Contest of Challengers
Episodes
The Vocal 5%
22 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
•The evolution of Pullbox (a precursor to its impending death). •Creating items in Manage Comics. •It's been a rough week for the comics industr...
Ransomware
15 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ransomware No wrestling toys were bought during the recording of this episode. (That is a lie) •Invoicing inconstancies between the various comic pu...
"Gentrifiers!!"
08 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
"Gentrifiers!!" Not subscribing people to Soul Plumber. We do not want to hang your flyer. Prepare for new in-store signage! Giving our gaming section...
A Basic Level of Competence
31 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
"A Basic Level of Competence" •Ordering comics for Local Comic Shop Day. •Marvel Legends restock. •Data conversion for Shopify from ComicSuite. ...
Carny Pieces of $#!T
25 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
"Carny Pieces of $#!T" Adventures at FedEx Office. Some people who want to buy Pokemon cards are really great people. Others, however… Week 2 of not...
Thirsty For Them Robins
18 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
"Thirsty For Them Robins" •Pokemon Celebrations allocations were so steep we didn't even have a chance to order. •Ch-ch-ch-change… as in coins. ...
Don't Make Us Choose Between Your Money and Satan
11 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
"Don't Make Us Choose Between Your Money and Satan" Wait… ARE we devil worshipers?? A full week of Molly Jane Challenger! And she did…? This store...
Generally Managing
03 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
"Generally Managing" A brief, yet thorough, history of all past Challengers co-workers. After months of hints and clues, probably the 4th biggest anno...
Multiples of the Normal Cost
27 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
"Multiples of the Normal Cost" Please wear your mask over your mouth AND nose. Patreon Free Comic Book Day questions (answered 1 month late). DC, Luna...
It's Soul-Crushing
20 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
"It's Soul-Crushing" Playing with our new 1D, Bluetooth, cordless barcode scanner. The overallocation of both subscriptions and special orders in Comi...
Weirder and More Stable
12 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
"Weirder and More Stable" It's the first week for Marvel Comics single issue Final Order Cutoffs thru Penguin Random House. Manage Comics' most recent...
Please Choose Returnability
06 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
"Please Choose Returnability" Still no DC data in ComicSuite means no one can subscribe to November's DC books (UPDATE: DC books have been added to th...
Broken Links in the Supply Chain
30 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
"Broken Links in the Supply Chain" The regular occurrence of graphic novels damaged in shipping. Patrick has been doing this for 31 years. Huge week f...
Pin-Tastic
23 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
More Questions answered about Manage Comics. Store improvements this week: door leak guards, 2 new door thresholds, new carpet runners and 17 new wind...
Carpet Diem
16 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Carpet Diem Patrick is SO high strung right now. He can feel the cable starting to fray… Free Comic Book Day is NOW! Although it'll be over by the t...
The Value Aspect
09 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
"The Value Aspect" Introducing 'new' publisher MarvelPRH! A good idea from Diamond! Further adventures with Pullbox. What our subscription service is ...
Changing the Calculus
02 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
"Changing the Calculus" Masks are once again required in-store. Will these rising Covid numbers change Free Comic Book Day (Aug 14)? DC = Doesn't Care...
Minimizing Chances of Failure
26 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Minimizing Chances of Failure Wearing a coat in July. Seven Sagas vol 1's. Patrick is working on the last Marvel Comics order from Diamond. Our (proba...
Spatial Considerations
18 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Spatial Considerations So many plans for updating the look of Challengers, but no time to implement them. Challengers needs a deep cleaning! As we get...
Parse That Data
11 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Parse That Data Comics as commodities. Manage Comics 2.0 is looking good for us. The last word on Challengers Blue. Finally… new carpet! And we can ...
So Many Shipments
05 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Eternal racking questions. How many covers is too many (hint: more than 2). So many shipments from so many distributors. June sales totals (an overvie...
Is It Good or is it Spawn?
27 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Yotsuba&! is returning! Calling back after we call you. The weirdness of no masks. Is it good or is it Spawn? Patrick really digs Vinyl from Image. Ad...
This is a Dull Podcast
21 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This is a Dull Podcast Upcoming DC books—more hits than not! Prose writers writing comics. Updating our Gift Cards on the website(s). Marvel Legends...
Space Ghettos
14 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Space Ghettos Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow. How'd our Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton signing go? Hint: Awesome. Our new in-store mask policy. Asking f...
So. Many. Damages.
