Flying Colors' 2024 Top 50 Best Selling Books

 

Holiday happenings at Flying Colors Comics!

December events at Flying Colors Comics!

Please join us for these Special Events at Flying Colors.

Two Awesome Events Sat Dec 7 at Flying Colors!

 

Visit Flying Colors Sat Dec 7 for an absolutely awesome event!

* Writer Gene Luen Yang will be signing copies of Marvel Holiday Tales to Astonish

* Dennis Chan, Action Figure Designer/Sculptor, will be here to sign his action figures featuring Spider-Man, Miles Morales and Colossus from the X-MEN! Flying Colors will have Dennis’ action figures in stock for the event.

* CAUSEplay for Hope will be here to pose with you for your holiday cards as these fantastic cosplayers become SUBSTITUTE SANTA for you!

 

 

Closed Thanksgiving Day

 

SHOP CONCORD GIFT CARDS ARE BACK!

 Hurray! Rejoice!

SHOP CONCORD GIFT CARD PROGRAM RETURNS FOR HOLIDAYS

The City of Concord and the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce are bringing back the popular SHOP CONCORD e-gift card program to support the city’s small businesses by encouraging residents to shop locally.

SHOP CONCORD helps local businesses increase sales while giving a gift to consumers and providing a boost to the local economy. Win-win-win!

SHOP CONCORD relaunches Monday November 25, thanks to a $20,000 contribution from the City of Concord to supply a bonus gift card with every purchase.

While supplies last, get a FREE $50 Shop Concord bonus card with every $100 gift card purchase, get a FREE $25 Shop Concord card with every $50 gift card purchase, or get a FREE $10 Shop Concord card with every $20 gift card purchase. Gift cards can be used for purchases at any participating business... like Flying Colors Comics!

This cool deal is limited so make sure to jump on it when it goes live on Monday November 25. “As holiday shopping ramps up over the next few weeks, we are excited to bring back our popular Shop Concord program to support local businesses and provide a special incentive in the form of a bonus gift card,” said Concord Mayor Edi Birsan.

"The Shop Concord program has been an overwhelming success since its launch in November 2020. The positive participation and feedback from both customers and local businesses have exceeded expectations, making it a key initiative for supporting our community." said Kevin Cabral, President/CEO of the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce.

The e-gift cards can be purchased on the Shop Concord Yiftee page, which includes a list of participating merchants. The cards purchased can be redeemed at any participating Concord business. The digital nature of the gift cards allows customers to split the original and bonus portions to keep for themselves or gift to others via text or email.

“We love the Shop Concord program!” said Joe Field, owner of Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff. “Bringing back the Yiftee gift cards for holiday shopping will give us a welcome sales jolt at our new location while delivering a truly super value to our FlyCo Faithful when they buy and use the gift-cards at their favorite local shops… like Flying Colors Comics!"

SHOP CONCORD gift-cards are available beginning Monday November 25. Buy 'em here: https://app.yiftee.com/gift-card/concord

You're Invited: Flying Colors Ribbon Cutting

What: Concord Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting
Where: Flying Colors Comics, 1170 Concord Ave Suite 140, Concord CA
Why: Celebrating the 36th Anniversary of Flying Colors Comics and the Opening of Flying Colors New Location!
When: Thursday October 3 2024 at 11AM
Who: Guest will include Concord Chamber dignitaries and maybe a colorful guest or two.

And there will be FREE comics!
Please join the festivities!

 

Photos of the NEW Flying Colors!

The NEW Flying Colors Comics is OPEN!

We love seeing our longtime FlyCo Faithful visit the new shop!

Have you shopped with us yet?

Please share this, post your reviews online and please invite all your family and friends join you in finding tons of fun Comics & Other Cool Stuff at Flying Colors!

Open Wed-Sat 11-7

Open Sun-Tue 11-6

Our new address:

1170 Concord Ave Suite 140

Concord CA 94520

925-825-5410

JASON SHIGA Signing Sat Sept 28

We hope you'll make plans to visit Flying Colors Comics for our first official signing event in our NEW shop!

