comics: Viktor Kalvachev's BLUE ESTATE

2011-03-06T15:43:00.000-08:00

Meet Viktor Kalvachev.

While Viktor may be considered a relative newcomer to the comics’ world, he’s been deeply involved in the visual arts for some time. A graduate from the National Academy of Art with an MFA, he’s been working mainly in the game industry on dozens of titles. His current work can be seen in a
cool new virtual world-game called VIE.

Viktor’s the mastermind behind an amazing new series coming soon from Image Comics, called BLUE ESTATE.
So FlyCoJoe sat down to talk with Viktor to get the full scoop on BLUE ESTATE and what makes this project so cool.

(Before we start, a quick note to my comic retailer colleagues: BLUE ESTATE #1 has a Diamond order code of FEB110384, with an "FOC" date of 3/14/11. BLUE ESTATE #2 is now in the March Diamond Previews catalog with an order code of MAR110572)

FlyCoJoe: Let’s get everyone up to speed---
What’s your comics’ origin story?

First, I want to thank you for this opportunity and let your readers know how much you, Andy and everyone else at Flying Colors mean to me.

Before I was making comics, I really wanted to make comics, but didn’t think I was good enough. I felt it was way too hard to do and every time I tried I could hardly finish a page because I was too disappointed by how it looked. I guess I have too much respect for this art and had to deliver more than what I was expecting.

I’ve been working mainly in the game industry on dozens of titles. But in my heart I have always stayed with visual storytelling and characters. In my past, as a Senior Art Director at Foundation 9, I had a chance to work on developing a concept for a game called PHERONE. We thought a cool 10-page comic illustrating a segment of the story would be a great pitch. And so, I had to draw it. The most terrifying 3 months in my art career!

Here I have the chance I’ve always wanted and yet I am scared I will suck tremendously. I spent about 2 months worrying and thinking about it and when I started running out of time I had to hit the pages hard. The whole 10-page pilot was done in 2 weeks. This was my very first comic.

We presented it at the San Diego Comic-Con and I was lucky to have the chance to put it in the hands of Kevin Eastman. What a great guy! Originally Kevin wanted to do a short story – about 25 pages, but then he came back asking for 78! And this is how PHERONE started.

Here is a cool fact to mention – Joe, before I showed this to Kevin Eastman, you were one of the first people to have seen PHERONE, because I was so insecure and looking for professional feedback, but didn’t know anybody. I remember I brought it to your store and asked for your opinion. You were really nice to me and it felt so great. I remember your comment about the camera angles and how much you liked them. Thank you for that!

After PHERONE came out, it helped me to make some great friendships with comic book creators who I deeply admire and to work on stories and characters I love. Another interesting fact – it was at Flying Colors again where I first got hooked on
Brian Wood’s DMZ from Vertigo, thanks to Andy’s recommendation. Later, Vertigo editor Will Denis invited me to be a guest artist on it and I was so thrilled I had a chance to contribute to my favorite series.

Also at San Diego Comic-Con, I met Dan Brereton and we soon became very good friends. We wanted to work together and he basically said – tell me which characters from NOCTURNALS you want to draw and I’ll write you a short story for that. So I chose Starfish. Since we couldn’t agree on the color and style of her swimsuit I suggested I draw her in the nude. And so you have the first story of NOCTURNALS, where the main character is completely naked throughout the story, yet still PG-13 :)

FlyCoJoe: So let’s talk about BLUE ESTATE, your new series coming in the next few weeks from Image Comics. What’s the quick pitch for BLUE ESTATE?

BLUE ESTATE is an intoxicating cocktail of GET SHORTY, PULP FICTION and SNATCH with a splash of IT’S A MAD MAD MAD WORLD.

FlyCoJoe: You are working with a number of collaborating artists on this project. Tell us about them and what each brings to the project.

BLUE ESTATE is a comic domino chain of mistaken identities, shifting alliances, backstabbing conspirators and the unexpected consequences of recreational drugs. To tell such a fast-paced story, I had to come up with something new for the visual story-telling. This is where the “Style Shift” concept came up, where different artists “pass the ball” to each other within an episode, creating the feel of “sudden change” in the story, which helps keep the reader on their toes the whole time.

My small ninja team consists of Nathan Fox, Toby Cypress, Robert Valley and Andrew Osborne. Each one is so talented and easy to work with - it’s really a joy. And this makes our lives very easy because we often have to work from each other’s pencils when the Style Shift happens.

Nathan has this gritty feel to his art and he can deliver some of the best action / violence pages I’ve ever seen, yet with a sarcastic stroke of dark humor in them.

Toby’s elegance and lightness in his brushes is hard to resist. Such a fine artist, whose pages bring a lot of delightful drama to the series :). "

Robert kicks in with the smallest amount of pages, but they are equally strong. His visual storytelling and style are one of a kind and you feel like you got a sudden boost of the strongest Jamba Juice mix when you hit his stuff. We keep him with limited pages to prevent the readers from an accidental overdose.

Andrew is an Emmy Award winning writer who is so talented and brought so much to the table, helping shape BLUE ESTATE into what it is today.

My roles are pretty much everywhere. I have to admit that coloring all the pages is some of the most fun I am having, because I get to enjoy my friend’s art up close and personal. I am using different color palettes to help drive the story and keep the styles working together, threading visual color hints through the different styles to indicate a certain mood, or an alliance between characters.

For example, in episode 1 – The Rachel Situation – there is a bright blue color I am using to indicate the “Russian Connection”. There are more examples like that, but I’ll leave it to the readers to find and enjoy.

All the different styles work together, feeding off each other’s strengths to deliver a well paced and precisely balanced story that’s designed to keep the reader guessing what’s going to happen next. We really wanted to showcase the different styles on the web site in the
Art Mash-Up section where you get to shift different portions of the drawing and flip through styles. It’s pretty cool and you get to appreciate how the styles work together. You can end up having a drawing of one character from all 4 of us. Right now there is only Rachel Maddox there, but I already have the art for 4 other characters and we are planning to do more. Stay tuned, as I’ll be uploading it in the next few weeks.

BREAKING NEWS ALERT! I am currently going through the script with my very good friend Aleksi Briclot (SPAWN: Architects of Fear) as he is going to be one of the guest artists on the book somewhere in the upcoming episodes, so watch out – more art power joins BLUE ESTATE!

FlyCoJoe: You mentioned that the artists on this series are all over the country? How are you able to coordinate the precise work that each has to contribute?
Yeah, we are all over the place – Boston, New Jersey, San Francisco, Kansas City and one who is currently “on wheels” roaming California. Thanks to Skype we all stay connected, sometimes share screens and discuss visual problems that way. We are all pretty good on communication and staying in touch. Andrew and I talk almost every day.

