Contest of Challengers

HOW MUCH MORE ROPE?

27 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

TOON IN WITH US

20 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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?  ...

COME BACK! GET EXCITED!

13 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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. •...

A LITTLE LESS HAPPY

06 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A LITTLE LESS HAPPY •Reading publisher previews on Box.com. •Most comic retailers have been at this a long time. •Thanks, Patrons! •The What...

STOP GIGGLING LIKE A CHILD

30 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

STOP GIGGLING LIKE A CHILD •Wimpy Kid thief. •Health insurance premiums. •What's up with Blue's old location? •Marvel barcode placement. •SO...

NO MORE SACRED COWS

23 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

NO MORE SACRED COWS •It's true; we'll eat ALL the cows. •This episode is kind of a stark look at the industry from a sales perspective, but also...

UNDERSERVED

09 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

UNDERSERVED •We're back! For this week, anyway. •Wizards of the Coast product will no longer be available from Penguin Random House. •The dwindl...

THE ONE LINE PITCH with HOLLY AITCHISON

04 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

THE ONE LINE PITCH with HOLLY AITCHISON Patrick is joined by longtime Challengers supporter, Patron and friend, HUMANOIDS Director of Sales HOLLY AITC...

SHELVADOR

28 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

SHELVADOR •The Plight of the 1950s Crosley Shelvador Automatic Refrigerator. •Calling Peoples Gas, AGAIN. •Breaking up longer episodes. •Recei...

NO MORE EASY ANSWERS

21 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

NO MORE EASY ANSWERS •Unboxing original Becca Hillburn art! •The 3 ways orders are placed for the product we sell:      1. Initial Orders (incl...

COMING SOON

14 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

COMING SOON •The current run of Amazing Spider-Man •The JOY Reward Program experience •Draft orders •Sending invoices •We do not want to che...

14 YEARS LATER

07 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

14 YEARS LATER •The current (meteorological) climate of business. •14 years of Contest of Challengers! What is wrong with us?? •All of the payin...

NEGATIVE DIFFERENTIAL RESISTANCE

31 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

NEGATIVE DIFFERENTIAL RESISTANCE •Our UPS driver's thoughts on how the comics are boxed, guest-starring Jeanna Challenger. •The saga of our light ...

THAT'S THE EXCLUSIVE PART

24 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

THAT'S THE EXCLUSIVE PART •RDJ AI •It's SDCC week! We know the official name is Comic Con International San Diego, but SDCC gets to the point quic...

"OH, THE CHEAP STUFF"

17 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"OH, THE CHEAP STUFF" •No, we don't sell Mylar; we only sell "the cheap stuff." •"Shops Discuss the Often Difficult Year So Far in Comics Retail" ...

LEGS OF ANY KIND

10 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

LEGS OF ANY KIND •Office jobs. •The Toys That Made Us. •The mid-year check-in with David Harper for SKTCHD.com. •Inconsistent publisher invoic...

A TWO-HANDER

03 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A TWO-HANDER •Hasbro invoicing. •Our Jeff & Tillie signing. •An AEW Fight Forever interlude. •The Devil's Cut email. •Insignia covers. •Th...

BECAUSE, COMICS

26 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

BECAUSE, COMICS It's a special off-site episode, recorded at Club Lago in Chicago's River North neighborhood!* Thrill to the sounds of an active Itali...

FIREJET AND JUMPCLIFFER

20 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

FIREJET AND JUMPCLIFFER •Why publishers decide to do second printings (possibly). •Robert Kirkman's fun publishing ideas. •John Romita Sr and th...

WE CAN KEEP YOUR SECRETS

12 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

WE CAN KEEP YOUR SECRETS •A change in Reward tiers. •Void Rivals #1 •What's the #1 thing retailers want? •Kelly Thompson!! •Transformer ques...

HISTORICALLY, NOT CURRENTLY

05 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

HISTORICALLY, NOT CURRENTLY •Business Is. •Dal on collecting. •So many super-hero popcorn tins… •The end of Moon Knight and a new start for ...

