Contest of Challengers
682 episodes - English - Latest episode: 20 days ago - ★★★★★ - 58 ratingsFrom Challengers Comics + Conversation in Chicago, this is Contest of Challengers, a podcast about the business of running a comics shop. From publishers to distributors to the sales floor itself, each episode deals with the issues of the week and how they affect the way Challengers conducts business, and that includes the actual comic book issues themselves. Hosted by Patrick Brower and W. Dal Bush. Thanks for listening. Keep Reading Comics!
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Episodes
Infrastructural
April 19, 2021 02:25 - 1 hour - 29.4 MBOf course “infrastructural” is a word. And we ARE relating to the basic physical and organizational structures and facilities needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, such as Challengers Comics + Conversation. Time Before Time, another upcoming Image title, is definitely worth your… time. Running a comic shop vs running a comic business. New non-Marvel Legends toys. Having Invincible collections is invaluable, as opposed to not being able to get any Falcon and Winter Soldier ...
“I Don’t Know” is Unacceptable
April 11, 2021 22:48 - 1 hour - 29.1 MBBenhur’s safe is safe! Phew! Seriously, masks are still required in-store!! Sheesh. 7 months of Andrew. Woosh! Changes in the X-Men titles this summer! Snikt! New Marvel Legends action figures just announced! Bam! Bad Idea pins… *Sigh* “I Don’t Know” is Unacceptable. Humph. Image’s The Good Asian is an excellent detective (Chinatown Noir) comic! Ka-ching!* *Okay, so I felt a little weird using “Ka-ching” as the sound effect after The Good Asian. I was going for the sound of a cash ...
6 Weeks of Aggravation
April 05, 2021 03:14 - 1 hour - 31.5 MB6 Weeks of Aggravation This week has been a solid week of sales. Is it Easter? Spring Break? Our windows really need some attention! Bad Idea strikes again! Shopify online payment options.
Contest of Challengers #526
March 28, 2021 22:42 - 1 hour - 34.2 MBSo, anything interesting happen in the comics industry this week? The majority of this episode is about, of course, Marvel Comics leaving Diamond Comic Distributors in favor of Penguin Random House. This Wednesday is our 13th Anniversary. Volumes Bookcafe is closing their shop in our neighborhood (for now). Square and Wyze, 2 services we use all day long, both had server issues today. The 6 Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton is this year’s best comic book series.
Jumping Right In...
March 28, 2021 22:42 - 1 hour - 34.2 MBSo, anything interesting happen in the comics industry this week? The majority of this episode is about, of course, Marvel Comics leaving Diamond Comic Distributors in favor of Penguin Random House. This Wednesday is our 13th Anniversary. Volumes Bookcafe is closing their shop in our neighborhood (for now). Square and Wyze, 2 services we use all day long, both had server issues today. The 6 Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton is this year’s best comic book series.
It’s So Byzantine
March 22, 2021 01:54 - 1 hour - 39.8 MBIt’s So Byzantine This year’s Sale t-shirts are in, but what if we made a 2nd shirt each year? Free Comic Book Day is still happening in 2021, in August, but what are we doing for it? Gregg Schigiel has designed our new book mark! He also designs great masks here: https://www.teepublic.com/user/hatterentertainment It’s been 1 year since Chicago shut down for the start of the pandemic. How has the nature of business changed in that time? Applying for PPP financial assistance. Rememberin...
The Prisoner’s Dilemma
March 15, 2021 00:57 - 1 hour - 34.2 MBWe seem to have broken yet another audio receiver. And by “we” we’re blaming Kent. Some people find our Rogues Gallery prints fairly valuable. Protect the Eisner at all costs, Dal!! Diamond allocations and the Prisoner’s Dilemma. With 6 months to go, the landlord at Blue is now even more frustrating to deal with.
Avoiding Landmines Isn’t Enough
March 07, 2021 23:34 - 1 hour - 29 MBNew AEW figure announcements and signings! WandaVision pulling out all the stops (we had not watched Episode 9 before this recording so there are no spoilers at all). Just knowing a landmine is there only helps you avoid that specific landmine. The Joker #1, and a look at the cultural impact of the Joker. Checking in with the first of DC’s post Infinite Frontier books (Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman). Now that Bad Idea’s ENIAC #1 is actually out, what does selling Bad Idea comics rea...
