Fantastic Four event Saturday July 19

Forty years ago while on staff at KJOY-AM, I initiated a campaign asking Marvel Comics to designate Stockton as the "Official Birthplace of the Fantastic Four."

The campaign was a success. The late great Stan Lee stood on the steps of Stockton's City Hall and delivered an official proclamation. I did a limited run of prints of the proclamation which you can see in the photo here.

During our recent move to our new Concord Ave location, I found the last remaining copies of the Fantastic Four print... over the years I've gotten a lot of requests for them!

So I'm happy to announce we'll have the prints, along with news clippings and the Fantastic Four in Stockton comic book all available for purchase exclusively at Flying Colors starting Saturday July 19.

(Sorry, no mail order available)

Read more HERE!
and HERE!

Flying Colors is an Eisner Award Finalist!

 Happy stuff here!

We’ve been informed that Flying Colors Comics is a FINALIST for the 2025 Will Eisner “Spirit of Comics” Retailing Award! Yowza!

There are several other worthy finalists for this honor. The recipient will be announced at Comic-Con on Friday July 25.

Whatever happens, we’re thrilled to have our comic shop, our FlyCo Retailing Brigade— our very cool comics community— recognized more widely.

Thank you, FlyCo Faithful near and far for your continued support and enthusiasm for Flying Colors.

You make us feel like winners every day!

WonderCon 1996 KTVU Channel 2 feature

Blast from the past!
WonderCon 1996 in Oakland CA!

I recently came across this TV report from KTVU's "On the Money" business news feature program . This report originally aired in early May 1996.  

A report from Tom Vacar featuring Rory Root (Comic Relief, Berkeley CA), Jim Valentino (Image Comics), Joe Field (Flying Colors, Concord CA) and Mario Hernandez (Love & Rockets). As always, buy what you like, buy what's entertaining and you'll never be disappointed. Buy for potential financial gain and you'll never be happy.
Comics are great entertainment for everyone!

Direct link to YouTube video:
https://youtu.be/cyQceoGYCYk

Best Selling Graphic Novels: Mid year Report

 A quick mid-year report:

* The list here features the top-selling graphic novels at Flying Colors from January 1 through June 30, 2025.

Know this: These graphic novels don't wind up on this list unless they are READER RECOMMENDED!

See any of your favorites?

* Our list of best-selling comic book single issues would be totally dominated by the big success of DC Comics' Absolute line as well as Marvel's Ultimate line.

Visit Flying Colors today for great recommendations from our FlyCo Retailing Brigade!

RIP, Jim Shooter

WonderCon, 1995.

In the photo here from right: Jim Shooter, DC editor Julius Schwartz, artists Gil Kane and Dick Ayers and me.

At that time, I had been in the comics’ biz about eight years. The four Hall of Famers with me had more than 170 years combined experience in comics at that point!

So now, with the passing of Jim Shooter, I’m the last one standing.

Honestly, I didn’t really know Jim Shooter. I know he was a complicated person (aren’t we all?). We talked a few times, the first time in early 1986 when Marvel agreed to designate Stockton CA as the “Official Birthplace of the Fantastic Four.”

Jim asked me to shoot a couple rolls of film (!) of Stockton and the surrounding area so that artists working on the Stockton issue could have a sense of what the city looked like.

Problem was, I didnt have a lot of time to take the photos, have them developed and get them to Marvel’s New York office. That meant a bunch of photos of Stockton draped in drab weather and oppressive fog. Oh well.

I recall having a conversation with Jim at San Diego Comic-Con at his Valiant booth. While we were talking, an aspiring comics artist asked Jim to look at his portfolio.

After looking through it, Jim offered some advice, then pulled out an old Jack Kirby Captain America comic book and proceeded to show the young artist the magic of Kirby’s dynamic storytelling. Shooter animatedly acted out the action demonstrating the excitement superhero artists need to put in every panel they draw. I loved being a bystander to that lesson.

Jim started writing for comics when he was just 13 years old… and that fact has likely inspired legions (see what I did there?) of young hopefuls to dream of comics writing careers.

Comics is a career for dreamers.

RIP, Jim Shooter.

Original John Romita art available & a bit of Flying Colors history

 THIS PACKAGE IS NOW SOLD!!

August 1992, the comics world celebrated the 30th anniversary of the first appearance of the Amazing Spider-Man. 

Flying Colors wasn’t quite four years old yet, so we wanted to do something BIG to mark the occasion.