Saturday September 28 at Noon!

In case you didn't already know, Jason Shiga is a fantastic cartoonist! His Adventuregame Comics graphic novels are stories, puzzles, mazes and more. Great brain food and so entertaining!  

We'll have all three Adventuregame books in stock, as well as some of Jason's other cool work.

It's a treasure map leading to fun...

Hey, look!

We've heard some of our FlyCo Faithful are having a tough time finding our new location so we hope the map below is helpful to you.

Maybe our new location is confusing because we near another Trader Joe's. Truth is, that's a good model for us, being near an active grocery store will hopefully allow us to find new people to join the flocks of our FlyCo Faithful.

We hope you'll visit soon!

 

Flying Colors Comics is now OPEN!

1170 Concord Ave Suite 140

Concord CA 94520

925-825-5410
OPEN Wed - Sat 11AM - 7PM

OPEN Sun - Tue 11AM - 6PM

 

 

The NEW Flying Colors is Now Open!

Hey!
Did you see the opening of the NEW Flying Colors on KRON 4 TV? 

We are now OPEN at
1170 Concord Ave Suite 140
Concord CA 94520
in Heritage Square
near Trader Joe's

Open Wednesday- Saturday 11AM-7PM
Open Sunday- Tuesday 11Am-6PM

Our 36 year tradition continues!
Slinging Comics to Concord, Contra Costa and the Cosmos Since 1988!

Opening Day for the NEW Flying Colors!

Wednesday September 4 will be Opening Day at the NEW Flying Colors at 1170 Concord Avenue.

We hope you'll join us to work the kinks out, take the new place for a test drive and know that you, our Flying Colors Hero Society members, have helped us get to this exciting new start. THANK YOU!!
More below...

We still have a LOT to do to get ready! That doesn't matter because we're going full steam ahead into a bright NEW future for Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff!

For those waiting til the last minute to join the FlyCo HERO SOCIETY, visit us in the old shop until August 31 and we'll get you in. Or for a few extra bucks, you can join online at http://FlyingColorsComics.com

In our new shop, we hope you'll find there's a lot of the comforts of our long-time location along with bigger and better things.

PLEASE BE AWARE: The shop will not be fully stocked on September 4. We'll be having orders arrive almost daily... and we'll be working to fill our walls and our back issue bins with vintage comics.

Important Flying Colors Dates!!

Special Event!

Saturday August 24 11AM-7PM is the Moving Sale at Flying Colors.
Just to be clear, this will NOT be a massive blow-out sale. We'll have a couple of specials and we're sure you'll find something to get.

Saturday August 24 4PM
Live Blues music from Ranchero Supreme, featuring bluesman and comics artist Robert Stewart (AFTERBURNER, Tales of the Cool & Wicked).

Given these are the final days of Flying Colors 36 years in our shop at Treat Blvd & Oak Grove Rd, we thought it would be appropriate to be singing the blues.

But rest assured, FlyCo Faithful, when we open our NEW shop, we'll be singing much happier tunes!

The NEW Flying Colors Comics!

There's been lots of concern and anticipation for this announcement.

So it makes us very happy and relieved to let you know the NEW Home of Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff!

Carrying on a 36 year tradition of Slinging Comics to Concord, Contra Costa and the Cosmos...
 

... Flying Colors will be OPENING SOON in Heritage Square at 1170 Concord Avenue near Trader Joe's!  

Hint: Now's a great time to join Flying Colors HERO SOCIETY!
If you've joined already, thanks so much!!

New Comics Journal Interview

There's a new career-spanning business-focused interview with me posted on The Comics Journal site.

Read the interview HERE!

I hope you enjoy it.

Thanks!

Joe "FlyCoJoe" Field

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get ready! SHOP CONCORD returns July 22

 Good news!

SHOP CONCORD returns!

Starting Monday, July 22, the City of Concord, California and the Greater Concord CA Chamber of Commerce will relaunch the very popular SHOP CONCORD digital gift card program.