TO THE MOON

29 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

TO THE MOON •When Dal gets angry… •Is Marvel raising cover prices? •Image Comics leaves Diamond Comic Distributors. •Comics talked about in ...

FOILED!

22 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

FOILED! •Marvel Legends Puffadder build-a-figure. •Interacting with our customer-facing tablet. •The Great British Bump Off #2 misprint resoluti...

MAKING IT FUN FOR EVERYONE

15 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

MAKING IT FUN FOR EVERYONE •A Kyle Starts kidnapping, including a phone call to Melbourne. •Free Comic Book Day 2023 recap, including the live AAW...

ARTSPOSITION

08 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

ARTSPOSITION •Patrick is joined by the next generation of comic book fan, Jess and Allie! Two people new to Challengers and recent to comics, but en...

THE CHOICE TO DISENGAGE

01 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

THE CHOICE TO DISENGAGE •Breaking IDW corporate news!  •The layout of Previews magazine. •Thanks, Patrons! •Sub services (I don't actually kn...

IT'S EASIER THAN IT FEELS

24 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

IT'S EASIER THAN IT FEELS •We're sad and tired. •Our plans for this year's Free Comic Book Day! •It's easier than it feels. •W0RLDTR33 #1. •...

NOT PERFECT = A LOT OF GARBAGE

17 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

NOT PERFECT = A LOT OF GARBAGE •SO many Point Of Sale choice available for comic shops! •Expanded hours! •Our subscriber discount is becoming so...

PUBLISHER SUPPORT

10 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

PUBLISHER SUPPORT •Is "graphic novel" the right word for what we sell? •Night Farters. •Patrick is okay again. •Dungeons and Dragons. •Our 1...

SWEET CONSTANCY

03 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

SWEET CONSTANCY •Challengers is 15!! •The Post-Covid Correction Period. •A deliberate lack of Back Issues. •The X-Men Timeline. •We DON'T Li...

CT-HEY! DON'T PARK THERE!

27 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

CT-HEY! DON'T PARK THERE! •Cars engulfed by flame. •Positive Shopify changes. •New Sign Holders (that no one will notice, but that's the point)....

LACK OF MOMENTUM

20 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

LACK OF MOMENTUM •A Challengers business fact: If a comic sells very well for us, it is usually ignored by the mainstream. •John Allison is very s...

YOU'RE THE WORST PART OF COMIC COLLECTING

13 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

YOU'RE THE WORST PART OF COMIC COLLECTING •Really good comics: INDIGO CHILDREN; NO/ONE and (hopefully) PARASOCIAL. •All the Variant Covers for Mar...

2 BUGS MAKE A RIGHT

06 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

2 BUGS MAKE A RIGHT •Removing an item from the Shopify register during the payment phase. •Extra-large transactions cause large bugs. •Guns! •...

IN YOUR MIND CALENDAR

27 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

IN YOUR MIND CALENDARNo time for notes—we're already late! Contest of Challengers #626

SOMEWHERE BTW SKEPTICAL & AMBIVALENT

20 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

SOMEWHERE BTW SKEPTICAL & AMBIVALENT •"You look like you work in a comic shop!" •3 Shopify support tickets at one time. •What Shopify considers ...

SCREAMING INTO THE DARK with TIM SEELEY

13 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

SCREAMING INTO THE DARK with TIM SEELEY • It's a full-on comic industry takedown with Tim Seeley! Join 2 grizzled comic industry veterans as they ta...

WE'RE NOT GETTING IN YOUR WAY

06 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

WE'RE NOT GETTING IN YOUR WAY •A Mystery Project is coming together… •Working with Creators on store projects. •It's SALE time!!!!!! •Manage...

HUMMUS YOUR TIME

30 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

HUMMUS YOUR TIME •When T-Shirts went mainstream. •Our self-made day-to-day accountant. •"All Ego" Ethan Page vs Karate Man. •The confusion beh...

ABDICATION OF VALUES

23 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

ABDICATION OF VALUES •Would you want text messages from Challengers? How much contact is too much? •Finding a good Filtering/Sorting tool for our ...

PIG 8008

16 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

PIG 8008 •Comics and Comics Retail is like a broken exercise bike. •Patrick was on Off Panel with David Harper! It was… dark…? •UPS deliveri...

