Have you joined the FlyCo Fan Brigade page on FACEBOOK yet?
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Wanna Be a Video Star?
When: Wednesday September 23 at 11:30AM
Where: Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff, natch!
Why: It's time to get some new video footage to use in TV ads and online.
Who: You, dudes and dudettes! We're looking for Flying Colors fans of all ages, from young to "used to be young"---from Modern Age to Bronze Age to Silver Age to Golden Age! That means everyone, men and women, boys and girls.
How: Just show up and be ready to complete the following line--- on camera!
"I'm a fan of Flying Colors Comics because..."
Wednesday September 23 is also a New Releases' Day at Flying Colors, so that means a day full of new comics, graphic novels and other cool stuff!
We hope you can make it!
Peace!
FlyCoJoe
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
ITEM: My pal Mike from Crush Comics in Castro Valley forwarded THIS LINK. Check it out to see some classic photos of places where comics used to be sold---and faces of those who love comics! ITEM: Sporting Flying Colors' exclusive limited edition infant t-shirt is Captain Four-Color's newest sidekick, Ashton the FlyCoKid! (T-shirt is now on sale at Flying Colors in 6mo/12mo/18mo sizes for $14.99. FlyCoKid not included.)
ITEM: Have you joined the Flying Colors Facebook Fan Brigade yet? No need to be a Facebook member, so hit THIS LINK to join.
ITEM: The FlyCo Retailing Brigade has been getting more requests from comic lovers in Contra Costa and beyond for reserving issues of your favorite comic titles. Our goal is to get you just what you want! So next time you visit Fling Colors, please let us know if there's a title or two you would like us to hold for you each time they are first released. When those titles come in, we will reserves them for you---and if you request it, we will call to let you know we have them for you.
We've Got Your Cool Stuff Right here in Flying Colors!
Peace!
FlyCoJoe
Thursday, September 03, 2009
More on Disney & Marvel
ITEM: For the craziest cross-over between Marvel and Disney, please hit this link to the Daily Haggis ITEM: FlyCoJoe was interviewed by a business writer for the Contra Costa Times. You can read that one HERE!
ITEM: Comic news-and-review site Newsarama also has reactions from FlyCoJoe and some of his retailing peers. Read that one HERE!
I am hopeful this Disney/Marvel marriage is one that works well for the long haul--- and for all involved with both companies. There are lots of jobs and livelihoods depending on it.
And, to a degree, that includes my job as your local comic shop owner. I don't believe there is any reason at all to get panicky about what may or may not happen once the deal is finalized.
Disney has the money to make this deal. Marvel is a profitable company on its own. Disney has a huge share of the girls' market for licensing. Marvel, while lagging far behind Disney, has a huge business in licensing primarily to boys. The two companies make an excellent fit.
Where some people start to get antsy is when it comes to comic books. Will Marvel still be able to push the envelope a bit and experiment with content, giving their artists and writers creative freedom?
Well, given that Marvel owns the characters and management generally asks them to be returned in the same condition they went out, I don't see drastic changes happening any time soon. We'll still get our Marvel fix of comics and trade paperbacks and floods of Wolverine appearances every week. We'll probably still get too much of Norman Osborn (... but maybe that's just me).
At the end of the day, my hope is that the source material--- the comics--- will continue to prosper.
Peace!
FlyCoJoe
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
The Twelve Cent Quiz
While trolling through the vast FlyCo Archives of Comic Goodness today, I came upon a copy of The SPECTRE #2. Featuring moody Neal Adams art, this DC Comics' Silver Age issue also featured the "house ad" posted here for TEEN BEAM magazine.
Take the quiz.
Believe for yourself.
That was one strange period in comics' history...
Tell us what you think in the comments' section!
Peace, man!
FlyCoJoe
Monday, August 31, 2009
House of Mouse Consumes the House that Stan & Jack Built
Or in other words... DISNEY BUYS MARVEL!. There are reports all over the interweb covering various financial details of the deal and there's a solid report for those who want a more comic-centric view of the deal at Tom Spurgeon's fine site, The Comics Reporter.