While supplies last, receive a FREE $50 Shop Concord bonus card with every original $100 gift card purchase, a FREE $25 Shop Concord card with every $50 gift card purchase, or a free $10 Shop Concord card with every $20 gift card purchase.

These gift cards can be used at many locally owned Concord shops, restaurants and services... and you know one of those shops is Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff!

Be sure to get your SHOP CONCORD gift cards available online Monday July 22. https://app.yiftee.com/gift-card/concord

Flying Colors Short Documentaries

I was happy to be interviewed for an upcoming comics related documentary about comic artist Jack Katz whose career goes way back to 1943!

As I mentioned recently on the Flying Colors Facebook page, I’ve been getting inquiries lately from people wanting to shoot documentaries about Flying Colors Comics before our original shop moves to its new location (Coming Soon, we promise!).

So far there’s nothing concrete, but if you’re among those having an interest in making a documentary about Flying Colors and you want to shoot in our original location, consider doing it SOON!

For a look at short documentaries and other videos from Flying Colors history, please take a look at the Flying Colors YouTube page.

When you visit the YouTube page, take a look around at the interview videos, bits from the history of Flying Colors and be sure to check out these short documentaries:
FlyCoJoe Looks Back at FCBD
Flying Colors Mini-Documentary 2020 produced by Scotch Parlor
Free Comic Book Day 2015 & Beyond
Free Comic Book Day 2013 at Flying Colors
Free Comic Book Day Origins: A 2012 Mini-Documentary
Flying Colors Short Documentary 2012: Little Shop of Heroes

 

2024: A Look Around Flying Colors Comics

 

We’re heading into the final weeks and months of the Flying Colors Comics shop on Treat Blvd!

We hope you’ll share this video and more than that, we hope it will inspire you to visit our shop if you haven’t been here lately. If you have visited recently, we hope you’ll visit more often!

After almost 36 years, Flying Colors Comics will be moving to a new location.

Please consider joining our FlyCo Hero Society… all Hero Society memberships are 100% directed to our build-out fund, plus you’ll get value in return. Sign up in store next time you visit us (preferred!). Sign-ups are also available online.

Thank you, FlyCo Faithful, near and far! You are the reason we’re taking this massive leap of faith to move our shop to a new location. This community of comics fans needs a home to take us into the future!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Open July 4th 11AM-5PM

Flying Colors will be OPEN on Thursday July 4th with special holiday hours from 11AM-5PM.


Happy 248th Birthday, USA!

http://FlyingColorsComics.com

Progress, Thanks and Requests

Hey, look!
With the crazy clouds and high breezes earlier this week, we were given a pretty cool look at what I often refer to as the “ol’ Building & Loan.” (Jimmy Stewart fans unite!) 

I'm happy to report progress with the new home of Flying Colors. 

While it’s still too early to be publicizing the exact Concord location, we’ve received lots of fun guesses. It’s possible one of those guesses is even correct!

Until then, can I encourage everyone to do two things to help us with this huge project?

1) Please continue shopping at Flying Colors at the corner of Treat Blvd & Oak Grove Rd. We’re open Sunday-Tuesday from 11AM-6PM and Wednesday-Saturday from 11AM-7PM.

We will be OPEN on Independence Day, Thursday July 4 from 11AM-5PM.

2) Please consider joining the FlyCo HERO SOCIETY, our mutually beneficial way to raise funds for the build-out of the new Flying Colors while also giving you a good value in return. (BIG thanks to all those who have already joined! You are officially even more awesome than you were before!)

Sign up when you visit Flying Colors (preferred!) or you can sign up online HERE!

While we're at it, though, here's another little sneak peek at our new location...

Everyone Belongs in the Hero Society!

Enroll Dad in the Flying Colors HERO SOCIETY! 

Sign up in the shop (preferred!) or online (especially for faraway folks) at http://FlyingColorsComics.com.

Thank you for helping us build the NEW Flying Colors (coming soon, we promise!).