ISBN13+5

09 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

ISBN13+5 •New Challengers Website—Coming Soon! Like, after the Sale, soon.      •Commerce-focused      •Advanced filtering/searching! •...

5/90/2/2/2

02 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

5/90/2/2/2 •Instagram videos vs Instagram reels. •2022, a full year without ComicSuite. •Entering 2023 WITH Manage Comics. •Thanks, Patrons! •...

WEIRDO HEADWINDS

26 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

WEIRDO HEADWINDS •March solicitations from DC and Marvel. But mainly DC. •What the cold has done to the store and Patrick's car. •Next week is H...

THE HAMMOCK GETS DEEPER

19 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

THE HAMMOCK GETS DEEPER •Holiday sales have yet to really be a thing. Thanks, crappy weather!! •IT TOOK LUKE is on a bunch of 2022 "Best Of" lists...

IT'S NOT SLAPDASH

12 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

IT'S NOT SLAPDASH •Address-ing the situation. •DC 1st Issue Special vs Marvel Premiere. •Dal has read Batman/Spawn for you! But not TO you. •K...

CARDED

05 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

CARDED •A podcast by any other name… •The 2022 Challengers Holiday cards are in! •Clearing out lapsed subscription dividers. •The publishing...

OUT BY WEEK 1

28 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

OUT BY WEEK 1 •Recorded on Black Friday! •Decorating for Christmas. •Just what are Variant Covers (by Chip Zdarsky via his Substack). •Laying ...

BEFORE THE DAWN

20 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

BEFORE THE DAWN •Too many Spawn variant covers. •The "DAWN of DC." •Refunding website orders. •The Manage Comics Order Helper Tile is LIVE! •...

OH YES, COMICS

14 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

OH YES, COMICS •Our visit to the EXCELSIOR! Art Show opening! •Why it's harder to recognize new subscribers. •James Acaster! What? This is a com...

WE HUNGER

07 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

WE HUNGER •Will Morris starts us off! Thanks, Will!! •Image has several upcoming books we are REALLY looking forward to. •Batman/Spawn is coming...

"WHAT A $#!THOLE"

31 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

•Welcome to the brand new Challengers Podcastitorium! •Diamond Replenishment shipments. •Reminiscing over ChallengeJR's (ChallengeJuniors). •A...

THE CONVERSATIONALIST

24 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

THE CONVERSATIONALIST •It's an all Pizza-and-Beer episode! So, of course that means no Dal. •Hailey is back! https://instagram.com/chicomic_girl/ ...

BOOBIE-ROCKETS, AWAY!

17 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

BOOBIE-ROCKETS, AWAY! It's a 3-man announce team this week as Patrick and Dal visit one of their all-time favorite comic creators (and human beings)! ...

MAIN COVER B

10 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

MAIN COVER B •Plugged ears make recording an audio project so fun! •Just announced Batman Spawn covers. •Shopify missteps: Active vs Draft •Be...

VIRTUE & VICE

03 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

VIRTUE & VICE •Surprise! Now we're BOTH sick! •Sep 2022 sales are down from both Aug 2022 and Sep 2021. Sigh. •HEART EYES #2 is excellent! •Wh...

NOTHING SPECIAL

26 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

NOTHING SPECIAL •Dal returns! Sorry? •Challengers is/has "nothing special." •Dal visited Fantom Comics in DC! •Dark Horse is leaving Diamond! ...

A LITERARY COMPONENT

18 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Patrick is joined by @chicomic_girl, Hailey Dezort! Hailey is a wonderfully excited comic fan who has an unparalleled enthusiasm and a penchant for sh...

WIL MOSS

11 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

WIL MOSS Patrick is joined by Marvel Editor WIL MOSS! They talk about Wil becoming a comics fan, going to college in Chicago and his journey to comic ...

FULL CIRCLE

05 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

FULL CIRCLE •It's AEW All Out weekend in Chicago, so we start with some rasslin' talk. Sorry. Not a lot, though. •DC Comics are now available from...

ADDITIVE TO THE PROCESS #600!!

