Flying Colors Comics and Other Cool Stuff, the place that originated Free Comic Book Day, an international holiday, is closing after 36 years.
But, never fear dear reader. Although the shop will be closing its doors in Concord, the shop will be operating in a new location.
Comic fans and community members waited in line up-to 2 hours or more to get a chance to check out the colorful shop. Cosplayers took photos with guests and there were even drawings and prizes for guests while they waited in line.
According to owners Joe Field’s Flying Colors Comics is closing because the landlords of the Oak Grove Plaza in Concord will not renew their lease.
“We already have a new spot, but it’s going to take a while to get it ready,” Fields told Rebelle Geek in an interview.
Flying Colors Comics and Other Cool Stuff, and owner Fields has ties to some serious comic book and major pop culture history. Fields originally started his career in radio advertising. During his time in radio Field launched a campaign to have Stockton, California named the birthplace of the Fantastic Four, during Marvel’s then 25th Anniversary (1986).
The campaign proved to be successful, and the man himself, Stan Lee later hired Fields to do free-lance public relations work. Fields later became the advertising director at WonderCon when it was located in Northern California.
His time around comic creators, and comic book shops inspired him to open a “world class comics retailing establishment.”
In 1986, along with his wife and three daughters the Field’s family opened Flying Colors Comics and Other Coll Stuff.
Guests at Free Comic Book Day, and employees spoke highly of the shop and how this was the shop they grew up in. People like Rook Swartz, an employee of Flying Colors Comics working on May 4.
“I’ve been going here since I was a kid. Very, very young,” Swartz said. “It inspired me to become an artist in the first place.”
The History of Free Comic Book Day
The History of Free Comic Book Day
It wasn’t just the nostalgia of community members that made this last free comic book day bitter sweet. It’s the fact that this is the shop where Free Comic Book Day started. Free Comic Book Day is an international pop-culture holiday.
During the first Saturday of May comic shops across the globe have stacks of comics specifically made for Free Comic Book Day. Comics offered are from various imprints, from larger companies like Marvel and DC, and indie imprints like Vault and Image Comics.
It all started in 2001 when Fields saw the excitement around Baskin Robbins free scoop night.
“I saw a big line going to Baskin Robbins for free scoop night and I thought, hey if they can do it for Ice Cream, we can sure do it for comics,” Fields said.
During that time Fields was writing for an industry trade. Fields utilized the power of the pen to suggest an event similar to Baskin Robbins free scoop day. He later received a positive response from Diamond Comics (the major distributor of all comics). And a year later on May 4, 2002, the shop had its first Free Comic Book Day.
From then on the rest as they was history.
The event was a huge success in the comic book world, and it went on to inspire Record Store Day, which was created in 2007. Fun fact, this was a question on Jeopardy.
Free Comic Book Day isn’t just celebrated nationally, but also internationally. Free Comic Book Day has been in as many as 65 countries internationally. As many as a million and a half people have attended the event over the last 23 years of its existence.
Although the shop in Concord is closing, the shop will live on in a different location. But before the big move, let us celebrate this little shop that created a huge positive impact on the world.