Flying Colors is OPEN Saturday 11AM-7PM and Sunday 11AM-6PM.

New Interview at First Comics News

First Comics News' Rik Offenberger interviewed me about my career in comics and what the future might hold for Flying Colors.
You can read the interview HERE!

There's just a brief mention of our Flying Colors HERO SOCIETY which is our way for anyone interested to help us with the build-out of our new location.

Read on....

Join the Hero Society: Help Build the New Flying Colors!

We recently posted a photo from inside the space that will be the new home of Flying Colors Comics in the coming months. 

We've had lots of guesses where this new location is, but since there's nothing to see there (yet!), we're not giving away the address.

After all, until we move, we honestly and truly need everyone our FlyCo Faithful to keep shopping at our long-time Treat Blvd at Oak Grove Rd  location.  

On Free Comic Book Day,  Saturday May 4, we introduced the Flying Colors Hero Society, a reciprocal way to help us with the building fund for the new shop. Since FCBD, we've had many of our Faithful join the Hero Society in-store. We're so truly grateful! 

Now, we know many people aren't local enough to visit the shop regularly. 

Maybe you used to shop here when you lived in the area.
Maybe you were a kid from way back when for whom Flying Colors was your refuge. 
Maybe you have good memories of the times you've had here at our special events.
Maybe you're a faraway fan of Free Comic Book Day, the world's largest comic book related event that was born here at Flying Colors.

For all fans of what we do here at Flying Colors, we've pleased to add an online component to our Hero Society. 

For a $100 Hero Society one-time online membership, you'll receive:
* Your Name on the Hero Society Honor Scroll that will be in our new shop! 
* A Comics Gift in Your Name to a local organization. 
* Our long-lasting gratitude for helping us build-out our new shop. 
(Yes, you can buy more than one Hero Society membership and designate the names you'd like added to our Hero Society Honor Scroll!) 

One more appeal:
We honestly and totally under-estimated what the build-out costs will be moving into a different space. It looks like the build-out for our new shop may wind up costing twice our initial estimated.

When we lost our lease in Oak Grove Plaza, Libby and I faced two stark choices: Either find a new and suitable location in Concord allowing us to operate a full-line, full-service comic shop in an area that will continue to be convenient for long-time FlyCo Faithful while also hopefully bringing more people into the wonderful world of comics...  or we could have retired. Yes, the choices were that stark...and yes, we're that old. 😆

Our choice is to continue to serve the community we've built over these last 36 years, continuing to be a bright, fun spot Bringing Happiness through Comics. We invite you to join our Flying Colors Hero Society and help us continue our mission. 

Thank you for your consideration! 
--- Joe "FlyCoJoe" Field 
on behalf of the Field Family and the Flying Colors Retailing Brigade

Join the Hero Society NOW!

Sneak Peek at the New Flying Colors!

First photo of the new Flying Colors location!

Yeah, we hope it doesn't give anything away yet! We've been asked a lot why we're not sharing the address of the new place?

Well, for the simple reason that now more than ever, we really need you to keep shopping at 2980 Treat Blvd in Oak Grove Plaza!

When you visit, we'll encourage you to join the many other already signed up for the Flying Colors Hero Society, our way of having you help us with the build-out for the new shop. If you've joined already, THANK YOU! (For non-local online followers wanting to join, we'll be adding an online component to the Hero Society soon.)

What we can tell about the new space is we are staying in the great City of Concord,-- and we're excited by this! The City has been very good to Flying Colors and other small businesses over the years and our commitment to keeping Flying Colors in Concord is testament to that.

To sum up:

1) Please keep shopping with us at our long-time location at 2980 Treat Blvd in Concord.

2) If you haven't yet, please help us with the building fund for the new shop when you join the Flying Colors Hero Society (sign up in-store or online).

3) Admire this photo of FlyCoLibby in our new space (to be filled in the coming months). 😀

We've Got Your Cool Stuff Right Here (and soon to be Right There) in Flying Colors!

