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PODCAST

Contest of Challengers

CHALLENGERS Comics + Conversation

From 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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All Episodes

01:13:18

XVI

Contest of Challengers ·

2024/03/25

XVI •Sixteen years in the same building but with many different building owners/managers. •Hmmm, can Patrick get Kip Winger to come out for our 17th Anniversary next year…? •Looking back at the comic shops of Chicago over the past 16 years. •Dal likes to refresh our website captions regularly. •The end of our reward program. •Uncanny X-Men #130 cover posters! •IG video responses. Contest of Challengers #677

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01:05:41

X-CHANGES

Contest of Challengers ·

2024/03/18

X-CHANGES •Sorry, we don't price-match with Amazon, because we don't have a market cap of $1,820,000,000,000. •Single issue sales attrition as evidenced on the sales floor. •The future of the X-Men comic universe has been revealed! •A massive Diamond shipping rebate. •”Minor shelf wear” •New Publisher returnability options. •Comics talked about in this episode: TRANSFORMERS #7 UNCANNY VALLEY #1 SILICON BANDITS #1 Contest of Challengers #676

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01:12:48

CALL AN AMBULANCE

Contest of Challengers ·

2024/03/11

CALL AN AMBULANCE •The many, many ways comic shops can sort comics for their subscribers. •How we think distributors ship their books, geographically. •”You called?” •Patrick broke his 3rd exercise bike. •”Can you call me an ambulance?” •Comics talked about in this episode: SPECTREGRAPH #1 DUDLEY DATSON AND THE FOREVER MACHINE #1 MONSTERS ARE MY BUSINESS #1 Contest of Challengers #675

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01:09:39

INCENTIVE TO BUY

Contest of Challengers ·

2024/03/04

INCENTIVE TO BUY •The fresh scent of Challengers. •February sales are a Challengers record (not a good record). •Refreshing our Reward program. •Thanks, Patrons! •Cancelling wrestling action figures from Diamond. •Pre-order amounts. •DC’s Absolute Power event grows. •Comic talked about in this episode: FERAL #1 Contest of Challengers #674

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01:03:44

FLAT-RATE

Contest of Challengers ·

2024/02/26

FLAT-RATE •Diamond announces new Flat-Rate shipping pricing. •The ComicsPRO Annual Meeting is happening right now! And we are not there. •DC announcements: Wednesday is officially New Comic Day starting in July. A new line of Themed trade paperback collections. Absolute Power is the big summer crossover, by Mark Waid and Dan Mora. •Marvel officially announces a new Ultimates team comic by Deniz Camp and Juan Frigeri. •Batman/Dylan Dog is a very good comic and you should be excited for

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58:07

MUCHA LUCHA

Contest of Challengers ·

2024/02/19

MUCHA LUCHA •Sidekicks is fun! •Sale shirts, redux. •Comic sales in Vegas. •Pop-Ups.•Madame Web. •Shopify tax forms. •The cost of window prints. •DC/Marvel Crossover omnibus editions! •Salt Shed’s Fret12 with Ready For Death! Watch It Here!! Contest of Challengers #672

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01:03:42

FIT TO PRINT

Contest of Challengers ·

2024/02/12

FIT TO PRINT •Thank you for sharing any of our posts and for liking what we do! •How is our 25% Off Sale doing…? •It’s a Brand-New Dal!! •Lack of Channel 4 advertising revenue. •What is Tik-Tok for, really? •You can’t subscribe to books like it’s the 90’s anymore. •Not prioritizing money. •Sale shirt controversy! •”Dal Reads You to Sleep” Coming Soon!! •Comic talked about in this episode: THE DISPLACED #1 (again) IF YOU FIND THIS I’M ALREADY DEAD #1 THE CABINET #1 U & I #1

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01:10:30

IN-SALE STORES

Contest of Challengers ·

2024/02/05

IN-SALE STORES •Final Order Cutoff emails. •A Man with a Hat. •SALE!!! •No Wednesday holds. •January’s final sales numbers. •Thanks, Patrons! •Credit card processing fees. •Comic talked about in this episode: MAN’S BEST ASHCAN Contest of Challengers #670

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01:09:25

FEELING THE IMPACT

Contest of Challengers ·

2024/01/29

FEELING THE IMPACT •Low January sales. •The future of vaulting subscriber credit cards. •Ghost Machine -Publisher support -Issue readability •No retailer support for Returnability. •Shopify/Google email compliance. •Spotify/Patreon RSS feed confusion. •Two new events -Spawn #350 RE: Spawn Podcast Day -Dick Tracy #1 Release Day Double Signing •Comic talked about in this episode: THE DISPLACED #1 LITTLE BLACK BOOK #1 TMNT (New Series) Contest of Challengers #669

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01:07:39

DEAD POWER

Contest of Challengers ·

2024/01/22

DEAD POWER •Dead Strange •Chainsaw Man’s Power •Neca product returns. •No bags (this is in my notes but as I’m typing this, I have no memory of what it means, yet we only recorded 2 hours ago). •An almost Scott Kurtz signing. •And the t-shirt artist is… Gustavo Duarte! •Our Top Selling Graphic Novels of 2023 (and Publishers) Contest of Challengers #668