It's way too early to draw conclusions about what this deal might mean.
When I first heard the news on the radio this morning, the fan in me flashed immediately to the back pages of Amazing Spider-Man Annual #5 from 1968, where the picture that accompanies this post comes from.
As for the deal itself? Way too early for it to have any impact on the publishing of comics, either from Marvel or from Disney. This is a great deal for Marvel stock-holders, even if there was still quite a lot of unrealized upside potential for Marvel stock, current share-holders will get a nice premium for agreeing to the deal (and there's virtually no way this deal doesn't go through).
Back in 1991, when Disney had its own comic's publishing division, I was one of 12 retailers nationwide invited to participate in Retailer Advisory Board for Disney Comics. We were essentially a sounding board for ideas that would hopefully draw attention to the fledgling Disney line, featuring characters like ROGER RABBIT, LITTLE MERMAID, BEAUTY & the BEAST, along with the requisite Duck and Mouse comics.
In retrospect, the good folks at Disney Comics had a difficult time with the corporate maze above them, so a simple and essential notion like getting Disney character comics sold at Disney theme parks never materialized. After the Dell Disney comics' boom of the '50s and early '60s, comics just were never a vital component to the Disney plan to rule all media.
On the Marvel side of this deal, I think of how Marvel Comics bowed out of attending many major comic book conventions after the company emerged from bankruptcy years ago. "Marvel Entertainment" may have had a big set-up in San Diego to showcase movies and video games, for example, but Marvel Comics did not. The Marvel Comics' logic was that comic-cons were about preaching to the converted, so they were deemed an unnecessary expense.
So now we have this Disney deal coming on the heels of Disney making noise about doing their own pop culture conventions, starting with one at the Anaheim Convention Center, conveniently across the street from Disneyland. How does Marvel fit into that event? And will that create competition for the the San Diego Comic-Con? We'll wait to see how it plays out....
Looking at this deal as a business owner in the comics' industry, I'm cautiously optimistic this deal will be a good thing for our specialty market.
For now, though, we'll all just have to wait and see.
Peace!
FlyCoJoe
It's way too early to draw conclusions about what this deal might mean. When I first heard the news on the radio this morning, the fan in me flashed immediately to the back pages of Amazing Spider-Man Annual #5 from 1968, where the picture that accompanies this post comes from.
As for the deal itself? Way too early for it to have any impact on the publishing of comics, either from Marvel or from Disney. This is a great deal for Marvel stock-holders, even if there was still quite a lot of unrealized upside potential for Marvel stock, current share-holders will get a nice premium for agreeing to the deal (and there's virtually no way this deal doesn't go through).
Back in 1991, when Disney had its own comic's publishing division, I was one of 12 retailers nationwide invited to participate in Retailer Advisory Board for Disney Comics. We were essentially a sounding board for ideas that would hopefully draw attention to the fledgling Disney line, featuring characters like ROGER RABBIT, LITTLE MERMAID, BEAUTY & the BEAST, along with the requisite Duck and Mouse comics.
In retrospect, the good folks at Disney Comics had a difficult time with the corporate maze above them, so a simple and essential notion like getting Disney character comics sold at Disney theme parks never materialized. After the Dell Disney comics' boom of the '50s and early '60s, comics just were never a vital component to the Disney plan to rule all media.
On the Marvel side of this deal, I think of how Marvel Comics bowed out of attending many major comic book conventions after the company emerged from bankruptcy years ago. "Marvel Entertainment" may have had a big set-up in San Diego to showcase movies and video games, for example, but Marvel Comics did not. The Marvel Comics' logic was that comic-cons were about preaching to the converted, so they were deemed an unnecessary expense.
So now we have this Disney deal coming on the heels of Disney making noise about doing their own pop culture conventions, starting with one at the Anaheim Convention Center, conveniently across the street from Disneyland. How does Marvel fit into that event? And will that create competition for the the San Diego Comic-Con? We'll wait to see how it plays out....