FlyCoJoe: You’ve done an amazing amount of preparation to get this series of the ground. Having been fortunate enough to see your “style bible,” could you elaborate on the work you’ve done to get BLUE ESTATE to the creation process?
I put about 3 months of solid work into compiling the BLUE ESTATE bible. We have reference materials covering every aspect of the story – locations; characters; wardrobe; props.

The fact that the story is set up for “style shifting” requires everyone to work from the same materials and stay consistent in the smallest details. I created most of the important locations in Sketchup and had planned and choreographed all the action scenes there, so we all know exactly what happens - who sits where, who shoots first etc. This way it’s all clear to everyone what they need to draw and we stay on track. This makes the story vividly different, but keeps all the details and continuity straight. The team has access to the 3D scene as well so they can plan their shots and use it as reference as much as they need.

I have also directed every episode and planned where the story needs to be split for Style Shifting and which artist takes that. It’s all very visual, showing every page and the point in which the shift happens. It’s even colored in different colors so when we look at it we instantly know how much work everyone has to do, what and where.

BLUE ESTATE is very heavy on its cast. We have about 15 strong characters that create this crazy net of relationships and motives. I figured drawing detailed character sheets for each one from multiple angles would take me too much time, so I decided to try and sculpt them from real clay and just take pictures. I actually ended up doing 12 miniature heads (about 4” high) and shot my character sheets with a camera. This way every artist has a complete set of each character lit and shot from every direction. It worked out pretty well and we all spent some time in the beginning to sketch them and “learn” each face to be able to draw it consistently. I will be bringing some of these heads with me to Wonder Con to share with the fans. Stop by the Image booth to check them out. They are pretty cool.

FlyCoJoe: Lots of energy and thought is being put into this, but engaging art is only made better when the characters are also engaging. Can you give us a bit of background on BLUE ESTATE #1’s main character, Rachel?

The characters are what make BLUE ESTATE so strong! Everyone can find someone they care about and want to follow. Go to the official web site and you’ll see tweets from 4 of our characters that you can follow online to find out more about the story, what “might” happen in the next episode, their side of the story, “ancient wisdom” and other goodies.

It’s a male-heavy cast, but the one main female character we have – Rachel -- is a really strong one and I am sure our female audience is going to enjoy her a lot.

Rachel is a very sensitive woman who starts out in a bad situation, but her spirit is strong and she is able to pull herself out of it. She isn’t going out “guns blazing”, she is not a ninja, she can’t kick ass, but she has a strong will and the guts to make the right decisions when the time comes. Her path is not easy and not all her decisions are the best ones, but she is a decent person who fights for survival even more than most of the “macho” characters in BLUE ESTATE.

Speaking of which – we have plenty of entertaining “ass-kickers” you are going to love. I don’t have a favorite because I love all of them, but I have to say I enjoy the Italian mobsters more than anyone.

Just like a movie production, we have wardrobe for each character. Rachel is wearing a few designer outfits I picked for her from the

CHANEL 2011 Spring collection. The one she first appears in is actually from Lanvin’s 2011 spring collection and I absolutely love it. The outfits help illustrate who the characters are and how they feel right now, just like we pick what we’ll wear today in real life. Tony Luciano for example doesn’t think at all about his wardrobe – he pretty much wears the same thing all the time, unlike one of his goons Lino, who is a huge fan of David Hasselhoff, and dresses in different suits all the time, following his idol’s style :)

The Mafia characters are vicious and dangerous and based on all the great mob stories I love, from The Godfather to The Sopranos -- only these guys are a lot dumber than Michael Corleone or Tony Soprano, so they’re scary but funny. But the Russian mobsters in the story -- now those are the guys you really have to watch out for!

Another one of the main characters in the story is Roy Devine, Junior -- a private investigator who Rachel beats up on the very first page. Rachel may be the brains and soul of

BLUE ESTATE, but Roy is definitely the heart. He’s basically a sweet guy who wants to do the right thing but gets in way over his head.

We needed a “private eye” at the center of all the schemes and crimes in the story, trying to figure everything out -- but we didn’t want him to be the same old boring 1940s “film noir” type detective that’s been done to death a million times. So instead, we made him a younger guy who’s trying to break into the very UN-glamorous modern day detective business. He’s a lot closer to someone like Jonah Hill than Humphrey Bogart. In other words, he’s basically a geek -- just like the people writing and drawing him!

And we’re only scratching the surface in issue #1 -- we’ve got all kinds of other great characters waiting in the wings, from peace-loving hippies to deadly assassins and everything in between!

FlyCoJoe: How many issues are you planning for this series and how far into production are you?
BLUE ESTATE is a 12 issue series, but we already have plans for more after that. The characters are really fun to work with and the one piece of feedback we keep getting from whoever has read the entire script is they want to know more about them.

Each episode unveils a little bit more of the story, shows sides of the characters you haven’t seen before, answering one question while introducing another. I believe all 12 episodes are very strong and very different, and each one stands alone with its own pace and strength.

The first episode (issue #1) is already off to the printer and episode two is nearly complete. Toby and Rob already started working on episode three--- and I am done with the 4^th cover. We are moving ahead pretty well.

FlyCoJoe:You have built a very rich environment on the BLUE ESTATE web-site. Tell us a bit about that.

Not only do we have a lot of freebies – wallpapers and icons for different screen resolutions and 8 mobile devices -- but there are lots of cool ways to learn more about the story and characters. Explore the different styles through playing with the Art Mash-Up; read the tweets from Roy Jr., Bruce Maddox, Cherry Popz and Buddy & Gus to see what they think about and maybe get a hint about what’s going to happen in the next issue.

Another cool way to get a sneak peek of the upcoming episodes is through

Roy’s Dark Room – a place where the “evidence photos” are developed and you get to see them in progress. They take about 4 days each to develop, so every time you go there the picture is more and more clear, making you guess who the artist is and what’s in the photo.

FlyCoJoe: What's it been like to work with the Image Comics' team?

Working with Image has been absolutely fantastic. This is the best partner for any creator who wants to see their work in great hands and have people on the other side who really care for his vision and try to present it in the best way possible. This is my second book with them and I am looking forward to many more. The people I work with the most there are Eric, Sarah, Todd, Tyler, Drew and Jonathan. I couldn't have asked for a better crew.

FlyCoJoe: Viktor, I want to thank you for talking the time to give us this exclusive look at your new series... and it's one I'm looking really forward to!

Thanks again for having me, Joe!

Flying Colors is my favorite store, where I get my comic fix every time I need one! Andy, especially, but the whole staff have the gift of introducing me to my next inspirations every time I visit.

(BLUE ESTATE #1 has a Diamond order code of FEB110384, with an "FOC" date of 3/14/11. BLUE ESTATE #2 is now in the March Diamond Previews catalog with an order code of MAR110572)

Advance tickets available at Flying Colors now!

2011-03-02T17:56:00.000-08:00

Good times ahead!

