Huge Sale NOW in FLYING COLORS!

THURSDAY DEC 31 11AM-6PM

•BUY 2, GET ONE FREE!
on ALL Graphic Novels, Softcovers & Hardcovers

•BUY 1 GET ONE FREE!
on DC ARCHIVES & MARVEL MASTERWORKS!


•BUY 2 GET ONE FREE!
on ALL reg. priced STATUES & BUSTS!
•BUY 2 GET ONE FREE!
on ALL reg. priced T-SHIRTS!

CLOSED FRIDAY JANUARY 1ST

SATURDAY JAN 2 & SUNDAY JAN 3

•BUY 3, GET ONE FREE!
on ALL Graphic Novels, Softcovers & Hardcovers

•BUY 1 GET ONE FREE!
on DC ARCHIVES & MARVEL MASTERWORKS!

•BUY 2 GET ONE FREE!
on ALL reg. priced STATUES & BUSTS!

•BUY 2 GET ONE FREE!
on ALL reg. priced T-SHIRTS!

(all FREE items same priced or less, subject to available stock)

See you soon---in FLYING COLORS!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Merry Christmas!

We received another great note from a Chaplain serving on Northern Iraq, thanking Flying Colors for the comics we sent over with other goodies from the East Bay Blue Star Moms.

This line from the Chaplain cracked me up:

"I did note with surprise (remembering comics of my youth) that Wonder Woman put on weight in certain areas and her outfit got a lot smaller."

2010 plans for Wonder Woman--- maybe a little diet and some warmer clothes?

Peace & Merry Christmas!

FlyCoJoe

BLACKEST NIGHT Ring Sets!

We have a limited number of rings from DC's phenomenally successful BLACKEST NIGHT series.

Full sets of all eight BLACKEST NIGHT rings (Green, Orange, Red, Blue, Violet, Yellow, Indigo...and the hard to find BLACK) are available for just $15.99 per set at Flying Colors... while supply lasts.

In addition to the sets, individual rings (though not in all colors) will be available on a first-come, first-served basis with any net purchase of $25 or more that includes any BLACKEST NIGHT title starting Wednesday December 30 (the release date for BLACKEST NIGHT #6)...while supply lasts.

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

A FlyCo Holiday Salute to Our Soldiers Overseas

One of my very favorite gifts arrived in my email yesterday morning!

It's from SPC Steven Graulau--a man I've never met (yet!)--- currently serving in Iraq. Steven, along with a number of other soldiers serving our nation in Iraq and Afghanistan, received comic books from Flying Colors as a part of the terrific effort made by moms of our soldiers, specifically the East Bay Area Chapter of Blue Star Moms. Flying Colors donated about 3000 comic books to Blue Star Moms as a way to provide some entertainment and fun to the soldiers. SPC Graulau sent us the following email:

Good morning,

My name is SPC Steven Graulau. I am currently deployed in COB Speicher, Iraq with the 47th Combat Support Hospital. We have recently started receiving comics from your store this month. I would like to tell you personally and on behalf of all the other soldiers I work with, thank you. We deeply appreciate this gesture and your generosity.

We couldn't imagine where to start telling you how much we enjoy the comics we receive on your store's behalf and how often we exchange comics (due to the short supply). I hope to one day personally exchange my salute with you at your store. Until then, take care and God bless.

V/r

Steven Graulau
SPC, USA
PAD/AE Specialist
47th CSH, COB Speicher IZ

At Flying Colors, we are honored to help give our soldiers a few minutes away from the rigors of their mission by providing comic books to them whenever the Blue Star Moms ask.

I want to personally thank every soldier for their service to our country and I hope and pray for their speedy and safe return to each of their many loved ones here at home.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Put Your Money Where Your House Is!

From today's Contra Costa Times, Joe "FlyCoJoe" Field offers some thoughts about how your holiday shopping impacts our local community.

The ongoing state budget crisis bleeds over into county and municipal budget cuts, with threats of school closures and service reductions leading the news almost every day in these trying economic times.