The Treachery of Margie
February 28, 2021 22:30 - 1 hour - 30.5 MBAll Star Comics fires shots from afar using someone VERY close to home. Keanu Reeves’ BRZRKR #1 arrives this week! Oh, USPS. Why do you only have 1 good mail carrier in our area? Everything new Bad Idea does makes it seem more about limited/collectability than about reading good comics. Stopping in at Chicago’s Vertical Gallery. A series of connected one shots vs. a mini-series. Too many themed cover options for one title! “Time Traveler” the movie. DC’s Infinite Frontier #0.
The Annoyance Fee
February 22, 2021 02:42 - 1 hour - 31.7 MBPokemon Shining Fates was released today and… well, we carried all of it. For now… Rumors of a DC Comics buyout by rich fans. DC final order orders can be less final than we’d like. Buying comics for more than cover price. Bad Idea working with Diamond? New rules for publishers offering returnability thru Diamond. Todd McFarlane’s vision of the future of comics is… Image comics from the mind-1990’s.
Digging Our Own Grave
February 14, 2021 23:33 - 1 hour - 32.1 MBDigging Our Own Grave DC is Digital First, Retailers Last. Affidavit Returns can be tricky when not everything is listed on your invoice. The books we wish were selling better. This year’s SALE was way more frustrating than ever before, with higher highs and lower lows. Plus, more procedures to pull it off with an online component. Ordering collecting supplies is more challenging than ever before. How you can use Final Order Cutoffs/Final Orders Due to your advantage! And also, New to ...
Rip-Off Culture
February 08, 2021 06:22 - 1 hour - 30.9 MBRip-Off Culture Friday customer interactions (no, we do not cut hair). Frozen water pipe BEFORE the Chicago Deep Freeze. It’s SALE TIME! The practice of music sampling (in a comics podcast??). Never attribute to Malice what you can attribute to Stupidity. Several new Bad Idea happenings this week alone! What will Marvel do about Immortal Hulk #43? Or really, HOW will they do it?
My Love for You is Like a Truck
February 01, 2021 04:10 - 1 hour - 32.9 MBMy Love for You is Like a Truck Just when you’ve got all of 2020’s taxes are sorted, 2019 rears its head again. Polite, thorough communications. Missing 1 Lunar box for next week’s DC books. The generous people of the internet. We will be carrying EVERY BRZRKR #1 cover. A new international sales battle! Good comics of your future, including: Fear Book, Orphan & 5 Beasts, Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters, and Silver Coin. Also, Nocterra.
On the Rocks
January 25, 2021 01:36 - 1 hour - 36.2 MBOn the Rocks. We join the recording in-conversation about the act of viewing Wandavision. We don’t talk about the show itself, but the art of trying to stay spoiler-free in today’s social internet age. Subjective not objective. The Bad Idea Preview Book dropped and it’s bringing out the worst in too many people. Our Bad Idea “Hero Trade” contest(s)! Possible monthly raffle drawings for some fun merch. New year; new accountant. Final orders for BOOM!’s BRZRKR (BERZERKER) #1. A year wi...
Don’t Let Perfect be the Enemy of Good
January 18, 2021 01:40 - 1 hour - 29.7 MBDon’t Let Perfect be the Enemy of Good No, the Sale is NEXT month. Why do so many people need x2 copies of all the Future State books? Our new Instagram name. Tom Taylor is writing Batman? Santa must have gotten Patrick’s letters! Seriously, Kaijimax is SO SO SO GOOD. Previews Dal has read: Shadecraft, Orcs and Karmen. Slower sales in January. Shipping damages in the time of Covid-19. Sammy Hagar's Piece charity pizza.
2020’s Top Graphic Novels
January 11, 2021 02:52 - 1 hour - 34.6 MBOur yearly “I Love You But I’ve Chose Comics” sale is coming up and Anissa Espinosa designed this year’s shirt! The difficulty getting the Transformer “Scorponok” and other items. Week 1 of DC’s Future State is under way, so how are they doing? This week’s annoyance: Star Wars High Republic #1. Top Graphic Novel sales for 2020 (https://challengerscomics.com/index.php/announcements/item/2310-top-graphic-novel-sales-for-2020) Wrestle Kingdom 15 (at the very end).