2011-02-28T14:50:00.000-08:00

Every week over on our FACEBOOK Flying Colors Fan Brigade Page,

we post the week's list of new releases of comics & other cool stuff. It's a great place to interact with what's going on at Flying Colors and get feedback from hundreds of fans who also love comics!

Hope to see you there soon!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Mount Diablo with frosting on top!

2011-02-22T14:44:00.000-08:00

Thank you, Flying Colors Faithful!

2011-02-20T15:12:00.000-08:00

Libby Field and Teri Taylor at Flying Color for yesterday's successful fundraiser for Spinal Muscular Atrophy. About $2000 was raised!

In the foreground of the photo is a photo of Teri's daughter Ashley with her 14 month old son, Charleston, who is afflicted with SMA. All the funds raised yesterday will go to "Sophia's Cure" and Dr. Brian Kaspar at Ohio State University, who is leading the fight against SMA with Gene Therapy.

Thanks you all for helping out---whether you baked something special or came in to by the baked goods.

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

FREE poster/calendars available NOW!

2011-02-17T18:22:00.000-08:00

Come on in for your FREE Flying Colors 2011 Poster/Calendar!

We've been distributing these to schools and libraries, too, so if you are a teacher or librarian and would like to give these away, please come in and pick some up (while the supply lasts, of course!).

Cartoonist JEFF BONIVERT, who designed the poster, will be here Saturday February 19 to sign the posters, as part of our Benefit Bake Sale to raise awareness and funds for Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

Baked goodies?
FREE Poster/Calendar?
Tons of cool comics?

What's not to like?

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Special (and Sweet!) Event Saturday February 19

2011-01-31T16:52:00.000-08:00


Please click on the image to enlarge and print.

Nuff Said

2011-01-26T15:31:00.000-08:00

2011: Bigger and better for everyone (we hope!)

2011-01-07T19:57:00.000-08:00

There's a new interview up at Newsarama talking once again about how digital comics were the huge story of 2010.

As a retailer of good ol' print comics, I hope it doesn't come off as arrogant to say that, even with the new market of digital comics barely at the starting gate in the Great Horse Race of the comics' world, I am tired of all the talk dedicated specifically to digital comics.

I'm also hopeful, though.

I believe in the resilience and the long-term staying power of printed comics... whether 32-paged periodicals, 100+ paged trade paperback compilations or original graphic novels, like SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE or PRIDE OF BAGHDAD or Darwyn Cooke's THE OUTFIT (all excellent and all pictured here).

The late great WILL EISNER often talked about how many times the comic book business nearly went under during his 60+ years in the industry. For instance, when TV became the big thing in the late '40s and early '50s, that was supposed to spell the end of comics. Didn't happen.

The Great DC Implosion of the '70s was thought to be ta sign the end of comic books was near. Didn't happen.

The bubble market of huge growth and huge losses in the 1990's was thought to be the last gasp of comics. That didn't happen, either.

There have been several more such difficult times in the history of the American comic book market... and yet, comics are still here. In many ways, comics are stronger and more ubiquitous than at any time in the last 50 years.

We live in a culture that is soaked in comics--- from all the big budget movies, to TV shows, to advertising--- all visual media get their strongest and most profitable ideas from comics.

And while it's true that comic book sales are no longer anywhere near the million copies per issue level the best-sellers once boasted, the current market is in so many ways more vibrant than ever.

All across the comics' spectrum, there is entertainment for anyone who loves to READ!

That is the key. Reading! While more people spend more time in front of a computer screen or locked onto their smart-phones, iPads and other digital devices, blogging, tweating, scanning short status updates from friends, browsing news headlines and sports scores... there has to be less and less actual time dedicated to reading going on these days than ever.

Reading... especially reading comics, takes dedicated time, energy and the willingness to be something more than just a passive observer (see: TV, movies, etc). Comic book readers need to be willing to engage both sides of their brains at once--- the cognitive for the words read and the interpretive for the pictures seen and absorbed.

There's a wide variety of material available in comics--- and plugging here, Flying Colors carries a good assortment of the styles and genres found in contemporary comics. Yes, we have an abundance of super-heroes (they are super-popular!), but for nearly every book genre you can think of, there's a comic book for that category, too... often many good ones!

We're a week into this bright and beautiful New Year. There's a lot of hope and a long way to go to see this one to the finish. Along the way, please accept my invitation to visit us at Flying Colors. Challenge us to find a comic book or graphic novel that you will love!

...and your pleasure reading will be so much better for it!
More soon...

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

(Knowing that many people read this blog who are too far away to visit Flying Colors in Concord CA, please let me suggest that there are a couple of good sources to find other comic book specialty stores. As president of the industry's retailer trade association, my first suggestion is to check out ComicsPRO's list of retailer members. Also, please check the Comic Shop Locator Service for a list of other comic shops all over the world.)

New Comics on Wednesday December 29

2010-12-28T15:22:00.000-08:00

We've posted a list of all the New Arrivals hitting the shelves at Flying Colors on Wednesday December 29. Yup, that's right ... there is NO delay caused by the holidays this year. We'll have our shipment of Comics & Other Cool Stuff ready to rock when we open Wednesday at 11am.

To check out the list, hit this link!
Flying Colors Facebook Fan Brigade!

Flying Colors OPEN hours for this week:
Tuesday December 28 (Stan Lee's birthday!) until 7pm
Wednesday December 29 11am-8pm
Thursday December 30 11am-7pm
Friday December 31 11am-5pm
Saturday January 1, 2011 --- CLOSED for New Year's Day
Sunday January 2 11am-7pm

Hope to see you soon in Flying Colors!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Merry Christmas, One & All!

2010-12-24T13:52:00.001-08:00

Flying Colors will be CLOSED on Saturday December 25 for Christmas. We will be open Sunday December 26 for our regular hours of 11am-7pm.

We will be having an After Christmas Two-Day Sale on Sunday December 26 and Monday December 27. For sneak peek at our After Christmas Sale, please hit this link!

From all of us here at Flying Colors, we send you our warmest wishes for a beautiful and peaceful holiday.

Peace!

New releases for Wednesday December 22, 2010

2010-12-20T18:47:00.000-08:00

Over at the F lying Colors Facebook Fan Brigade Page , we post a list of all the New Releases each and every week. The New Releases list for Wednesday December 22 has just been posted.

If you are not yet signed up for our Flying Colors in-Frequent Flyer email bulletins, look to the left of this page where it says "News! Deals! Cool Stuff! Join the FlyCo Email Brigade!" and enter your email address. Flying Colors does NOT sell, rent or give away any email addresses!

The perfect fit! A Flying Colors Gift Card (starts at $15). It's the COOL card!

<---- Pres. Obama & Sarah Palin meet in Riverdale for a milkshake! Can the Apocalypse be too far behind?
Check out ARCHIE #616!

Flying Colors is OPEN 11am-7pm every day of the week.