29 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

ADDITIVE TO THE PROCESS•The 4th Invincible Compendium! •Why DON'T we buy dirty coins and sports photos? •"I had to ask!" No, you did not. •New...

TERRIBLE LONG-TERM STRATEGY

22 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

TERRIBLE LONG-TERM STRATEGY •Tom Palmer R.I.P. •Visiting the Bill Sienkiewicz art exhibit in Libertyville. •New difficulties getting into our ow...

MANUFACTUTRED COLLECTIBLES

15 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

MANUFACTUTRED COLLECTIBLES •The audio quality of last episode. •This week's Manage Comics Thoughtstream. •Hachette credit hold. •Tom Brevoort'...

ACTIVATION!

08 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

ACTIVATION! •Patrick, Dal and MJ talk about C2E2 in a car with shitty audio. It was a 20-minute conversation in which 10 minutes were completely unl...

YA(wn)

01 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

YA(wn) •SILVERLINE is out now! •We are years late in making a Young Adult section. •Manga is a Medium, not a Genre. Except, it is a Genre. •Th...

ALL THE COOKIES

26 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

ALL THE COOKIES •Late deliveries. •Fun toys. •Special guests (in the store, not on this episode). •SDCC comic announcements (so far). •BOOM!...

SITUATIONS ARE FLUID

18 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

SITUATIONS ARE FLUID •Friday's (not at all heavy) rain causes more grief. •Another SQUARE outage. •We hope this podcast (as a whole, not just th...

YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE THE ENDING!

11 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE THE ENDING! •Another AT&T story! Who could have seen this coming? •Where has Dal been?!? •A shattered window and alarms goi...

AN ORGANIC VALUE

04 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

AN ORGANIC VALUE All these topics are discussed in this episode, BUT in a different order than they are listed here! Why? Because I wrote my notes BEF...

OH YEAH, THAT'S A THING

27 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

OH YEAH, THAT'S A THING •Burritooooo! •The new DC and Marvel catalogs are (kind of) out, for product shipping in September. •License shifting be...

THEY STOLE A LIFETIME

20 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The meat of this episode is a harrowing tale of the worst thing that can happen to a lifetime comic book collector. And then, Patrick visited a trio ...

SOMEWHERE WITH A T-REX

13 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

SOMEWHERE WITH A T-REX This one's a mystery! Who's on it? What do they talk about? WHO KNOWS?!? Okay, we know that it's Dal and MJ, and they're probab...

CR-APP-TACULAR

06 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

CR-APP-TACULAR •Not Free Shipping!! •The recipient files the claim. •Shopify app update chaos. •We're not wearing masks anymore (for now). •...

"I DON'T READ MY EMAILS!"

29 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"I DON'T READ MY EMAILS!" •Trying to make our store as tech-forward as we can. •Don't get mad at us for trying to help you. •Negative interactio...

"NAH; I DON'T WANT TO"

23 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"NAH; I DON'T WANT TO" •Our FINAL AT&T story (we hope), in 2 parts. •When prices rise with no added value. •Marvel Comics August solicitations. ...

"BIG-HEADED"

16 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"BIG-HEADED" •Chicago Podcast Day is next week! •No more sponsorship. •We're big-headed now, we guess. •Free Comic Book Day wrap-up (with spec...

"AND" CONVERSATION, NOT "OR"

09 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"AND" CONVERSATION, NOT "OR" •More problems with AT&T. This time with a 2nd account! •No, sorry, we're still noy doing consignment. •What is thi...

I WILL THROW YOUR COMICS IN THE TRASH

01 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I WILL THROW YOUR COMICS IN THE TRASH •A broken Bat Grappling gun •Thor Love and Thunder Marvel Legends are out now! •Fixed costs (I told you I'...

WHO ARE THESE BOOKS FOR?

25 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

WHO ARE THESE BOOKS FOR? •All Gwenpool, all the time! •Handling collected editions. •Why we collect what we collect. •Why are these comics bei...

A LOT OF MATERIAL IN THE MARKET

18 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

•Chipotle SHOULD sponsor us. •Manage Comics functionality we're still hoping for. •Marvel in April. Not so many comics… •Remembering disburs...