Event Photos!

Free Comic Book Day at Flying Colors was a lot of fun! 
Find photos from the event HERE!

At Free Comic book Day, Concord Mayor Edi Birsan presented a proclamation naming May 4 2024 as "Flying Colors Comics Day" in the City of Concord.
Find photos from the event HERE!

Wednesday May 8 we happily hosted artist/writers Derek Kirk Kim (Image Comics The Last Mermaid) and Gene Luen Yang (Lunar New year Love Story, American Born Chinese, Books of Clash).
Find photos from the event HERE!

This is a year of BIG changes for Flying Colors Comics! In the coming months, we'll be moving to a new storefront.

We don't know yet when the move will happen, so we hope you'll keep shopping at our Oak Grove Plaza location until we move to the new shop.

So please stay in touch with Flying Colors Comics!
Sign up for our Infrequent Flyer Email list. We don't send emails often, but when we do they are packed with information about upcoming events and FlyCo News You Need to Know!

Sign up HERE!

New Video: FlyCoJoe Looks Back

Free Comic Book Day is Saturday May 5, and we hope you'll be here for the final FCBD at its birthplace.

In preparation for that fun event, here's a video interview with a look back at the history of FCBD and Flying Colors. I hope you enjoy it.

Many thanks to my pal Joe Elardy for producing this video.

--- Joe "FlyCoJoe" Field

 

May 8 Special Event: Derek Kirk Kim & Gene Luen Yang!

SPECIAL EVENT
MAY 8 2024, 5PM-7PM
at Flying Colors Comics


Wondering what to do in the days after Free Comic Book Day?

We invite you to the first New Comic Book Day after FCBD with a Special Event featuring two fantastic talents!

Derek Kirk Kim is an award-winning writer, artist and director of comics and television. He is the creator of “The Last Mermaid” from Image Comics and the Eisner, Harvey, and Ignatz Award-winning graphic novel, “Same Difference and Other Stories.” He garnered his second Eisner Award with “The Eternal Smile,” a collaboration with MacArthur Fellow Gene Luen Yang. In television, Kim has directed, storyboarded, and designed characters for numerous shows including Disney’s “Amphibia,” “Adventure Time,” and “Green Eggs and Ham” on Netflix. He eats chips with chopsticks.  Follow Derek on Instagram: @derekkirkkim


Gene Luen Yang is the writer and co-creator of Lunar New Year Love Story, published in 2024 by First Second. He is the the creator of American Born Chinese, the award-winning graphic novel and recent Disney+ show. He has written Avatar the Last Airbender for Dark Horse Comics, Superman for DC Comics and Shang-Chi Master of Kung Fu for Marvel Comics, among so many other credits!

Artist/Animator Bobby Rubio is Flying Colors Special Guest on Free Comic Book Day!

FCBD SPECIAL GUEST ANNOUNCEMENT! 

Artist/Animator BOBBY RUBIO Scheduled to sign at Flying Colors on Saturday May 4 for Free Comic Book Day!

Bobby Rubio is a highly accomplished Animation Artist with work for Pixar, Disney, Nickelodeon and Paramount Animation. He is currently the Story Supervisor on "Transformers One" for Paramount Animation.

Among Bobby's notable projects are the Peabody-nominated animated Pixar short "Float" for which he was the Writer and Director. He served as Story Artist on "Inside Out," "Up," "Incredibles 2" and "Brave." For "Avatar the Last Airbender" at Nickelodeon, Bobby was an Assistant Director and Storyboard Artist. At Disney, Bobby was a Traditional Animator on "Treasure Planet."

 

With all of that, Bobby's first love was always comic books! His favorite comics were NEW TEEN TITANS and X-MEN. His all-time favorite artist is George Perez.

After graduating from CALARTS with a BFA in Animation, Bobby interned with Jim Lee at Wildstorm Studios. Even though he's mostly doing Animation work, Bobby still tries to keep his childhood comic book dreams alive, doing artwork for Marvel Comics, Dark Horse Comics and Image Comics.