We will be OPEN Friday December 24th, Christmas Eve, from 11am-6pm. We will be closed on Christmas Day.


DC Super-Hero Plushies are now in stock----			and	they make great Stocking Stuffers!

BATMAN perches atop your computer monitor!
Now in stock, these cool figures are another cool
gift add-on! --->

New for Wed Dec 8

2010-12-07T21:03:00.000-08:00

Check out all the new and cool stuff at Flying Colors for Wednesday December 8 by clicking the link HERE!

The link will take you to Flying Colors Facebook Fan Page where over 500 members of the Flying Colors Fan Brigade meet.

One of the BIG releases of this week is FABLES issue #100. The cover is shown here. It is an amazing anniversary issue with many stellar artists and surprises inside. BONUS PICK: the FABLES #100 poster that doubles as a Fables board game in the vein of CandyLand.

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

2010-12-01T17:01:00.000-08:00

Marvel's newest ensemble comic book, GENERATION HOPE, is igniting interest among fans. With the Thursday December 2 release of issue #2 of this series, Flying Colors has a very cool deal for you.

While supplies last, when you buy GENERATION HOPE #2 for $2.99, we will give you a FREE copy of GENERATION HOPE #1 (a $3.99 value)!

If by chance you have already purchased issue #1 when it was released last month, this would be a great way to introduce a friend to the start of this series.

For a complete list of all the New Releases at Flying Colors this week, hit this link to get to our FACEBOOK FAN PAGE !

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2010-11-24T19:02:00.000-08:00

ITEM: First, last and always--- THANK YOU for supporting Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff with your business and enthusiasm all these years!

ITEM: You do know that SATURDAY NOVEMBER 27 we'll be hosting artist DAN BRERETON to showcase his new art book called "THE GODDESS & THE MONSTER"? Dan will be here at 2PM... and you should, too!

ITEM: If by some stroke of inconvenience or just plain bad luck you haven't yet received our latest e-mail newsletter, Flying Colors In-Frequent E-Flyer, click on the link and get the scoop on the COOL DEALS we'll have in-store for you this coming Friday, Saturday & Sunday.

ITEM: Lastly, THANK YOU!!! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and we hope to see you very soon in Flying Colors!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Be Here Saturday November 27th!

2010-11-18T18:05:00.000-08:00

Saturday November 27... two days after Thanksgiving,
Flying Colors will be proud to once again host our long-time friend and fantastically talented comic artist/painter DANIEL BRERETON.

Dan's new art book called "The Goddess and The Monster" has just been released. It's a beautiful full-color art book encompassing Dan's nearly 25 year career (so far!). The book even includes a short piece that I wrote, along with Dan's amazing cover called "Age of Wonder" that he did for our 10th Anniversary Special back in 1998.

So be here on Saturday November 27 at 2PM for Dan's visit here. He'll be happy to sign your books... he'll likely do some sketches and give encouragement to young artists, too. Flying Colors will serve some refreshments, too.

It's always a good time when Dan comes to Flying Colors... lots of great art, stories and even something of a family reunion since Dan spent a good chunk of his younger years in Contra Costa County. So join us Saturday November 27---it'll be an excellent time to pick up on some cool gifts for the comic art lovers you know!

Saturday November 27 also is the first-ever "SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY" sponsored by American Express.

What is "Small Business Saturday"?
"First there was Black Friday, then Cyber Monday. This year, November 27th is the first ever Small Business Saturday, a day to support the local businesses that create jobs, boost the economy and preserve neighborhoods around the country. Small Business Saturday is a national movement to drive shoppers to local merchants across the U.S." More than a dozen advocacy, public and private organizations have already joined American Express OPEN, the company’s small business unit, in declaring the Saturday after Thanksgiving as Small Business Saturday."

Go HERE to get to the "Small Business Saturday" Facebook page and learn even more about the event.

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

New Releases posted...

2010-11-09T20:22:00.000-08:00

... every week on the Flying Colors Fan Brigade, Facebook Fan page... right HERE!

Hope to see you soon...in Flying Colors!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Flying Colors/ Savage Dragon Limited Exclusive...

2010-11-06T18:03:00.000-07:00

... is available DIRECT from Flying Colors Comics! No need to search online auction houses or mail order companies when this cool and EXCLUSIVE cover is available from the source!

A limited number of signed copies are available via mail order from Flying Colors for those who were not able to make it to our event with Savage Dragon artist/writer Erik Larsen last week. For mail orders, Flying Colors is also supplying a BONUS with every order!

Send your inquiries to coolstuff@FlyingColorsComics.com.

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Video from our 22nd Anniversary Event...

2010-11-05T20:18:00.000-07:00

...is now posted on YouTube. Check it out!

More cool stuff is on the way!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Notes & Photos!

2010-11-01T12:47:00.000-07:00

ITEM: A BIG "Thank You!" to everyone who came out for our 22nd Anniversary event with Erik Larsen, Jeff Bonivert and 7 year-old artist Isaiah Rajeski.

Erik, Jeff and Isaiah signed lots of copies of Savage Dragon #165 for fans and family, and Jeff singed quite a few copies of Captain Four-Color's first comics' appearance in Flying Colors 20th Anniversary Special Edition comic book.

(Photo on the top right: Erik and Jeff pose with Peter Pan and Batgirl, two of the cool costumes we say here Saturday!)

(Second photo on the right: Isaiah Rajeski ---in the middle with his brother and sister, show their pride at his first published pin-up in Savage Dragon #165. Nice going, Isaiah!)

ITEM: Please join us at Flying Colors on Wednesday November 3 at 4PM for another cool event--- the creative team behind Image Comics' new and original graphic novel PUG will be here to sign their work and talk about PUG. Writer Derek McCulloch and artists Greg Espinosa and Shepherd Hendrix will be here--- so you be here, too, hear?

ITEM: As part of our event this past Saturday, we featured a selection of DEEP DISCOUNT graphic novels and books at 50%, 60% and 75% off! Lots of folks found some spectacular deals and undiscovered gems in the DEEP DISCOUNT book boxes, so we've decided to extend that special sale through Thursday November 4.

ITEM: We have more pix and videos from Halloween weekend posted at our Flying Colors' Facebook Fan page. And even if you're not a fan of Facebook, you can still view the pix and vids there! Hit this link!

Remember, more comics & other cool stuff are on the way and will be ready to go when we open on Wednesday morning.

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Reminder: Big Event at Flying Colors Saturday Oct. 30

2010-10-29T13:02:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: Check out this feature from the Bay Area News Group!
And check out this interview in Diamond Galleries' SCOOP Newsletter!

*************
You're invited Saturday Oct. 30--- for the celebration of Flying Colors 22nd Anniversary of bringing Comics & Other Cool Stuff to Central Contra Costa County.