DRAWN FROM COMICS

11 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

DRAWN FROM COMICS •Stealth Marvel cancellations. •Thanks, Patrons! •Google sure seems to have their sites set on us! •Minor store changes. •...

FOURTEEN-TO-LIFE

03 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

FOURTEEN-TO-LIFE •We tuned 14 on the day this episode was recorded! •A week's worth of AT&T problems (and no phone). •Follow-up to our FCBD layo...

FILTER THE SEARCH

28 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

FILTER THE SEARCH •Running a modern comic shop without internet. •Receiving product using only your phone. •Zestworld, the new Substack. •Chec...

DO A EXCLUSIVE COVER

21 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

DO A EXCLUSIVE COVER •DO A POWERBOMB! That's one of the things we were hinting at last episode. •We have a Challengers Exclusive cover or 2 on the...

ANYTHING BUT INNOVATIVE

14 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

ANYTHING BUT INNOVATIVE •Too much vague talk about thigs we just can't tell you yet. •Patrick talked to/at 5 wrestlers today, for… reasons… •...

BUYING A SOLUTION

07 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

BUYING A SOLUTION •Rowing Home with Jordan North. Congratulations, Jordan!! •Where we've been donating this week (links below). •UPS (too) Early...

THE WORD "NONE"

28 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

THE WORD "NONE" •ChallengersComics.com has changed! •Why you should read EIGHT BILLION GENIES, I HATE THIS PLACE and BATMAN (starting at #125). •...

F*CK THIS EPISODE

20 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

F*CK THIS EPISODE •Patrick has been saving up his Shopify questions for Dal until this recording. •Subscribers ordering duplicate covers and we ge...

TEACH A MAN TO FISH

14 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

•Friday customer interactions. •How's the Sale going? •INVOICING! And why we hate it. •A Manage Comics feature Dal would literally give a toot...

SNOW PROTOCOL

07 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

SNOW PROTOCOL •Fun with Facsimile Editions. •Questionable Creators vs the Characters they create. •Snow Protocol!! •Santa Clauses •Creating ...

FRUGAL + VICIOUS = FRICIOUS

31 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Contest of Challengers #570 FRUGAL + VICIOUS = FRICIOUS •Compendiums vs Trades, as more publishers are going for the larger collections. •The comi...

TREADING WATER

24 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

TREADING WATER •The story of an Avengers Endgame Iron Man Pop Vinyl online order. •Local Pick-Up is NOT Free Shipping. •The attempted installati...

LADDER UP!

17 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

LADDER UP! •We have a new ladder and Patrick is very excited for it. •Why one fan does not like the current Buffy comics. •Getting next week's M...

NOT MORE DIFFICULT; WORSE

09 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

NOT MORE DIFFICULT; WORSE (this episode's title is not in reference to Manage Comics) •We're in our new Studiotorium (TM & © 2022 Challengers Inc) ...

WE DID NOT STEAL YOUR PHONE

03 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

WE DID NOT STEAL YOUR PHONE •I promise you; we did not steal your phone. •Which of next week's books have we read? "We" being Dal, as Patrick is s...

A "Good Problem" is Still a Problem

27 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A "Good Problem" is Still a Problem •Early solicits for April that we can't do anything with yet. •Comic news websites. •Too much talk about Doc...

A Christmas Episode

20 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

•Retail at Christmas. •Somewhere in the episode will be the yearly playing of Stan Lee's "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" and a new Holiday song...

The Time Dilation of C2E2

13 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Time Dilation of C2E2 •Checking in with Jeanna! •C2E2 2021 •C2E2 Pandemic protocol •Consignment woes •What we bought at C2E2 •Checking...

Finalizing Code

06 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Finalizing Code •It's a Blind Bag, uh, unbagging! And there's an advent calendar! •The Manage Comics functionality we're hoping for. •A NEW (rec...

Space is Flexible

29 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Space is Flexible •It's "Old Wound" Friday! •Rule #1 of Challengers was in FULL EFFECT lately. •It's a MASSIVE week for both Marvel and DC and b...