Our Year, In Words
January 04, 2021 01:56 - 1 hour - 39.4 MBOur Year, In Words. It’s a look back at our 2020, in as chronological of an order as we can remember but seen thru the eyes of 2 people that have come out the other side with our business intact. So less of a “can you believe that??” look back and more of a “so that happened” reminiscence. There’s also a brief story about insurance, and the monthly Patreon thank yous. Also, just a tiny bit of wrestling talk, the tiniest of bits.
We’re Not Santa
December 28, 2020 02:00 - 1 hour - 29.6 MBSpatial juxtaposition. Emotional dissonance. We’re Not Santa. It’s okay to ask us for help. We’re here to help you. Well, not HERE, but in the store. Mechanical engineering. Why we’ll never fully embrace Instagram. Comics of your future: ULTRAMEGA. FEAR CASE. Thoughts on WW84. #RIPBrodieLee
Post-Future (State)
December 21, 2020 05:22 - 1 hour - 36 MBPost-Future (State) Current and future payment method protocol. More USPS shipping delays, you know, like everyone is facing. A week fraught with ComicSuite programming issues and the dedicated people who constantly try to improve its functionality. The Infinite Frontier of DC Comics’ future.
By the Horns!
December 17, 2020 18:25 - 1 hour - 34.5 MBBy the Horns! Elodie hates unicorns. She’s dedicated her life to tracking down and killing them all for trampling her husband to death. Exiled from her farming village, Elodie and her telepathic half wolf/half deer companion, Sajen, search the continent of for clues to the whereabouts of unicorns. When they discover a lead in the port city of Lycus, their revenge mission suddenly takes a dangerous turn… Patrick is joined by Markisan Naso & Jason Muhr (creators of VORACIOUS) to talk about t...
American Mail
December 14, 2020 01:50 - 1 hour - 30.9 MBAmerican Mail Tony Fleecs, of the upcoming Image comic series STRAY DOGS, is a stand up gent! What is the Immortal Hulk Omnibus and why haven’t we heard of it? Posting Special Orders for January comics in ComicSuite has an unexpected obstacle. Customer anecdotes of the (Fri)day. The Holiday shipping window is closed (for us to mail things out in time). Gee, the Warner Bros. business plan sure feels as catastrophic as the DC Comics one! Club Lago is open for tented-yet-classy outdoor d...
"Showing Your Work" with Arune Singh
December 10, 2020 05:10 - 1 hour - 41.6 MBIf you know Arune Singh then you already know why we wanted to have him on this podcast. If you DON’T know Arune Singh, you’re about to find out why we wanted him on this podcast. Like most of us Arune has spent a majority of his life as a comic book fan and reader (and like us, behind the counter). Unlike most of us, Arune has spent years on the publishing side of the comics industry. How and why he got there is just waiting for you to learn. And sadly, we don’t talk about “Hangman” Ad...
Ranking Very Well in Ghana
December 06, 2020 23:38 - 1 hour - 35.8 MBRanking Very Well in Ghana. I can't read my own show notes (written in the dark). Contest of Challengers is killing it under ‘Entrepreneurship’ and ‘Business’ all over the world! Other than the US, that is... Thanks for still wearing masks! Trips to the post office. Dal read Batman Black & White #1 and Patrick read Future State Wonder Woman #1! HBO Max’s impact on pop culture. Higher Patreon levels (and thanks, Patrons!). Annoying call center calls. Asking for things we can’t help w...
Rats!
November 30, 2020 01:50 - 1 hour - 35.2 MBRats! Or as Adam Ant would say, Car-Car-Car-Car-Car TROUBLE! Black Friday at Challengers. The newest incarnation of Sidekicks is LIVE! Diamond’s rule on posting new comic images to social media. This week’s comics: Doctor Doom, Power Pack and the end of X of Swords were all exceptional! Upcoming comics: Dal really liked Stray Dogs and Radiant Black. Viacom/CBS is hoping to sell Simon & Schuster to Penguin/Random House and that would actually make our lives a little easier.