The season of giving and shopping continues with Black Friday and its $42 billion gross sales having come and gone. An estimated 95 million Americans bought something online Cyber Monday with a dollar total of nearly $1 billion.

How do our local and state budget problems connect to big-box and online shopping? To begin with, non-taxed cyber-sales mean a loss of state and local tax revenue. Bringing that home, that means a loss of revenue to fund fire departments, road repairs, schools and libraries.

Sales at big box retailers and online also impact our community in many other ways:

* Studies have shown that for every dollar spent at a big chain store such as Wal-Mart, only 13 cents of that dollar gets put back into the local economy. Spending the same dollar at a locally owned business re-circulates 45 cents into the local economy.

* The entrepreneurial spirit of local business owners drives America’s economic innovation and prosperity, creating a key way for families to move out of low wage jobs and into the middle class.

* Local businesses put less of a demand on our roads, sewers and public services and generate more tax revenue per sales dollar helping local and state budgets.

* Locally owned businesses also are more likely the customers of local printers, wholesalers, attorneys and other service businesses, helping to expand the local entrepreneurial spirit while adding even more to local and state tax coffers.

* Locally owned businesses donate twice as much per dollar to local non-profits, charities and events than huge retail corporations.

* Independently owned businesses, catering to a wide variety of customers’ tastes and interests create greater consumer choices for all of us.

* Local businesses give our community character and are the ultimate “social networking sites.”

* Local businesses are more eco-friendly since they are “people-sized” not corporate-sized. Local businesses consume less land, create less traffic and air pollution while being closer to residents.

* A diverse business climate market of thousands of small businesses is the best way to ensure innovation and broader consumer choices over the long-term.

In short, there is a high local cost for those who only shop for a low price. Imagine the huge impact if everyone started by shifting just 25% of our spending away from large corporate-owned chain stores and online merchants and instead spent that money locally. It would begin a positive trend of good news for everyone.

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

In case you're not on our email list...

...here's a coupon we sent out last night that you may want to take advantage of over the next several days.

By all means, print it out and bring it in to get these good deals!

If you would like to get our special offers, news and other non-spammy useful info, please sign up now by scrolling down a bit on the left hand side of this screen and enter your info where it says:

"News! Deals! Cool Stuff! Join the FlyCo Email Brigade!"

Peace 'n' Coupon Clipping!

FlyCoJoe

Fly Co Featured in Comics Buyers' Guide

There's a new feature debuting in the current issue of COMICS BUYER'S GUIDE, called "DESTINATION: Comics!" Flying Colors is honored to be the first store featured--- and the online version can be found HERE!

Of course, we also have the print edition on sale now in the 'Zine section at Flying Colors.

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Snow Daze!

For those of you who live in places where it actually does snow every winter (like my lovely daughter Michelle in Portland), this post will seem like nothing.

However, in this part of California, snow is a BIG DEAL! Rarely does any appreciable amount of snow fall and actually stick to the ground like it did early Monday morning.

So before FlyCoLibby and I headed off for our Monday morning gym time, we went up to the Mitchell Canyon entrance to Mount Diablo (I always like to say 'Mount Diablo' ominously...) and we snapped a few pix on our iPhones.

In the top photo here, the shot is taken looking east away from Mount Diablo to the hills between Concord and Pittsburg. And that, my friends, is a LOT of snow for this area. The elevation on the top of those hills is maybe 800 feet above sea level.

In the middle shot, I took that from a different spot near the North Gate entrance to Mount Diablo, so it's looking southeast to the beautiful Mt. Diablo.

In the bottom photo, it's another shot of the open fields near the Mitchell Canyon entrance to the park, looking up to the the quarry.

And as beautiful as this area looks under a very thin blanket of the white stuff, it's way too cold for me. Please return the real California to us as soon as possible!

Peace 'n' a briefly White Christmas!

FlyCoJoe

"the road to god knows..."