Bobby has also created his own independent comics "Alcatraz High," "4 Gun Conclusion" and his latest title, "Neighborhood Legend" coming soon!
Follow Bobby Rubio on Instagram, Facebook and X!

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Free Comic Book Day is the world's largest comic book related event. The event on May 4, 2024 marks the 23rd year of this pop culture holiday. FCBD was founded by Flying Colors owner Joe Field as a way to invite everyone into the fun found every day in Local Comic Shops all over the world.

Since its start in 2002, tens of millions of comic books have been given away by more than 2000 Local Comic Shops in more than 60 countries. The yearly attendance at FCBD shops has eclipsed more than one MILLION people. 

Free Comic Book Day at Flying Colors on May 4 2024 will be the final FCBD at the original shop where the event was founded. After more than 35 years in Oak Grove Plaza,

the future for Flying Colors remains a mystery.

"We are working to find a new home in Concord for Flying Colors," said Field. "Our goal is to keep slinging comics to Concord, Contra Costa and the Cosmos, but honestly, much of this is out of our control.

We encourage everyone to keep supporting their favorite local businesses, like Flying Colors, because when you look around, it really seems that 'Mom and Pop' shops that sell merchandise are more of a rarity every day."

"We are very appreciative of all the great people who shop with us regularly...and we hope you'll be here for a truly memorable final Free Comic Book Day at Flying Colors in Oak Grove Plaza."

The Final Free Comic Book Day at the place where it all started...

 April 5, 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Contact:
Joe Field

Flying Colors Comics

joe@flyingcolorscomics.com

925-825-5410

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY AT FLYING COLORS COMICS MAY 4!

The Final Free Comic Book Day Event at its Founding Location

Free Comic Book Day Features Comics for Everyone!

 

Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff in Concord CA celebrates the biggest day in the comics, Saturday, May 4 with Free Comic Book Day. Now in its 23rd year, Free Comic Book Day is the World's Largest Comic Book related event and was founded by Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff proprietor Joe Field.

There's extra poignancy to the 2024 FCBD event at Flying Colors as it will be the last FCBD at the location where the international event was founded.

"It's really going to have all the feels," said Joe Field. "I got the inspiration for Free Comic Book Day by seeing the line next door at a Baskin-Robbins Free Scoop Night event. I thought 'What's the only thing cooler than ice cream? That's the fun found in comics for all readers!"

"We know our time here in Oak Grove is soon drawing to a close. I want to make sure to get the word out to everyone that if you've ever wanted to be a part of Free Comic Book Day at the place where it all began, May 4, 2024 is your final chance to do that."

"In years past, we've had visitors not just from Contra Costa County, the Bay Area and Northern California, but from different parts of the world, too, from Europe, Scandinavia, South America, Asia and Australia. But have no fear -- we'll still have FREE comics for everyone attending that day!"

"As for Flying Colors' legacy in Oak Grove Plaza, I'm happy to know we've been a part of the lives of so many people in this neighborhood--- generations of awesome FlyCo Faithful! We're working to continue the Flying Colors tradition of Comics & Other Cool Stuff in a new location, so we hope everything lines up to make that a reality. For now, we ask everyone to stay in touch with Flying Colors by regularly visiting the shop and via social media to get the latest info."

 

Free Comic Book Day at Flying Colors will feature dozens of new comic books with a wide range of stories and characters for readers of all ages and interests. These Free Comic Book Day special edition comics are made just for the event. Anyone who loves to read will love getting free comics on Saturday May 4.  

Founded in 2002 by Flying Colors Comics owner Joe Field, Free Comic Book Day is a way to introduce new readers to the entertainment and diversity found in contemporary comics, while also thanking long-time readers and calling back former comic book fans.

 

In addition to giving away thousands of free comic books, FCBD at Flying Colors is colorful community event with characters around every corner... it is "May the Fourth Be With You" day, too!

 

Stay in touch with Flying Colors Comics:
FlyingColorsComics.com

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