Print is Irrelevant
November 23, 2020 04:16 - 1 hour - 28.6 MBPrint is Irrelevant. Cyclops was Wrong (about Cyclops). Another fun week of DC Comics Final Order Cutoff numbers. What if Marvel made pizzas? Brian Hibbs’ take on the future of DC Comics (read the full column here: https://www.comicsbeat.com/tilting-at-windmills-282-the-end-days-of-dc-comics/) Will the Future State Wonder Woman (Tara Flor) be a sought-after book? Covid-positive customers and the current store precautions. Happy Birthday, Dal! Kyle Higgins’ RADIANT BLACK looks real f...
About vs “ABOUT”
November 16, 2020 05:12 - 1 hour - 29.2 MBAbout vs “ABOUT” What does the new Chicago “Stay at Home” advisory mean for Challengers? We do not want to read books about people dealing with Covid-19. Image’s HOME SICK PILOTS is real good, y’all. Geoff Johns and Gary Frank have an Image book coming out in April, “Geiger”. Kaijumax continues to be one of the absolute best books on the stands. What a comic is about vs what a comic is ABOUT. DC Entertainment has just fired 3 of our friends.
Some Clown
November 09, 2020 03:02 - 1 hour - 31.1 MBPaul Cornell is amazing and we rave about “I Walk with Monsters”! When Dal broke. It seems Patrick is unfathomably frustrated by people wanting to spend more money. Disappearing DC special orders. Finding a new mass email client. The brief story of Bamboozle. Converting the Kallax back issue shelves to fit 3 boxes per shelf rather than just 2.
And the Family Grows.
November 01, 2020 23:58 - 1 hour - 30.4 MBAnd the Family Grows. Haaaaavvvve you met Andrew? Why it’s so hard for smaller publishers to get their books noticed on the stands (specifically this week’s Legend of Mandrake the Magician and Sympathy for No Devils). Paying it forward. Even more theft of Marvel Legends. Ironing out our Chicago Bag Tax issues. Thanks, Patrons! New Comics in your future… Homesick Pilots (“Imagine E.T., but if E.T. was a haunted house”); Post Americana (Undiscovered Country meets Scumbag), and Kaiju Sco...
Nah Man, We’re Good.
October 25, 2020 23:54 - 1 hour - 37.8 MBNah Man, We’re Good. …but thanks for thinking of us. Another new layout for Sidekicks, decided upon in real time (Recorded first but added to the end of the episode, and the we still talk about it at the new start. What is even happening??). Too much cardboard!! Plush cake. Lunar Distribution becomes the only distributor of DC Comics starting in 2021. When a twice delinquent subscriber wants to subscribe again. Difficulties uploading the December 2020 DC orders. Working more at night...
Where is Your Human Compassion?
October 19, 2020 02:40 - 1 hour - 40.8 MBWhere’s Your Human Compassion? TMNT The Last Ronin is going to be HUGE and now for more reasons than just the story. DC Comics starts 2021 off with FUTURE STATE, the possible future of all their characters. Sometimes catching a shoplifter is sad. Have you read WE LIVE, AMERICAN RONIN or STILLWATER? You should. You should also read SCARENTHOOD and GIGA when they come out. Remember that time Dal got punched in the face?
FIVE HUNDRED
October 11, 2020 22:57 - 2 hours - 55.7 MBIt’s the 500th episode of Contest of Challengers! An update on our status with Blue’s landlord. An update on the status of Red’s lease. Our dream front window artist. Patrick and Dal each ask the other 5 questions about the store, comics retail and comics in general. It’s a double-length anniversary episode and we think it’s one of our best. Thanks for listening!
Grave-Robbing Chadwick Boseman
October 05, 2020 02:25 - 1 hour - 30 MBGrave-Robbing Chadwick Boseman We will not be carrying the Todd McFarlane “B” cover to Spawn #311. A look-back to the All-New All-Different Marvel Comics of Fall 2015. Thanks, Patrons! The changeover to Retail Management Hero.
All Apologies
September 27, 2020 22:56 - 1 hour - 30.6 MBAll Apologies Congratulations Jess & Gabe! Crazy Pokemon card sales this week. So much Manga, and needing to reorganize our shelves to fit it. Every process and procedure we need to sell you comics is letting us down. Every. One. Our register program is scheduled to change this Monday (from RMS to RMH, if you want to get technical). SO MANY EXTRA STEPS. Patrick is finally reading Jim Terry’s “Come Home, Indio” and really likes it.