Long time Flying Colors Faithful know that we try to stock a wide variety of comic goodness in our little emporium here in Concord.

More than occasionally, we search off the beaten path of super-heroes and action stories to find comics and graphic novels with a smaller, more personal vision. That is the core of a new graphic novel called "the road to god knows..." by first-time graphic novelist Von Allan.

While not autobiographical, "the road to god knows..." concerns a teenage girl coping with the mental illness of her mother. Von Allan lost his mother to the ravages of schizophrenia when she was just 48 and he was 20. So there is personal experience shared in the sometimes harrowing fiction of this graphic novel.

My pal and fellow long-time comic retailer Joe Ferrara of Atlantis Fantasyworld in Santa Cruz was able to get his local paper to interview Von Allan about his graphic novel and you can read that article HERE!

Flying Colors is one of a handful of comic specialty stores carrying Von Allan's "the road to god knows..." We hope you read the linked article and then pick up a copy of "the road to god knows..." on your next visit to Flying Colors. It currently is stocked in our "New & Cool" section.

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

New & Cosmic & FREE!

Flying Colors Exclusive 2010 Poster/Calendars are here... and they are FREE while supplies last.

A full 11x34 with all kinds of comic goodness on them, including notations for all of the New Releases Days throughout 2010.

Come & get 'em!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Shop Local!

Saturday November 21st is AMERICA UNCHAINED... an event designed to create awareness for the benefits of shopping at locally-owned independent businesses.

FLYING COLORS COMICS is participating by inviting everyone to visit our store, get a FREE comic book or two and talk about what it means to support your community by supporting local shops.

We've also made some minor changes to the layout of our store hoping to create an even more open, inviting atmosphere.

We hope you'll come in soon!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

New Flying Colors Intro Video!

Here's a new video that gives a new look at Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff.

I hope to encourage everyone to make this video as viral as possible, adding it to your own sites, blogs, FaceBook and MySpace pages. Please help us spread the word about Flying Colors Comics!

Thanks to all who participated!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Monday morning greeting...

...shattered front door at Flying Colors.

Could have been worse.

The vandals did NOT get in the store.

But after the FlyCo Retailing Brigade stayed after-hours to make a couple of changes, this was not the first reaction we were looking for!

Hope your Monday is going better!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Saturday November 21: Shop LOCAL!

Flying Colors Comics will once again be participating in a nationwide event called AMERICA UNCHAINED on Saturday November 21 from 11am-7pm.

Sometimes seemingly small acts can and do have a larger impact than you ever imagined! When you shop, did you know that where you shop can impact your community?

Supporting locally-owned independent businesses means more to our local community spending the same money at large chain stores or online. When you patronize local businesses--- like FLYING COLORS Comics & Other Cool Stuff--- your money will be re-circulated into the community three times more than if you spend it at a chain or online.

This creates greater community health and prosperity. It leads to higher revenue for local governments, meaning more funds for local schools, more local jobs and more stability for our local economy.

Studies have shown that for every dollar spent at a big chain store like Wal-Mart or Barnes & Noble, only 13 cents of that dollar gets re-spent locally. Spending the same dollar at a locally-owned business recirculates 45 cents into the local economy.

Imagine the local impact if everyone just shifted 25-50% of their spending away from large corporate-owned chain stores and online merchants and spent that money locally!

On Saturday November 21, Flying Colors Comics urges you to get “unchain-ed” for just that one day.

Try it for one day, then consider trying it for all of your holiday purchases. The impact of your spending can be your holiday gift back to this community.

To help mark AMERICA UNCHAINED, Flying Colors will be giving away FREE comics (from a special selection) from 11am-7pm on Saturday November 21 to everyone who shops with us that day.

I hope you can join us!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Comics, Kids & Learning

According to a new study from the University of Illinois, it's been confirmed yet again what we've known for years:

Comic books, besides being highly entertaining, have strong benefits in learning environments!