Looking at this deal as a business owner in the comics' industry, I'm cautiously optimistic this deal will be a good thing for our specialty market.
For now, though, we'll all just have to wait and see.
Peace!
FlyCoJoe
Friday, August 21, 2009
Become one of the FlyCo Faithful!
It's taken me a week to get to this report on our Marvel 70th Anniversary Party and COMIC SLAM!, so I want to start it with a great email I received from one of the FlyCo Faithful who attended the event. Take it away, Fernando!
The event was a lot of fun !!! The COMIC SLAM readings were cool, man...cool...!!!Thank you, Fernando--- and thanks to all the FlyCo Faithful for continuing to support Flying Colors Comics for the last 21 years!
It is great that I can have a comic book store that is more than just a place that sells, stores & saves comics. Your store is a friendly, innovative, & cool place where the worlds of fantasy and the love of reading cool stories come to life. I think your store is one of a kind...and I am so glad that I, as well as many of my friends have been able to share in YOUR WORLDS of, at & in... Flying Colors Comics.
Thanks!
As you may know, our party was also a "good-bye" to Super-Wit herself, the one and only Melissa! We wish her well as she she head off to higher education at Seattle University. She will be missed around here!
WE NEED YOU!...to become a member of the FlyCo Faithful FAN PAGE on FACEBOOK! Just hit the link (whether or not you are a member of FACEBOOK) and you'll be taken to our fan page where there are links to photos and reviews--- and where fans can post their reviews of comics and give us feedback.
Peace!
FlyCoJoe
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Archie Proposes to Veronica, Daredevil Celebrates Anniversary Alone
In the story, we see the eternal teenager ARCHIE ANDREWS actually grown up and proposing to VERONICA LODGE, much to the dismay of BETTY COOPER lovers everywhere! Meanwhile, JUGHEAD JONES will be at Pop's Choklit Shoppe continuing his long relationship with burgers and milkshakes!
Archie Comics #600 (pictured here) hits the racks tomorrow at Flying Colors on another Big Event New Releases Day! Don't be late to the wedding!
In addition, another fire-haired comic book character reaches a milestone issue as DAREDEVIL #500 also is released on Wednesday. This is the final issue in the amazing run of writer Ed Brubaker (famous for his "Death of Captain America" story). Every week, to be on the cutting edge of pop culture, you need to visit Flying Colors, where you'll not only be up on what's happening in comics, but also what's coming in other media, especially movies and TV. You see, comics are the creative core of all visual entertainment!
Peace!
FlyCoJoe
(Flying Colors is open from 11AM-7Pm every day of the week--- and we stay open until 8PM on New Releases' Day--- usually every Wednesday.)
Thursday, August 13, 2009
August 2009 (or thereabouts) marks the 70th Anniversary of the release of Marvel Comics #1, featuring the first use of the "Marvel" brand in comics and featuring the first appearances of major Marvel characters like the Sub-Mariner and the Human Torch.Your pals at Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff invite you to our party Friday August 14 from 7PM-10PM.
We'll have a special Marvel birthday cake, plus refreshments (sodas,beer & wine) and other delicious digestibles.
Admittance to the party is $5 and will include a commemorative edition of MARVEL COMICS #1 ($4.99 value, while supply lasts), plus a Marvel limited-edition variant cover, and a drink ticket (for those over 21). Party attendees will also receive a party deal coupon that will be valid during the party only, so don't miss the chance to score a good deal while you have a good time!
Those attending the party will also be eligible to enter a drawing for a Marvel mini-library of comic book compilations with a retail value of $200!
And tomorrow's party will also feature our short entertainment segment, COMIC SLAM!, brought to you by the FlyCo Retailing Brigade.
But just what is a COMIC SLAM!?
It's like a beat-poetry reading, but with the pulse-punding prose found in the scintillating soliloquies of classic MARVEL COMICS, each performed in dramatic fashion
by members of the Flying Colors Retailing Brigade.
You gotta be here!
Peace!
FlyCoJoe
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