ERIK LARSEN, artist/creator of SAVAGE DRAGON will be on hand from 11am-2pm to sign the Flying Colors Exclusive variant to Savage Dragon #165, featuring the first Image Comics appearance of Captain Four-Color, Flying Colors very own super-hero!

There will be some very cool deals, too! We'll be open Saturday from 11am-7pm and w hope you can make it!

Then on Wednesday November 3, join us here at Flying Colors from 4pm-7pm as we welcome the creative team of the new Image Comics' graphic novel called PUG. Writer Derek McCulloch and artists Greg Espinosa and Sheperd Hendrix will be here to show, sell, sign and sketch their cool new graphic novel. Hit the link HERE!

Check out the list of New Releases for Wednesday Oct. 27 at this link!

When it happens in comics, it happens in Flying Colors!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Wed Nov 3 To Do: Flying Colors PUGnacious Event!

2010-10-20T14:20:00.000-07:00

Huge FlyCo Party on Saturday October 30!

2010-10-12T12:32:00.000-07:00

BIG NEWS!
Flying Colors' own CAPTAIN FOUR-COLOR will be making his big debut in the pages of Erik Larsen's SAVAGE DRAGON #165! We will have a special limited edition variant cover of SD #165 that will debut on Saturday October 30.

This coincides nicely with the 22nd anniversary of Flying Colors opening for business in Concord, so we're making this a huge party!

Erik Larsen will be at Flying Colors on Saturday Oct. 30 from 11am-2pm to sign copies of the Flying Colors exclusive variant of Savage Dragon #165 featuring CAPTAIN FOUR-COLOR!

JUST ADDED:Captain Four-Color co-creator and designer Jeff Bonivert will also be on hand to sign copies of the first comics appearance of Cap FC in the pages of Flying Colors 20th Anniversary Special Edition comic!

There will be some cool deals, some free comics and fun stuff for everyone who loves comics!

Since it is also Halloween weekend, you're encouraged to come in costume!

More soon!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Go Giants!

2010-10-07T16:13:00.000-07:00

We want to hear from you!

2010-09-18T23:45:00.000-07:00

Over on our Flying Colors Fan Brigade page on Facebook, we're asking the question:

"What comics and graphic novels are you reading now that you're really loving?"

Hit this link to go to our Facebook Fan page... you don't even need to sign up for Facebook to join the Fan Page.

And you'll likely get some very cool recommendations for new comics and graphic novels to read!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

New This Week!

2010-09-08T17:55:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a great week for comics! We've been processing this week's shipment today and pausing occasionally to gawk at some very cool stuff.
Among the treasures this week are:

SIMON & KIRBY: Super-Heroes HC

SECRET AGENT CORRIGAN: X9 by Al Williamson

WOLVERINE: OLD MAN LOGAN trade paperback

BILLY THE KID'S OLDE TYME ODDITIES: The Ghastly Fiend of London by Eric Powell (THE GOON)

MORT MESKIN: FROM SHADOW TO LIGHT

INVADERS NOW by Alex Ross!

Peter S. Beagle's LAST UNICORN #3

WEIRD WAR TALES with a story from Darwyn Cooke (DC NEW FRONTIER, PARKER)

WALKING DEAD 2011 WALL CALENDAR

...and that just scratches the surface! Make sure to stop in this week. Flying Colors is OPEN Thursday 11-8 and every other day 11-7.

We've got your cool stuff right here in
FLYING COLORS!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Keeping it Local!

2010-09-01T13:07:00.000-07:00

Flying Colors, as you may know, is in the Oak Grove Plaza shopping center at the corner of Treat Blvd and Oak Grove Rd in Concord.

Oak Grove Plaza, besides having a new Peet's Coffee and a large Trader Joe's, is home to many locally owned small businesses (Flying Colors included!).

So there I am, in the photo getting my hair cut yesterday at Gardelle's Barber Shop. Shahla owns Gardelles--- she took over Jim Gardelle's business when he passed away a few years ago--- and Gardelle's has been a fixture in Oak Grove Plaza for 40 years!

You need a good haircut in a friendly local place--- call Shahla at 925-689-4247 and tell her that FlyCoJoe sent you!

Our property owner and manager here at Oak Grove Plaza, is a 90+ year-old gentleman named David Zuckerman, a pioneer of the development in Walnut Creek and Concord over the last 60 years. His way of running this shopping center is something I've learned to appreciate in the 22 years Flying Colors has been in operation. David is involved with helping small business owners leasing space from him become successful in their businesses. David is part of the reason Flying Colors has lasted as long as we have... and I thank him for it!

I am a big proponent of supporting locally-owned businesses. Locally owned stores and businesses bring character, personality and quality to a community. No bureaucratic layers of trying to find the owner or find where "the buck stops"--- because small business owners are usually also small business operators... out there working with our customers, serving your needs, listening to what you want and delivering it, hoping to provide goods and services that will keep you coming back again and again.

Locally owned businesses add more to a community on a dollar basis than do large chain operations. Studies have shown that for every $100 spent at a chain store, only $13 gets recirculated into the local economy. However, for every $100 spent at a locally owned store, $45 gets recirculated--- more than three times the bang for the buck for our local schools, police and firefighters than a chain store provides. It makes local sense (and dollars) to support businesses that also support the area you live in!

Peace--- 'n' Keepin' it local!

FlyCoJoe

First Look: Savage Dragon #165

2010-08-04T15:51:00.000-07:00

Featuring the first Image Comics' appearance of Flying Colors' very own super-hero--- Captain Four-Color!

(Still available at Flying Colors, Cap FC's first comics appearance is in our very own Flying Colors 20th Anniversary Special Edition!)

The cover image shown here is for a limited edition variant especially for fans of Flying Colors ---and Savage Dragon! Select retailers in other parts of the comics' world will also have this available.

To make sure your favorite local comic retailer get this limited edition, retailers should contact FlyCoJoe at coolstuff@FlyingColorsComics.com
for ordering details.

Peace 'n' Cool Comics!

FlyCoJoe

2010-08-03T16:31:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed that FlyCoJoe isn't updating this blog as often as he used to. The reason is that, over the last year or so, there has been a drop in the traffic to this page.

While FlyingColorsComics.com is still visited by scores of unique visitors each day, it seems a lot of online traffic has migrated elsewhere, especially to Facebook.

That is the primary reason we put together the Flying Colors Fan Brigade on Facebook! It's still open and accessible even for those who do not have a regular Facebook account... and it's much easier and faster to post quick bits of info, store updates and fun links there than it is anywhere on this site.

So we invite you to join our fan page on Facebook (hit the link!). We will still post here from time to time, but to be fully informed on the happening at Flying Colors, we suggest visiting the store regularly (man, we gotta update those photos!) and bookmarking this site and our Flying Colors Fan Brigade on Facebook!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Back from Comic-Con!