And as many educators and school media specialists know, at Flying Colors we are happy to assist schools in stocking classrooms and libraries with comics and graphic novels that will engage readers of all ages.

If you'd like to help students become happy and engaged readers, please contact us at 925-825-5410.

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Order your set of BLACKEST NIGHT Lantern rings!

(FlyCo's Mike Fantastic models the full spectrum of Blackest Night Lantern rings from DC Comics.)

BLACKEST NIGHT, the mega-story that some have nick-named "DC ZOMBIES"is the DC's top selling comic series in quite some time. Your pals at FLYING COLORS are pleased to offer full sets of the spectrum of LANTERN Rings.

All we ask is that you sign up to reserve your set of rings, which are FREE with the purchase of seven BLACKEST NIGHT tie-in comics!

These will be available as sets while supplies last, so please place your order soon!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Music Alert!

Simply put: I've got a CD to recommend to you.

The band is called CRAFTMATIC ADJUSTABLES and if that conjures up goofy late-night infomercials about electric beds, then my job is partially done.

Recommended especially if you like THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS and WEEN, this local band features an ex-FlyCo Retailing Brigade member, Karl Jan Lubbe. There's a lot of humor in this music. No other band that I know of has ever had the cajones to pull off a cover of the camp-classic Chuck Connors' TV show "BRANDED" before!

The CD is now available at NOT LAME RECORDINGS. Just hit that link and it'll take you straight to the CRAFTMATICS' page at Not Lame.

While at the Not Lame site, do me a favor and check out more of the amazing music available there from indie pop artists. There are thousands of song samples for you to give a listen to.

Most of this stuff you won't find in big stores like BEST BUY or Amoeba or Rasputin's--- but you will be richly rewarded with cool new music with whatever you buy at Not Lame.

End of music plug!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Beland's Sketchbook Reunion: True Story!

Almost a year ago, a guy came into Flying Colors wanting to sell me an old sketchbook featuring the early (and I do mean early) cartooning of Tom Beland, creator of TRUE STORY SWEAR TO GOD and a number of one-shots and special stories published by Marvel over the last few years.

You can read my post on buying that sketchbook HERE!

Tom, who lives in Puerto Rico with his lovely wife Lily, has been visiting family in the Napa area so he took the time to drop by Flying Colors today. The photos here are from their visit today.

(In the photo on the top from left are Marty, Lily, Tom and FlyCoJoe)

And now, Tom has his old sketchbook back... and Lily has some reading to do!

All's well that ends well!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

(and a plug: Read Tom's TRUE STORY SWEAR TO GOD, the funny, poignant and sweet look back on the beginnings of Tom and Lily's relationship. Now is stock at Flying Colors, natch!)

FlyCo Fan Brigade on Facebook!

Have you joined the FlyCo Fan Brigade page on FACEBOOK yet?

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

The Honor of Your Presence is Requested...

Nuff Said!

FlyCoJoe

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

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

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

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

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...!!!

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!

Thank you, Fernando--- and thanks to all the FlyCo Faithful for continuing to support Flying Colors Comics for the last 21 years!

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

Archie Proposes to Veronica, Daredevil Celebrates Anniversary Alone

The long-awaited first issue of the "Archie Marries Veronica" story will be released on Wednesday August 19.

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.)

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

Party Time!

Everyone in FlyCo Land is invited to a SPECIAL EVENT!

When?
Friday August 14, 7pm-10pm

Where?
Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff, Treat Blvd at Oak Grove Rd, Concord

What?
* It's a party to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of Marvel Comics!

* It's a party to (*sniff*) say goodbye to one of the Flying Colors Retailing Brigade member as Melissa (Super-Wit) departs for higher education!

* It's also the first ever COMIC SLAM--- with FlyCo Retailing Brigade members delivering famous and dramatic character soliloquies from the pages of Marvel Comics!

It's three---three---three parties in one!
Cake! Beverages! Goodies! Maybe even a couple of deals!

Be here!

Pax et Comics!