Your Success at Our Expense
September 20, 2020 22:16 - 1 hour - 31.3 MBYour Success at Our Expense AEW Dynamite’s Parking Lot Brawl was one of the best wrestling matches we’ve ever seen. Patrick is home from the hospital and very, very itchy. Already planning for Christmas Our new Little Golden Books display. Bad Idea was certainly up to some shenanigans this week… Image Comics now embracing variant covers. Give Comics Hope. Or, Give Comic Shope. One of those. givecomicshope.org
With That Behavior in Mind
September 15, 2020 19:52 - 1 hour - 30.6 MB*Recorded early but posted late b/c Patrick had leg surgery last week and just got home.* Ordering from Penguin/Random House (joined in conversation). New Batman announcements. Digital releases we didn’t know about (like DC’s Represent!) A Patrick leg update. Big news! Galactus’ daughter. Batman Day 2020. Getting excited for some new series. Spawn is on the rise, again. (The 5 minutes between those last 2 items is the epitome of this podcast. Dal calls it out, so you’ll know it when...
Going BRZRK(R)
September 07, 2020 00:08 - 1 hour - 40.2 MBGoing BRZRK(R) A dog walks into the store… stop me if you’ve heard this one. (EDIT: He walked back in on Saturday! His name is Ollie, not Oscar.) The hassles of last week’s Lunar shipment (we got another store’s books instead of ours). Here’s how ComicSuite and Pullbox are messing with us THIS week! The tensions of this past Wednesday in the store. BOOM! Studios turns to Kickstarter for their new Keanu Reeves project. You get 50% more podcast this week for free!
“You’ve Got This?”
August 31, 2020 02:30 - 1 hour - 30.9 MB“You’ve Got This?” Yes, we have this. More issues with Diamond’s Pullbox and with their Replenishment shipments. Patrick’s 30 Years interview with David Harper. Patrick celebrates said 30 years with a Jack Kirby Captain America tattoo.
The Wrong Cover
August 23, 2020 23:41 - 1 hour - 30.2 MBMargaritas at work really help Patrick’s mood. 30 Years of Retailing. More ideas for Episode #500. An unexpected benefit of using Pullbox. An unexpected problem with using Pullbox. When did the outside of a comic start mattering more than the inside? A genuinely positive customer interaction (there are MANY during the week; we just don’t usually call them out). Sales expectations with school resuming.
The Dog Days of Comics
August 17, 2020 01:19 - 1 hour - 30.3 MBBeing an adult fan of toys. Just when we get used to wearing masks… The DC Implosion, 2020 edition. Pushing The Button.
Invisible Tastemakers
August 10, 2020 06:09 - 1 hour - 29 MBIt’s as if people have already forgotten there’s a global pandemic. Fun interactions with ‘customers.’ The tools with which we learned to sell comics are no longer valid. The invisible tastemakers of todays comics. TMNT The Last Ronin is going to be huge! Does anyone care about the 10 covers for Detective Comics #1027? Our KEEP READING COMICS t-shirts are ready for pick-up (and have already been mailed out)! Don’t miss out on… Lois Lane and the Friendship Challenge (by Grace “Lumberj...
A Lack of Joy
August 03, 2020 02:59 - 1 hour - 31.5 MB11 years of this Podcast! SO many projects to get done at the store. ‘Caution Codes’ as part of an items name. Even MORE Alex Ross ‘Timeless’ variant covers are coming. Not seeing the joy of comics in our work. An update on using Pullbox. Thanks, Patrons!
Look Us in the Eyes
July 27, 2020 01:01 - 1 hour - 30.7 MBWe got a Google review that says we don’t look people in the eyes… We did not receive our copies of Batman #95 this week, mere days after we talked about things going fairly well with the new DC Comics distribution set-up. The uncertain future of comics and comics retail. Our webstore/store point-of-sale system link-up is so close to being complete! Minor issues with Diamond’s Pullbox system. Ordering new action figures for the store and for ourselves. The new creative team on Wonder W...
