Saturday June 4-- be here for LEVEL UP!

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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!

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