FlyCoJoe

HULK, SPIDEY & ARCHIE--- Battling Anniversary issues and we all win!

Two HUGE Marvel anniversary issues go on sale tomorrow, Wednesday July 22 here at Flying Colors.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #600 and INCREDIBLE HULK #600 both sport painted covers by Alex Ross, a number of limited variant covers by other fine comic artists, and supposedly earth-shattering stories that both complete long-running story arcs while setting up new stories to come.

I've been a comics fan for more than 40 years and round-numbered issues still are a big deal for publishers and fans. So here they are--and they both look like fun for long-time fans while occasional readers will find something to like in these thick colorful mags.

Historically, these round-numbered issues with marginally milestone content continue to be sought after by fans for years after their publication.

Weird thing is.... in both these cases, I'm not 100% sure these even are accurately the 600th issues of these two titles. With the various changes in publishing over the last 15 years, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN has started over at #1, while the HULK has gone from a couple of re-boots in numbering to switching back to previous high-numbered issues, to being INCREDIBLE for a time and adjective-less other times--- and all of those issues don't quite add up to an even 600.

It's not like it matters, though. Marvel is in the midst of celebrating its 70th Anniversary this year, so as far as we're all concerned, they can do whatever they want to re-jigger the numbers to squeeze another couple of "event" books onto the schedule. More fun for th fans---and hopefully more sales for Marvel and its retailers.

I say that all as a prelude to another 600th issue that will be coming soon. In August, ARCHIE COMICS will publish issue #600 of, d'uh, ARCHIE. And this little milestone issue, with a regular cover price that is half that of the HULK and SPIDEY will get more publicity than Marvel's big guns combined.

Why?

Because ARCHIE #600 features a story in which Archie Andrews, a few years int the future, finally makes his choice between girl-next-door, beautiful and practical Betty Cooper and the rich and conniving, mansion-dwelling Veronica Lodge. Written by Hollywood writer and producer Michael Uslan (he produced the BATMAN movies!) and drawn by long-time Archie cartooning star Stan Goldberg, ARCHIE #600, in a summer filled with really cool event comics, promises to be the event comic book of the summer. It's due to go on sale August 19.

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

BLACKEST NIGHT!

DC Comics huge event series, BLACKEST NIGHT, written by GEOFF JOHNS with art by IVAN REIS, debuted this week as a huge hit!

To give you another incentive to jump on, Flying Colors is giving away a FREE Black Lantern ring with the purchase of BLACKEST NIGHT #1, while supply lasts.

The whole staff here has read this first issue and we're convinced this will be a wild ride and an entertaining read.

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

Baby's First Visit to FlyCo!

The newest member of the FlyCo Family

Allow me the supreme honor of introducing you to ASHTON MIKEL FIELD, born at 4am on the 4th of July! Eight pounds, 3 ounces, 20.5 inches and he is so beautiful and healthy! Mama Cindy is doing great (and she's beautiful, too!).



More soon!

Peace 'n' Beautiful Babies!

FlyCoJoe
"Pops"

Captain America Reborn for 4th of July

Please note:
Flying Colors Comics
& Other Cool Stuff
will be

OPEN

on Saturday July 4
from 11am-5pm.

We'll have new releases on Wednesday July 1, including the first issue of CAPTAIN AMERICA: REBORN.

Peace 'n' Patriotic Comics!

FlyCoJoe

Captain Four-Color's '70s Ride

Coloring Contest Winners!

It was a good turn-out for our first-ever Captain Four-Color Coloring Contest! And we've been slow to announce the winners.

In the photo here are the winning entries. If you don't see your entry here and you completely filled out all the contest entry information, look in your mailbox in the next week.

If you see your entry here --- Congratulations! (And please watch the mail).

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

New Flying Colors Facebook page

Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff is now on FACEBOOK!

Click on the link to become an official fan, browse photos, join conversations and connect with other comic fans and members of the FlyCo Faithful!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe

An Anecdote Becomes a Comment on the Sad State of the Newspaper Business

In the run-up to the WATCHMEN movie back in March, Flying Colors received some nice coverage in the Contra Costa Times and the other Bay Area News Group papers.