2010-07-26T12:03:00.000-07:00

2010 marked my 25th consecutive year attending Comic-Con in San Diego. I marvel at how the event has grown--- mutated, even. It's a blast, to be sure--- and it's also a grind!

My pal Matt Price, a comic book retailer and a professional journalist for The Oklahoman newspaper, has a terrific and informative blog with news from San Diego. Find it by clicking here!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

The secret is out!

2010-07-17T21:53:00.000-07:00

There's an announcement over on SavageDragon.com from our pal Erik Larsen. This is a deal Erik and I came up with when he visited Flying Colors for Free Comic Book Day in May.

The big news is that Flying Colors' very own super-hero--- CAPTAIN FOUR-COLOR will be featured in Savage Dragon #165! That's right, fans! Created by Jeff Bonivert and yours truly, CAP FC will be in on the Dragon action this October.

To make things even sweeter, Erik Larsen has drawn an EXCLUSIVE and limited edition variant cover featuring CAP FC landing a more than savage blow on the Dragon's jaw!

More details soon!

Peace 'n' cool comics!

FlyCoJoe

2010-07-17T21:43:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of photos from our Betty & Veronica Summer Spectacular---featuring artist DAN PARENT. More can be found on the Flying Colors Fan Page on Facebook...just click here!

Archie Comics Mean Summer FUN!

2010-07-15T14:52:00.000-07:00

Everyone's invited to join us Saturday July 17 at Noon for Flying Colors' celebration of Summer Fun, as ARCHIE Comics artist DAN PARENT makes a special guest appearance from Noon-4PM.

Dan will be signing comics and sketching for fans and showing off some art from new Archie Comics.

Come dressed as your favorite Archie character and you could win a prize!

Big deals for this special event, too...so be here, OK?

Peace 'n' Riverdale!

FlyCoJoe

New Stuff Hits the Racks at Flying Colors Thursday July 8 at 11AM

2010-07-07T13:00:00.000-07:00

July 4th holiday causes one-day delay

Join the Flying Colors Fan Brigade on Facebook... no need to be a Facebook member!

Archie Comics Summer Spectacular with artist DAN PARENT!

2010-07-04T13:12:00.000-07:00

SATURDAY JULY 17 Noon-4PM
ARCHIE COMICS SUMMER SPECTACULAR
featuring Archie artist DAN PARENT
@ FLYING COLORS COMICS

For generations, when the words "summer" and "comics" are used together, ARCHIE COMICS immediately come to mind--- the sun and fun adventures and antics of Betty & Veronica, Archie, Jughead and the rest of the Riverdale gang.

Saturday July 17, Flying Colors is proud to present Archie Comics' cartoonist extraordinaire--- DAN PARENT--- as we put a sunny spotlight on the timeless teenage fun, the laughs and the romances, the eternally cool world of Archie Comics!

Read more about Dan Parent here!

You're encouraged to come dressed as your favorite character. Are you Archie? Betty? Veronica? Jughead? Miss Grundy? Big Ethel, maybe? There will be prizes for the best costumes!

Stay tuned to FlyingColorsComics.com and to our Flying Colors Facebook Fan Brigade page for more details!

Summer fun at Flying Colors! When it happens in comics, it happens in Flying Colors!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Happy 234th Birthday, U.S.A.!

2010-07-03T17:47:00.000-07:00

New CAPTAIN FOUR-COLOR t-shirts!

2010-06-21T14:55:00.000-07:00

In the photo above is cartoonist and Captain Four-Color co-creator Jeff Bonivert with Flying Colors Retailing Brigade members Andy, Mike and Susie.

These cool new shirts are available now EXCLUSIVELY at Flying Colors. And they're going fast, so get here soon for the best selection!

Youth and Adult sizes available--- just $9.99 each ($13.99 for XXL).

Come & get 'em!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Neil Young's GREENDALE is now a Graphic Novel!

2010-06-08T18:53:00.000-07:00

Legendary singer-songwriter, musician and activist Neil Young brings one of his most personal albums, GREENDALE, to comics in this amazing hardcover graphic novel.

Writer Joshua Dysart (UNKNOWN SOLDIER) and artist Cliff Chiang (HUMAN TARGET) compose a graphic novel that explores a whole new dimension to the album that Rolling Stone voted as one of the best of its year (2003).

GREENDALE, the graphic novel, hits the racks on Wednesday June 9 as part of New Releases' Day at
Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff.

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

FRAGGLE ROCK event today!

2010-05-29T13:42:00.000-07:00

Meet writers ADRIANNE AMBROSE and LEIGH DRAGOON now until 3PM today at Flying Colors!

Cool stuff is happening at FLYING COLORS!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

A Not Quite Autobiographical Spritiual Comedy: Local Talent Makes Good!

2010-05-26T12:54:00.000-07:00

Now in Stock at Flying Colors is a very cool book called

IMAGINARY JESUS

It's the first novel written by

MATT MIKALATOS...

and it is

Highly Recommended!

Matt was on staff here at Flying Colors in the '90s, along with he crew that included Sam, Alan, Roland, Gavin and Adrian. Since his time here, Matt has graduated from UC Riverside, been a high school teacher, a missionary in China and also graduated from Western Seminary.

So, yes, this is a book with a lot of Christian spiritual thought in it. It is also one of the better comedies you'll read in any genre. Starting in a laid-back Portland coffee shop, Matt encounters a dude who could be Jesus, a talking donkey and a wild man named Pete... who could just be an apostle.

IMAGINARY JESUS follows the trek of Matt, Pete and the donkey as they chase after the one they think is the real Jesus.

The quest even takes Matt and his cohorts back to FLYING COLORS. That's right, part of the novel is set right here in my favorite comic shop (and hopefully yours, too). All through this novel are reminders that Matt is really a comics geek disguised as a Christian thinker.

There's comedy gold in reading IMAGINARY JESUS ...and it may just help you on your personal quest to find the Real One while you're at it.

This is a book that can be enjoyed by believers and non-believers alike, as it veers far away from preachiness and sticks to the goal at hand--- delivering Matt from all the misconceptions he's carried about who Jesus is---and by extension, how Jesus is misunderstood in this world.

Congrats on the book, Matt!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

To Do List: Meet FRAGGLE ROCK writers at Flying Colors on Saturday May 29

2010-05-22T14:13:00.000-07:00

One of the big hits from FREE COMIC BOOK DAY is Archaia Entertainment's FRAGGLE ROCK comic book.

Well, my pal Mel Caylo at Archaia called me to set up an appearance for two of FRAGGLE ROCK's writers for the release of FRAGGLE ROCK #2... and it's a "GO!"

Saturday May 29 from Noon-3PM, stop by Flying Colors to meet writer/cartoonists Leigh Dragoon and Adrianne Ambrose.

Leigh has previously workd with Sam Keith on the series My Inner Bimbo from ONI Press, as well as Faerie Path manga from Tokyopop/HarperCollins.