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01:10:09

YOU SHOULD HAVE CALLED

Contest of Challengers ·

2024/01/15

YOU SHOULD HAVE CALLED •Patrick’s experience as a retail customer. •2023 number fun!! Now in percentages! •Positive consumer financial positivity (via AP and Axios). •Turning lemonade into lemons, featuring Ultimate Spider-Man #1! •A new home for our Incentive/Ratio Variants! •A very specific rule for earning the 2024 “I Love You But I’ve Chosen Comics” Sale t-shirt. Contest of Challengers #667

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01:09:36

ECONOMIC-CABAL

Contest of Challengers ·

2024/01/08

ECONOMIC-CABAL •Oooohhhhh! Episode 666! Sooo spooookyyyyy!! •Stacked deliveries really suck! •More complaining about how Diamond ships out product. •Product Costs vs. Operational Costs •Kamen Rider toys vs AEW action figures. •60,000 copies of Heartstopper Vol.5. •Marvel Hallmark ornaments. •Help us help you (read the emails we send!). Contest of Challengers #666

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01:02:26

A BURDEN TO SURVIVORS

Contest of Challengers ·

2024/01/01

A BURDEN TO SURVIVORS •Arielle Free is in Chicago and Patrick had no idea (non-comics). •Remembering the contributions of George Brower III (Patrick's Dad) to the early days of Challengers. •We got our WTBW bookplates!! •DC as a company = Villains. DC as a publisher = Heros. •Other shops Instagram pages. •FRAN’s KITCHEN! •Lunar shipping costs vs Diamond shipping costs. •Paring down the $#!t you own (and why Dal will be a posthumous burden). Contest of Challengers #665

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01:03:51

20 = 1

Contest of Challengers ·

2023/12/25

20 = 1 •Happy Christmas! •Nick Piterra’s AX-WIELDER JON is here! •December’s messed-up New Release lists. •WHERE THE BODY WAS bookplate update. •Diamond’s retailer calendar for 2024. •DC’s Batman “Returnability.” •Are you excited for Image’s GHOST MACHINE? •Opening some presents! Contest of Challengers #664

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01:19:43

THE PIPELINE

Contest of Challengers ·

2023/12/18

THE PIPELINE •New Marvel Legends for early 2024. •Hasbro is feeling the same issues as the comics industry. •Advent calendars. •LUCY KNISLEY is coming back to Challengers and we’re working with BFF Bikes for that event! •WHERE THE BODY WAS week 1 sales. •Subscribers not managing their Manage Comics accounts. •How the comics industry is like a spider plant AND like an action figure of Marvel's Evertt Ross. Contest of Challengers #663

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01:05:50

FALLING OVER ON THE SLOPES

Contest of Challengers ·

2023/12/11

FALLING OVER ON THE SLOPES•So many semi cab horns! •Less of a Palace than you’d hope. •Share the GOOD, not just the bad. •PINE AND MERRIMAC #1 is SO GOOD!! •A disturbing lacy of Body bookplates. •If only new comic shipments came on the same day each week. •An electronic Gift Card is just as good as a physical Gift Card. •Data Nerd Dal loves the CovrPrice ‘Reflective’ feature. Contest of Challengers #662

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01:16:50

I GUESS YOU COULD ALSO JUST KILL ME

Contest of Challengers ·

2023/12/04

I GUESS YOU COULD ALSO JUST KILL ME •Comic shops undergoing changes. •The reality of store events. •Event Spaces •No more Back Issues? •Thanks, Patrons! •Mile High’s Chuck Rozanski responds to Phil Boyle. Dal responds to them both. •Comics discussed in this episode: If You Find This I’m Already Dead #1 Action Comics #1061 Avengers Twilight #1 Duke #1 The One Hand #1/The Six Fingers #1 Contest of Challengers #661

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01:06:05

HOW MUCH MORE ROPE?

Contest of Challengers ·

2023/11/27

HOW MUCH MORE ROPE? •Post-Thanksgiving retail sales. •Retailers talking about the Biz. •A new 1-star review. •All we’re really asking is for you to pay for the books you asked us to buy for you. Contest of Challengers #660

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59:57

TOON IN WITH US

Contest of Challengers ·

2023/11/20

TOON IN WITH US •What we sell vs what we buy as consumers. •Vintage shops vs not. •Wouldn’t it be fun to sell comic book trading cards again? •Our adventure on Toon In With Me. •Broken web links. •The free comic books for 2024’s Free Comic Book Day. Contest of Challengers #659

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01:05:16

COME BACK! GET EXCITED!

Contest of Challengers ·

2023/11/13

COME BACK! GET EXCITED! •The Marvels was pretty fun! •Some comics are just bad. •LOTS of retailer chatter this week about the state of comics. •What big names can revitalize the Big 2 publishers? •Imagine trying to run a shop today with only cycle sheets and no subscription management system. •What does the future of the shop’s interior look like? Contest of Challengers #658

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