There’s a link to the feature article HERE!

With comics and graphic novels being the source material for many big screen flicks, as well as TV shows, videos games, advertising, etc., there’s a news-media fascination with comic books that continues unabated. But when it comes to daily metro newspapers particularly, there’s seems to be a strange disconnect between Those Who Make the Newspaper vs Those Who Read the Newspaper.

Here’s what I mean--- When the WATCHMEN feature story ran, I got many nice comments about it. I was stopped in the grocery store, people at church, at the gym, and of course, a number of regulars here at Flying Colors mentioned seeing my photo in the paper. The "disconnect" was that 90%+ of the mentions came from people over the age of 55, while the median age for all movie attendees is 32…and that’s about the average age of a Flying Colors’ customer. For a movie like WATCHMEN, I’d bet the average age skewed even younger.

If anything can be gleaned from this little anecdote, it's that the dedicated newspaper reader seems significantly older than the audience to which most newspaper professionals are writing. Going just slightly deeper, the reasons for this are likely varied--- news editors and writers are writing younger than their core audience, all-important advertising demographics don't favor aging readership, and a growing number of younger readers opting for online news sources. Ad dollars for all print media are falling faster than you can read this.

Over the years, in many newspaper readership polls, comics were often cited as the #1 favorite feature of most readers. Could a return to large broad-sheet Sunday funnies spur higher circulation in the flagging newspaper business? I’d like to think so, but given the dire straits faced by newspaper companies all over the country, I doubt we’ll ever see such a bold stroke.

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That brings me to back to comics. DC Comics is preparing to roll out the much-anticipated 12-week series called WEDNESDAY COMICS.
It’s a comics-market throwback to the big Sunday Funnies of generations ago, in a fold-out format that reveals each weekly strip to be a full 14x20 inches! In the phot0 above, FlyCo Retailing Brigade members Mike (Dr. Literal) and Melissa (Super-Wit)show off the promo piece for WEDNESDAY COMICS to give you a look at the size of the individual pages.

And it’s loaded with top talent, including Neil Gaiman & Michael Allred (Metamorpho), Paul Pope (Adam Strange), Dave Gibbons & Ryan Sook (Kamandi), Joe Kubert & Adam Kubert (Sgt. Rock), Brian Azzarello & Eduardo Risso (Batman), Kyle Baker (Hawkman) and many others.

WEDNESDAY COMICS is also a huge call-out to our New Releases' Day. Every Wednesday for comics' fans is like a mini-holiday with new comics & other cool stuff to eagerly devour.

WEDNESDAY COMICS looks great, so I'd like to encourage everyone to reserve a copy soon. Your reservation assures you of getting this cool new series. The first issue hits the racks at Flying Colors on Wednesday (natch!) July 8.

Peace 'n' BIG Comics!

FlyCoJoe

Captain Four-Color(ed)

Here are a few pix of some of the entries to our
CAPTAIN FOUR-COLOR
Coloring and Art Contest.

You can view them all up close and personal on your next visit to Flying Colors.

Lots of creative work from everyone who gave us an entry.

The winners will be announced June 15, and the judges are listening to all the comments we hear from the FlyCo Faithful, so if there's a particular entry you love, don't be shy. Tell us why!



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Wednesday June 3 is our New Releases Day this week. As always, we have lots of new & cool stuff for comic book fans of all ages and interests.

In addition, we received a shipment of two great books that we're featuring at way below cover price---Excellent books at excellent values!

THE BATMAN HANDBOOK (The Ultimate Training Guide), regularly priced at $15.95... only $4.99
and
WHAT WOULD WONDER WOMAN DO (An Amazon's Guide to the Working World), regularly priced at $15.95... only $6.99

Both are very cool gift items in limited supply, so hurry in soon!

Peace!

FlyCoJoe