Adrianne was nominated for a Writer's Guild of America award for video game Dangerous High School Girls in Trouble, and is also the author of Confessions of a Virgin Sacrifice, an entertaining farce that pokes copious amounts of fun at the fantasy genre.

FRAGGLE ROCK #2 hit the racks on Wednesday May 26.

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

FCBD Contest winners!

2010-05-10T13:47:00.000-07:00

Thanks again to everyone who attended Free Comic Book Day at Flying Colors on Saturday May 1.

Here are the names of the lucky winners from our contest:
Kelly Conroy, Walnut Creek
Colton Haley, Danville
Ethan Rosenstein, Walnut Creek
Karma Christensen, Walnut Creek
Stephanie Duchin, Concord
Paul DaRosa, Concord

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Thank You!

2010-05-03T17:36:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone for coming to Free Comic Book Day at Flying Colors last Saturday!

We'll be announcing the winners of our FCBD contest on Wednesday May 5---which just so happens to be our next NEW RELEASES' DAY, with dozens of great titles coming out...including WAR OF THE SUPERMEN, continued from the FCBD edition.

Also, Wednesday sees the release of DC Comics' BRIGHTEST DAY #1--- and Flying Colors is offering a FREE While Lantern ring with the purchase of BRIGHTEST DAY #1 (limit one per customer).

See you soon--- in Flying Colors!
Peace!

FlyCoJoe

New podcast interview with FLyCoJoe

2010-04-28T12:03:00.000-07:00

"Funny Books with Aron & Paulie" interview FlyCoJoe about Free Comic Book Day, comics' retailing and a number of graphic novels you just may want to read!
Hit the link HERE!

Countdown to Free Comic Book Day!

2010-04-20T16:26:00.000-07:00

One week from Saturday on May 1, we'll be having a huge party to celebrate
the 9th Annual FREE COMIC BOOK DAY at Flying Colors.

For some interviews with the artists and writers of this year's FCBD comics, please hit this link!

For a look back at photos from previous FCBD events at Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff, hit this link!

Flying Colors' Special Guest on FCBD from 11AM-2PM will be ERIK LARSEN, Image Comics founding partner and artist/writer of the long-running series SAVAGE DRAGON. For Erik's Wiki page, hit this link!

Flying Colors will also have a special appearance from 11AM-1PM by everyone's favorite movie mutant--- the one and only WOLVERINE!

We'll be giving away thousands of FREE comic books on Saturday May 1 from 11AM-7PM--- and we hope you can make it and bring a bunch of your friends, especially the ones who are not currently comic book readers!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe
(and please know you're invited to join the Flying Colors Comics Fan Brigade on Facebook. Just hit this link..and then search for Flying Colors Comics Fan Page! )

New Video: Flying Colors Free Comic Book Day ad

2010-04-16T17:37:00.001-07:00

Welcome to Flying Colors: New Video

2010-04-16T17:36:00.000-07:00

ERIK LARSEN GUESTS AT FLYING COLORS ON FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!

2010-04-13T13:12:00.000-07:00

May 1st Event Features Thousands of FREE Comic Books

Erik Larsen, the creator of SAVAGE DRAGON and one of the founding artists of Image Comics, will be the special in-store guest at the Free Comic Book Day event Saturday May 1, 2010 at Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff in Concord CA.
Larsen is scheduled to appear at Flying Colors from
11AM-2PM. The Free Comic Book Day giveaway will be from 11AM-7PM. Flying Colors Comics is at 2980 Treat Blvd in Concord CA.

“I’m thrilled to have Erik back to Flying Colors for the first time since our one-year anniversary way back in October 1989!” said Joe Field, owner of Flying Colors and founder of the Free Comic Book Day worldwide event. “Our Free Comic Book Day events here are a huge party and I’m happy that a talent like Erik is making the time to make new fans here at Flying Colors that day.”

In addition to thousands of Free Comic Book Day editions being given away on May 1, Flying Colors will also have a limited number of FREE copies of Larsen’s SAVAGE DRAGON: Image First edition for Larsen to sign for comic fans and new readers alike.

“I love getting out to meet fans and show more new readers what comics are all about,” said Larsen. “It’ll be great to see everyone at Flying Colors which really is the epicenter of Free Comic Book Day.”
Erik Larsen is best known as the creator/writer/artist of SAVAGE DRAGON, the long-running comic book series from Image Comics. He has also worked on a variety of titles for Marvel Comics, including Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, The Defenders, Wolverine, and Nova. At DC Comics, Larsen has worked on The Doom Patrol, The Outsiders, Teen Titans, Adventures of Superman and Aquaman.

In the early ‘90s, Erik Larsen and five other comic book artists left the work-for-hire environs of Marvel Comics to form Image Comics, where Larsen launched his creator-owned Savage Dragon series. He served as publisher of Image Comics from 2004-2009 a period of great creative diversification for Image.

Free Comic Book Day is now in its ninth year. The event, founded by Flying Colors’ owner Joe Field, is celebrated the first Saturday in May at nearly 2000 comic book stores in nearly three-dozen countries. Since its inaugural year in 2002, more than 15 MILLION comic books have been given away, drawing attention to the creative diversity and entertaining storytelling found in contemporary comics.

More information about Free Comic Book Day can be found at http://FreeComicBookDay.com
Updates about the event at Flying Colors can be found at
http://FlyingColorsComics.com.

Cool Deal!

2010-04-01T15:31:00.000-07:00

Just received at FLYING COLORS, courtesy of our friends at DC/Vertigo---

Full two-sided movie posters of the soon-to-be-released LOSERS movie.

Flying Colors has a limited number of these posters.

They are available FREE with the purchase of the LOSERS Volumes One & Two collected edition trade paperback.

Read the graphic novel--- get the movie poster--- then see the movie!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

2010-04-01T14:44:00.000-07:00

Flying Colors Comics will be CLOSED on Sunday April 4 for EASTER SUNDAY.

Have a terrific holiday!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

ARCHIE by the late, great Dan DeCarlo

2010-03-13T14:44:00.000-08:00

Here's some advance notice on a very cool project!

Coming out in May, IDW Publishing kicks off an extraordinary series of Archie Comics' collected editions featuring the dean of Archie artists --- Archie: The Best of Dan DeCarlo Volume One HC ($24.99) offers the very best of this classic and influential artist, gathering stories from the mid 1950s through the early 1970s.

Dan DeCarlo spent nearly 50 years with the characters of Riverdale High, drawing every character at one time or another. Archie: The Best of Dan DeCarlo Volume One contains dozens of stories handpicked by DeCarlo experts, all newly scanned from rare original art and recolored to capture the flavor of the original comics.

This is the first in IDW’s “Best Of” series, which will grow to include collections of Bob Montana, Harry Lucey, and Stan Goldberg, among others.