07 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Green Lantern after Geoff Johns volume 4. So many damages from our distribution partners. Problems with single issue comic backorders. EVERYTHING is i...
Black Lives Matter
30 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Black Lives Matter What's in Patrick's pocket? Delaying the Batman/Fortinite reprints is annoying. New DC solicits (Batman the World). Signings are ba...
It's a Linear Path
25 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It's a Linear Path Friday afternoon dranks. Bad artists can really make you stop reading a book. Losing John Paul Leon and David Anthony Kraft. We hav...
A Frictionless Process
17 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A Frictionless Process Tech support working on ComicSuite all day Friday. Upcoming potential ComicSuite patch to make importing ALL publishers easier....
Okay to Work With, But Mouthy
09 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Okay to Work With, But Mouthy It's a pseudo anniversary episode: 1 year since Patrick's TMNT injury and 2 weeks since Patrick and Dal received their 2...
Saying "No"
03 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What's the worst weather for the shop to be open during? Free Comic Book Day is not this Saturday. The pandemic is still a thing… especially if you'...
Cry Wolf
26 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Contest of Challengers #530 Cry Wolf Putting the Biz in Ness. Man-Bat's Nite Fort .0 The Beta Ray Bill #1 International Sales Battle is mired in contr...
Infrastructural
19 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Of course "infrastructural" is a word. And we ARE relating to the basic physical and organizational structures and facilities needed for the operation...
"I Don't Know" is Unacceptable
11 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Benhur'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...
6 Weeks of Aggravation
05 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
6 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 ...
Jumping Right In...
28 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
So, anything interesting happen in the comics industry this week? The majority of this episode is about, of course, Marvel Comics leaving Diamond Comi...
It's So Byzantine
22 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It'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 Augu...
The Prisoner's Dilemma
15 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We 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...
Avoiding Landmines Isn't Enough
07 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
New AEW figure announcements and signings! WandaVision pulling out all the stops (we had not watched Episode 9 before this recording so there are no s...
The Treachery of Margie
28 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
All 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 go...
The Annoyance Fee
22 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Pokemon 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 order...
Digging Our Own Grave
14 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Digging 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...
Rip-Off Culture
08 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Rip-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 ...
My Love for You is Like a Truck
01 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
My 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. Missi...
On the Rocks
25 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On 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 t...
Don't Let Perfect be the Enemy of Good
18 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Don'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 Instagr...
2020's Top Graphic Novels
11 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Our 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...
Our Year, In Words
04 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Our 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 co...
We're Not Santa
28 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Spatial 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. ...
Post-Future (State)
21 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Post-Future (State) Current and future payment method protocol. More USPS shipping delays, you know, like everyone is facing. A week fraught with Comi...
By the Horns!
17 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
By 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 he...
American Mail
14 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
American 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 hea...
"Showing Your Work" with Arune Singh
10 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
If 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 w...
Ranking Very Well in Ghana
06 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ranking 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 'B...
Rats!
30 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Rats! 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 ...
Print is Irrelevant
23 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Print is Irrelevant. Cyclops was Wrong (about Cyclops). Another fun week of DC Comics Final Order Cutoff numbers. What if Marvel made pizzas? Brian Hi...
About vs "ABOUT"
16 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
About 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-...
Some Clown
09 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Paul Cornell is amazing and we rave about "I Walk with Monsters"! When Dal broke. It seems Patrick is unfathomably frustrated by people wanting to spe...
And the Family Grows.
01 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
And 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 ...
Nah Man, We're Good.
25 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Nah 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 en...
Where is Your Human Compassion?
19 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Where'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 FU...
FIVE HUNDRED
11 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It'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 fron...
Grave-Robbing Chadwick Boseman
05 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Grave-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 Com...
All Apologies
27 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
All Apologies Congratulations Jess & Gabe! Crazy Pokemon card sales this week. So much Manga, and needing to reorganize our shelves to fit it. Every p...
Your Success at Our Expense
20 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Your 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 ...
With That Behavior in Mind
15 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
*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)....
Going BRZRK(R)
07 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Going 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.) Th...
"You've Got This?"
31 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"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 Dav...
The Wrong Cover
23 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Margaritas at work really help Patrick's mood. 30 Years of Retailing. More ideas for Episode #500. An unexpected benefit of using Pullbox. An unexpect...
The Dog Days of Comics
17 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Being an adult fan of toys. Just when we get used to wearing masks… The DC Implosion, 2020 edition. Pushing The Button.
Invisible Tastemakers
10 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It'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 ...