Analog Orders in a Digital World
July 20, 2020 04:02 - 57 minutes - 26.2 MBTwo and ½ weeks of receiving DC Comics from Lunar Distribution. After getting stuck with SO MANY copies of the tie-in series for War of the Realms and Absolute Carnage, we went really low on all the Empyre tie-ins. And now you all want Empyre tie-ins. DC is moving their Final Order Cutoff day up by 1 day, further distancing themselves from the rest of the industry. Free Comic Book Summer is… a thing? Future retail expectations in a Covid-19 world. We changed up our back issues and they ...
Moving From Hit to Hit
July 13, 2020 02:26 - 1 hour - 28.7 MBPatrick was interviewed by David Harper for SKTCHD.com’s mid-year check-in. Richie Kotzen rules!! Lots of comic companies and retailers got Paycheck Protection loans. Marvel + Scholastic = The Future. A brief AEW digression. Diamond’s Pullbox is here!
Wear Your Damn Masks!
July 06, 2020 02:02 - 1 hour - 27.9 MBWe sure love repeating ourselves! Sorry subscribers, but your DC pulls will not be in the weekly emails for a while. We sure love repeating ourselves! Negan Lives is not a rare comic! Walking Dead The Alien is scarcer. Wear your damn masks!! Our first DC Comics delivery from Lunar. A small shipment of books from British publisher Shortbox. Marvel is grabbing licensed properties (that they don’t need). July 6th sees us return to being open 7-days per week! But still closing at 5pm for...
Foot Fist Frankenstein
July 01, 2020 05:40 - 1 hour - 37.5 MBIt’s a bonus mid-week episode! Comic creator Tom Kelly joins Patrick to talk about all the things that go into making your own graphic novel! Going to school to study graphic design. Getting a job in graphic design. Going back to school to study comic art. Making comic art! Setting up at conventions. Drawing Hello Kittys. Running a Kickstarter campaign! And so much more! You can check out the Foot Fist Frankenstein Kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/footfistfrankenst...
Resolute Carnage
June 28, 2020 22:43 - 1 hour - 28.4 MBPatreon will now start charging tax for rewards. Here’s how we’re trying to minimize it for you. How do you draw a star? Chicago is now in Phase 4, so please, PLEASE wear a face mask. The new DC Comics variant cover program for Batman Three Jokers. ‘I hate doing this but I need my job’ Marvel reduces their Empyre crossovers by 20 titles. We’re pulling all 24 chapters of the ‘X of Swords’ crossover for everyone that already gets X-MEN, unless you tell us NOT to. Next year’s Marvel summ...
Nothing Feels Normal
June 22, 2020 01:00 - 1 hour - 30.9 MBExpanding our hours slightly in July. What is Octopus and how will it help us run our Shopify online store? http://challengers-comics.myshopify.com Our “Keep Reading Comics” Kickstarter is over. Trying to use DC Connect as an ordering catalog. All our DC Direct orders (action figures and statues) have been cancelled. Shipping woes from the new comic book distributors. Image has a new Sales Manager. The forced excitement over Gold Lantern. What % of each New Girl character are you? F...
They Flee Into The Night
June 15, 2020 02:45 - 1 hour - 31.6 MBWhat? We’re NOT starting with DC Comics this episode? No, we are. More new distribution channels. Fun with (new) windows! Patrick injury update (get used to these). Jeanna Challenger is back at the shop and Kent returns this Thursday! The plan to reorganize our back hallway (next month). Having to rent another storage unit. Remembering Denny O’Neil. September’s new Iron Man comic looks real good!! Batman comic sales since re-opening. Black Lives Matter banner. Keep Reading Comics...
Oh, DC Comics…
June 07, 2020 23:10 - 1 hour - 29.7 MBWhat did DC do to us this week? #1 Lowered our discount by 20%. Patrick’s ALZ5K in remembrance of his Mom (http://rememberingfrances.com) The further looting of Blue and the aftermath. Red is open for in-store shopping again! But there are rules. Black Lives Matter. What did DC do to us this week? #2 Left Diamond Comic Distributors What does this mean for our Graphic Novel buying? What does this mean for our Single Issue Comic buying? What does this mean fo...