The Family Business

It’s a family business.

Over the course of these last 37 years— including the two years before Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff officially opened in October 1988— the entire Field family has been involved and integral to the success and longevity of our shop… of our built from the ground up comics community.

In the years before the shop opened, the five members of my family would pack into the station wagon, drive from shop to shop to strategize the comic book shop we wanted to build-- "the one comic shop for the whole family."

At the time we opened, our three daughters Michelle, Jenny and Cindy were between four and eight years old. Their insights into what they liked and didn't like about other shops--- comic shops, sure, but other retail shops, as well--- were invaluable.

So here we are, all those years later, and all three of our daughters were present in some way for our 35th anniversary event.

Jenny, even while dealing with some serious health issues, gave her sweet presence to shop visitors on Saturday for more than four hours. Michelle visited the shop later in the day and her presence always melts me! Cindy was present in the music she makes as the ambient artist known as "marine eyes." We sold some of the new extended CD version of her "idyll" album (available now on Stereoscenic Records).

And then there's our frankly fabulous FlyCo Retailing Brigade! The day was filled with good vibes from current staff Dylan, Everardo and Zach (long-time staffer Mike was unavailable)... and it was very sweet to get visits from past FlyCo Brigadeers, too!

None of this would have worked without the love of my life, Libby! Who's the blessed dude? Yup, that's me!

The future of Flying Colors is honestly a bit murky these days. We have an expiring lease in early 2025. The comics biz is in a pretty rocky phase right now [Edited to add: So is the general economy] so the downturn in business adds another big question mark for the future.

Still, we're here NOW and ready for you to experience the nostalgia of missing us even before we might be gone or before we morph into something else/new/??

Whether you're a friend mine, a friend of the family, a fan of Flying Colors, a regular patron here, or just an interested observer of what we do, and what we bring to our local market, I'd like to encourage you to think about doing what you can to support your favorite local shops. What you do for your local shops, you do to make your communities much more flavorful than the big box boring corporate stuff that's everywhere and online.

Thanks for being along for the ride. We hope to provide many more good memories for everyone before whatever happens actually happens (or doesn't). How's that for vague!?!

Peace 'n' Comics,

Joe "FlyCoJoe" Field

35th Anniversary: Thoughts on a Murky Future

A note to close out October 3, the actual 35th anniversary date for the opening of Flying Colors Comics.

We would love to have you join us for our 35th Anniversary event this Saturday October 7. 

 

We’ll have some FREE stuff, some tasty Hulk Smash Brownies, a commemorative exclusive art print and signing with cool cartoonist Jeff Bonivert, and more! Signing at 11AM, brownies at Noon… Cool stuff all day!
More details HERE!

 

We need to celebrate these milestone anniversaries to reflect on all the gratitude we have for all those helping to keep us in business since 1988. 

 

Honestly, and maybe a bit sadly, there aren’t likely any more milestone anniversaries for this shop… in this location. So this photo of the shop at night is maybe a little reflective of the state of things as they are currently. 

 

Enough of that for now, though!

 

Please come help us celebrate these last 35 years of bringing the best in Comics & Other Cool Stuff to Contra Costa County. 

 

Help us celebrate this humble spot on the worldwide pop culture map. Let’s have some fun! 

 

“Don't it always seem to go

That you don't know

what you've got
'til it's gone

They paved paradise,

put up a parking lot…”

--- Lyrics by Joni Mitchell

Flying Colors 35th Anniversary party!

Saturday October 7 11AM-7PM
Libby's nearly world-famous HULK SMASH Brownies will be served at Noon!
More surprises!

Artist TRADD MOORE Signing 9/28

We hope you can join is for singing event as we welcome artist TRADD MOORE to Flying Colors, Thursday September 28 from 4PM-6PM.

Tradd is the artist of the fan favorite neo-psychedelic series, DOCTOR STRANGE: FALL SUNRISE and SILVER SURFER BLACK!
 

Sat Sept 9: Meet Poison Ivy Cover Artist JESSICA FONG

When: Sat Sept 9 at Noon Where: Flying Colors Comics Who: DC Comics Cover Artist JESSICA FONG!

Jessica will be signing her work, including POISON IVY #14 which will be released September 5.

Fans are really in awe of her striking and beautiful POISON IVY covers. Jessica will have some prints and art for sale, too!

 

Fantasy Novels by Joe Field? Yup!

 

Plug!
These two novels are written by Joe Field.

But not me.
My nephew Joe Field.

Proud uncle here and I'll take tiny credit because I was his comics sherpa years ago.

These two fantasy novels, "Watchers of the Evenfall" and its sequel "Betrayal of the Evenfall" are infused with the work my nephew Joe Field has read and loved, including Marvel silver age, CS Lewis and Tolkien.

Available now at Flying Colors Comics.

Free Comic Book Day at the United States Capitol?

As reported by PopVerse Deputy Editor Tiffany Babb:

Congressman Robert Garcia announced at Comic-Con, "We're going to host the first Free Comic Book Day at the Capitol."... The day wouldn't just be about getting comics to kids but also into the hands of policy makers. "I think policy makers have a lot to learn from comics," the congressman said, adding wryly, "especially some of my colleagues." 

Read the full PopVerse report here!

Maybe Congressman Garcia is not yet fully aware of the reach of Free Comic Book Day. Yes, there are shops in the Washington DC area participating in the event every year. More than that, FCBD is an international event with participating shops in dozens of countries.

I want Congressman Garcia to know I stand at the ready to help him give Free Comic Book Day a bigger spotlight. I look forward to hearing from him!

 

 

Don't miss this fun event! Thien Pham! Gene Luen Yang! Briana Loewinsohn!

 

Closed July 4th

Flying Colors will be CLOSED Tuesday July 4th for the holiday.

We'll be back in action with New Releases Day on Wednesday July 5.

Special Event! Save the date!

Every Wednesday is New Releases Day at Flying Colors.

New Releases Day on Wednesday July 12, will be even more special!

Our event on July 12 will now begin at 3PM.

Make your plans to be here.

We'll give you the cool details very soon!