A Lack of Joy
03 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
11 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 ...
Look Us in the Eyes
27 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We 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 ...
Analog Orders in a Digital World
20 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Two 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 an...
Moving From Hit to Hit
13 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Patrick was interviewed by David Harper for SKTCHD.com's mid-year check-in. Richie Kotzen rules!! Lots of comic companies and retailers got Paycheck P...
Wear Your Damn Masks!
06 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We 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!...
Foot Fist Frankenstein
01 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It'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...
Resolute Carnage
28 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Patreon 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...
Nothing Feels Normal
22 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Expanding our hours slightly in July. What is Octopus and how will it help us run our Shopify online store? http://challengers-comics.myshopify.com Ou...
They Flee Into The Night
15 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What? We're NOT starting with DC Comics this episode? No, we are. More new distribution channels. Fun with (new) windows! Patrick injury update (get u...
Oh, DC Comics…
07 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What 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 ...
Helping You Even If It Hurts Us
01 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
**An hour after we recorded this episode, our River North location was looted. So we start there and then go to the beginning of the episode** (It was...
The Plan We Had Was Not a Bad One
25 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Guess what? Patrick's leg still hurts. Welcome, all you Kamen Rider message board fans! Preparing to re-open for in-store business, but then, not. How...
Update of Pain
18 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Not quite a full episode, but to be honest we've had less coherent ones. More like 30 minutes of Patrick rambling about how much his leg hurts. Some c...
The Double-Release Window
10 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How filming a dumb IG video put Patrick in the hospital for a few days this week. New comics May 20th for sure! DC wants their books to be released on...
Finding Value in Different Things
04 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Mental health check-in! Do you want us to ask how you're doing? Shipping delays are now the norm for all businesses. Our Challengers facemasks arrived...
Plastic Achievements
27 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How do you display your action figures and their accessories? Updates to DC Comics' new distribution plans and Diamond. Our new online Shopify store i...
Publisher Shortsightedness
19 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Why we no longer swear on this podcast (for now). The Friday News Dump. DC Comics' new distribution plan/ultimatum. Keeping you (and us) safe when we'...
The Comics Industry is Broken
13 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Comics Industry is Broken Comics are great! The comics industry isn't. Comics distribution 40 years ago vs Today. Ordering comics in October 1981....
Too Big to Fail
06 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Sticking to our weekly routines. Still NO new comics, When the Illinois stay-at-home is lifted, what will be better for us… A. Opening back ...
Servicing the Public
30 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Part of this was recorded as Patrick and Dal hand-delivered comics to people in Chicago! And by "hand-delivered" we mean left on porches at a respecta...
No More New Comics
24 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
No More New Comics A new episode immediately after the previous new episode! Things are changing THAT RAPIDLY. Diamond Comic Distributors dropped a HU...
Plugging Holes in the Dam
23 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Speculator demographics. Artists Writers and Artisans released their first 4 comics on the same day. More super-upbeat and not-at-all-depressing Covid...
Like a Ham in a Deli Case
16 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode has basically 2 main topics. What we're doing as a result of the Covid-19 Coronavirus and Bad Idea comics. Trust us, there is plenty of g...
A Challenger Loves Ya
09 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A Challenger Loves Ya (Contest of Challengers) Who are we and what is this podcast? Challengers loves ya! Well, *A* Challenger loves ya. The spread of...
Freshly Squeezed
02 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Wednesday in-store anecdotes, recorded as they happened. The final week of selling C2E2 2020 tickets! Yay! All the way from Tel Aviv, fellow retailer ...
Selling Pickaxes to Mine for Gold
24 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is the week that C2E2 ticket sales reach a frenzied level. The ComicsPRO Annual Meeting s happening RIGHT NOW in Portland. And we're not there. B...
Occasionally Happiness has Value
17 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Transportation to Store #2. How'd our only storewide sale of the year turn out? New store banner woes. Using and abusing Instagram. The new Signing Wa...
This is Bad Idea
10 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There's a new publisher in comics, full of familiar faces, and they have a whole new take on today's publishing market. References to AWA (Artists Wri...
The Current Reality of Blue
03 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Recording star Poppy did NOT come to Bucktown today. The making of our 1979 man-on-the-street Sale video. January 2020 sales vs 2019. Ryan Browne sign...
(Action) Figuring it Out
27 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The first wave of McFarlane DC Multiverse figures are in, and we have thoughts! Ordering Marvel Legends for the rest of the year, with no real informa...