Skate Shop Day 2026 has teamed up with Image Comics, Deluxe Distribution, and featured artist Brett Parson for this year’s event, which will be held on Saturday, February 21. In addition to a limited edition ShopKeepers’ deck, this year participants can also nab a polybagged, limited edition reprint of Grommets #1 featuring SSD Baby blain art, courtesy of Vans.
Co-founded in 2020 by Chris Nieratko (a former intern of The Beat editor-in-chief Heidi MacDonald) and Scotty Coats, Skate Shop Day encourages skaters and non-skaters alike to visit and support their local skate shops. This year’s celebration includes comics as a nod to how many skaters are lifelong comics fans.
Featured artist Brett Parson, a Massachusetts-based skateboarder and cartoonist, has made a name for himself with work for DC/Vertigo, BOOM! Studios, 2000 AD, and more, including art for multiple Tank Girl titles. Most recently, he’s been in the spotlight for his work on the ’80s-era skate comic Grommets, co-created with writers Rick Remender and Brian Posehn and published by Image Comics.
“When I was growing up, drawing comics and skateboarding were the things I cared about most; the two have always gone hand in hand. And in this weird, lonely, online world we’re living in now, skate shops and comic shops are more important than ever,” Parson said. “A place you can still go and meet like-minded people, hold physical objects in your hands, and support local family owned businesses.”
Remender added, “Skateboarding, as the saying goes, changed my life. Grommets is a love letter to the scene that gave me a home, and a snapshot of being a skater in the mid-’80s, told with honesty and authenticity. Seeing the book find its way into the skate community and help promote Skate Shop Day is a genuine thrill for the entire team.”
Posehn, a former employee of two skate shops and a self-proclaimed “wearer of Vans since ’83,” said, “It is not lost on me how cool it is to have the Grommets crew involved with Skate Shop Day 2026. Stoked to be a part of an incredible event that gets people into skate shops. Hope you find what I loved about skating, the great friends.”
This year’s limited edition ShopKeepers’ deck from Deluxe Distribution will feature Parson’s art, which is an ode to the late Jeffrey Blain Grosso. Parson’s art will additionally be featured on custom Yeti Yonders & Ramblers and Quantum Bearings.
Each deck will come with a polybagged, limited edition reprint of Grommets #1. Only 3 thousand copies will be in distribution; see the cover art below.
“I can’t draw to save my life, so I have always been blown away by the artistry of comic books and skateboard graphics,” said Skate Shop Day co-founder Chris Nieratko. “I’m really excited for Grommets fans and collectors to see all the cool art on skateshop walls and for skaters around the world to fall in love with Grommets!”
Deluxe Distribution’s Jim Thiebaud said, “I’ve done a couple things almost my whole life: skateboard and read comics. My local comic shop, like my favorite skate shops, is a fun, welcoming hub for the community. Bringing both communities together for Skate Shop Day with the ShopKeepers’ decks by Brett just makes sense; two communities where independent shops are the backbone of the culture.”
Skate Shop Day 2026 will take place on Saturday, February 21. The annual event takes place on the third Saturday of each February. To find a participating shop near you, visit skateshopday.com.
The Grommets TPB collecting the complete series, issues #1-7, is available everywhere books are sold.
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