We were fortunate enough to work with Marvel Comics to host Spider-Man’s all-time most popular artist, the late great JOHN ROMITA!

John Romita regaled our FlyCo Faithful with stories, signatures and sketches for hours (and some hours past his scheduled time).

So here we are 33 years later.

The great John Romita passed away (in 2023 at the age of 93). And one fan who attended the Flying Colors event got the two Romita signed original sketches shown here, as well as the signed copy of the super-key issue of Amazing Spider-Man #121. That fan passed away in 2018, leaving these items to his wife.

And she has entrusted them to Flying Colors to find a

new home for these absolutely amazing items.


Our goal is to have one buyer for the package including:
* Amazing Spider-Man #121 signed by John Romita

* Amazing Spider-Man 8x11 original signed John Romita sketch on Flying Colors letterhead

* Spidey villain Lizard 8x11 original signed John Romita sketch on Flying Colors letterhead

* Two John Romita photos from the 1992 signing event.


Visit Flying Colors soon to see these items.

Pricing information is ONLY available in person at Flying Colors.
 

Flying Colors Nominated for Eisner Spirit of Comics Award

We don't know which one of you lovely FlyCo Faithful is responsible for our nomination to receive the 2025 Will Eisner "Spirit of Comics" Retailing Award... but thank you! 

The video here is part of or submission required by the Spirit Awards' committee. Big thanks to FlyCo Retailing Brigadeer Mr Dylan Gray for putting the video together. 

It sounds like a cliche, but we're honestly happy with the nomination. 

Krypto's Golden Biscuit!

SPECIAL DEAL HERE!
Are you feeling lucky?
Will you be the one to find Krypto’s Golden Biscuit?

Find Krypto’s Golden Biscuit and you will attend the World Premiere of director James Gunn's Superman, taking place in Los Angeles! ”Krypto’s Golden Biscuit" will be hidden inside the front cover of DC’s facsimile edition reprint of the 1955 comic book Adventure Comics #210 , which will be available at Flying Colors Comics on June 18!

Pre-order and pre-pay for your copies of Adventure Comics #210 Facsimile Edition in-store only at Flying Colors now until Monday May 26 and you’ll get the special pre-pay price of just $2 (it'll be $3.99 after that).

Written by Otto Binder and drawn by Curt Swan (including art by Ramona Fradon and George Papp), the iconic Adventure Comics #210 Facsimile features Krypto’s first appearance in comics in the story "The Superdog from Krypton," where a young Clark Kent rediscovers Superboy’s best friend in this heartwarming reunion spanning years of time and light-years of space.


To enter without purchase visit KryptoGoldenBiscuit.com

FCBD FlyCo Photos!

 

The 24th annual Free Comic Book Day is now in the history books!

Big thanks all around!

Hit this link for our FCBD photo parade!

Important Free Comic Book Day info!

The 24th Annual Free Comic Book Day is Saturday May 3 at Flying Colors Comics...and many comic shops all over the world!!

All day Saturday from 11AM-7PM we'll be giving away thousands of Special Edition comics for readers of all ages and interests. 

Love comics and read them regularly? 
* You'll find new stuff to discover. Try something new! 

Are you a former comics reader but don't know what's happening now?
* These FREE comics are a great way to come back and explore new stuff!

New to comics? 
* We're going to help you find something you're going to LOVE! 

We have two SPECIAL GUESTS --- writer Alex De Luca and cartoonist Tom Beland---  joining us from 11AM-2PM.

IMPORTANT Free Comic Book Day Info:
The event runs from 11AM-7PM. 

Flying Colors will be giving away thousands of FREE comics all day!

Come as you are or cosplay as your favorite comics character.

CausePlay4Hope and more cosplayers will be here, too. Great photo opps! 

Our official photographer, Oscar Benjamin, will be here from 9AM on taking photos of the fans and the festivities! There may even be a ‘first appearance’ at 10:30AM. 

* Trader Joe’s will be serving refreshments & snacks. 

* Please leave the space in front of Starbuck’s open for easy access for their customers.  

PARKING:

We suggest street parking on Burnett Ave and on the streets off of John Glenn Dr and in the lot behind Ashley Home Store.

Please Note: 

* NO parking at 1200 Concord Ave (T-Mobile building). Cars parked there may be towed.

* Please do not use parking spaces directly in front of Trader Joe’s to allow the shoppers easier access to shop there.
 

Thank you for your cooperation.