“It’s no secret to anyone who knows me that I am a great fan of Dan DeCarlo’s work,” said IDW Special Projects Editor, Scott Dunbier. “His classic style inspired and influenced scores of artists and entertained countless fans.”

Place your orders now at Flying Colors to reserve a copy of this Archie classic edition!

Peace ('n Pop's Choklit Shoppe)!

FlyCoJoe

This blog has moved

2010-03-05T19:32:00.001-08:00

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New FCBD t-shirts are here!

2010-03-03T13:55:00.001-08:00

Now in stock--- and ready for you to become a human billboard for the comics' event of the year!

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY t-shirts are here. Specially priced at just $7.99 each while supply lasts (adult sizes M-L-XL-XXL).

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

An Artifact from Days Gone By

2010-02-22T19:46:00.000-08:00

Take a look at this.

It's a photo of an old bag--- literally!--- from the defunct Comics & Comix chain of comic book stores that was big in Northern California going back to the early '70s.

The bag was part of a collection of comics I bought today at Flying Colors from a woman who, like I did, frequented Berkeley's Telegraph Avenue location of Comics & Comics those decades ago.

Maybe it was a bad business decision on my part to buy the box of comics in which I found this bag. There was nothing rare or very valuable... there was some fun stuff, including early Savage Sword of Conan, Secret Six, Doctor Spektor from Gold Key and random other titles, including the infamous Giant-Size Man-Thing... (easily the comic book with the worst title ever from any comic publisher!).

Honestly, the bag made the deal for me... hit the pic for a larger view and you'll see a very cool Bobby London illustration featuring many classic comic and strip characters (including Popeye, of course, something London is much more famous for than drawing comic book store bags!).

It's just a bag, but it hit me that the store it came from was partially responsible for my continuing affection for the rich American art-form of comics and for my wanting to be in this business. I'm fortunate to be to able to call former Comics & Comix partners Bud Plant, Dick Swan and the late John Barrett friends of mine... these guys were among those who laid the groundwork for all comic book retailers who came after them.

I'm very proud of Flying Colors and my place in the comics' biz, but it's goofy little things like that old C&C store bag that remind me I'm still standing on the shoulders of the giants who came before me.

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Cool Stuff On the Way!

2010-02-13T19:08:00.000-08:00

Arriving at Flying Colors on Wednesday February 17!

• BLACKEST NIGHT Series 3 Action Figures!

• DEADPOOL Logo T-Shirt!

• SILVER SURFER "Solar Logo" T-Shirt!

• BATMAN: Black & White statue by Marshall Rogers!

• KING AROO Hardcover!

• LOGAN's RUN #1 !

• KICK ASS Premier Hardcover!

• BLACKEST NIGHT: Flash #3, GREEN LANTERN #51, GREEN LANTERN CORPS #45... and more than 100 other titles!

...and need we say "MORE!"

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

New Silver Age Toon Tumblers Are Here!

2010-02-04T19:07:00.001-08:00

Twelve new Silver Age Marvel styles of TOON TUMBLERS are now in stock at Flying Colors!

Come and get 'em!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Flying Colors Retailing Brigade Picks of the Week!

2010-01-26T17:22:00.000-08:00

Each week at Flying Colors, our soon to be illustrious staff members each make a "Pick of the Week" for good reading and fun. here's the list for the new stuff hitting the racks on Wednesday January 27, 2010.

FlyCoJoe: FANTASTIC FOUR #575 (the Hickman/Eaglesham creative team is really doing some fun stories on this title)

Mike: AFRODISIAC Graphic Novel (taking visual and script cues from "Blaxploitation" movies and comics of the '70s, this AdHouse Books entry may this week's coolest under-the-radar release.)

Andy: GREEN LANTERN #50 (Blackest Night continues to create excitement!)

Marty: THE WIZARD's TALE (Kurt Busiek and David Wenzel's Tolkienesque graphic novel is awesomely re-mastered in an over-sized hardcover from IDW.)

Libby: THE BEATLES EXPERIENCE trade paperback (did you know Libby actually saw the Beatles live--- twice!? How could she not pick this one?)

Lots of other great stuff in store on Wednesday when we're open 11AM-8PM.

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Write Your Own dialog...

2010-01-17T19:42:00.001-08:00

...on the Flying Colors Fan Brigade page on Facebook. Click here!

Just for fun--- and you don't have to be a member of Facebook to be a Flying Colors Fan Brigadier --- give us your best shot for to complete the dialog in this comic book panel.

Peace 'n' Comics!

FlyCoJoe

(Bonus round: Tell us what comic book the panel is from!)

Free Comic Book Day T-Shirts: MAD Style!

2010-01-13T17:02:00.000-08:00

Did you know there are only 108 days until the next FREE COMIC BOOK DAY?

MAD Magazine's MADdest cartoonist, the amazing Sergio Aragones, has done the art for a limited edition t-shirt for fans of FCBD! Click on the image to get a better look!

Available in three different colors--white, black and purple, and in Adult sizes Small, Medium, Large, Extra-Large and XX-Large.

S-M-L-XL are only $14.99 each, XXL is only $17.99 each...and available for order right now from us here at Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff!

Please place your orders in-store by February 10.

Peace!

FlyCoJoe
FCBD Founder

Comic Strip Stamps Coming to a Post Office Near You!

2010-01-05T13:04:00.000-08:00

These postage stamps will debut in Summer 2010, around the time of Comic-Con International: San Diego.

It's a cool little deal to see comic strips getting the star treatment from the USPS.

More than that, though, while these may not be "collectibles," this will be the first officially licensed Calvin & Hobbes anything (outside of a wall calendar published my Andrews/McMeel 20 years ago).

Those Calvin & Hobbes window stickers you see with Calvin either praying or relieving himself on the Ford logo? Those are all bootleg items. Calvin & Hobbes cartoonist and creator Bill Watterson steadfastly refused to license anything from his strip, preferring to let the work stand on its own, despite enormous pressure (and the lure of Big Bucks) to make Hobbes plush figures and toys.

Watterson once said in an interview that he thought Charles Schulz of PEANUTS' fame sold out when his characters were used to sell everything from Dolly Madison Cakes & Pies to life insurance.

Being a huge PEANUTS' fan since I can remember (and also being a huge CALVIN & HOBBES' fan, too), I believe each cartoonist with control over how their creations can be used should do whatever they want. I have no problem with PEANUTS' stuff being everywhere--- these are universally loved characters that still resonate with millions today, years after Sparky Schulz passed away.

One other point of trivia about these stamps: Any amateur comics historian knows that ARCHIE did not start as a comic strip, but debuted in late 1941 in the pages of PEP Comics, from MLJ Publications, the forerunner to ARCHIE COMICS.

Peace 'n' Postage!

FlyCoJoe

(The observant will also notice that each of these stamps has a whiteout through the 44¢ price. I wonder if that means another stamp price hike is coming?)