Contest Of Challengers

“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.

Margaritas 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.

Being an adult fan of toys. Just when we get used to wearing masks… The DC Implosion, 2020 edition. Pushing The Button.    

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 The tools with which we learned to sell comics are no longer valid.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 “Lumberjanes” Ellis & Brittney “Patsy Walker, Hellcat” Williams) Seven Secrets (by Tom Taylor!!) Come Home, Indio (by Chicago’s own Jim Terry)

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 covers are coming. Not seeing the joy of comics in our work. An update on using Pullbox. Thanks, Patrons!

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 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 Woman is off to a solid start (#759). Some other upcoming comic talk!

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 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 look so pretty!

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 Protection loans. Marvel + Scholastic = The Future. A brief AEW digression. Diamond’s Pullbox is here!

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! 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 6 of them. I assure you, we are open to in-store shopping. Dal’s comics picks for September!

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 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/footfistfrankenstein/foot-fist-frankenstein-a-monster-martial-arts-revenge-comic FOOT FIST FRANKENSTEIN is a 120-page hardcover graphic novel that blends together Monsters, Comic Books and Martial Arts movies. Foot Fist Frankenstein is an action adventure revenge story, think John Wick meets the Hulk by way of Kung Fu theater. It's the story of a monster, who after finally finding happiness and peace, has it cruelly ripped away and the revenge mission he undertakes as a result.

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 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 summer crossover? Thanks, Patrons! Patrick’s ALZ5K in remembrance of his Mom (http://rememberingfrances.com)

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 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? Free Comic Book Summer? Negan Lives as the Walking Dead returns for 1 more issue. Ordering 3 Jokers.

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 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 T-Shirt Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/challengers/keep-reading-comics-t-shirt-designed-by-gene-ha Patrick’s ALZ5K in remembrance of his Mom (http://rememberingfrances.com)

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 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 for our Subscribers and Special Orders?

**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 actually looted 6 different times during the night, but that happened after our post script) How have DC Comics' recent actions impacted us THIS week? Customers ignoring our pandemic procedures. Reopening for in-store shopping (this Wednesday!) T-Shirt Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/challengers/keep-reading-comics-t-shirt-designed-by-gene-ha/ Comics Fists Face Mask: https://challengers.threadless.com/designs/comics-fists-mask Comics are back, so of course speculators are also back. Avengers #33 is SO GOOD! The passing of a subscriber. Patrick injury update and losing his Mom to Alzheimer's (http://rememberingfrances.com). Thank you, Patrons!

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 DC Comics keeps making life so much harder for us. DC subscription management issues. Challengers Blue is done. Blue bookshelves for sale!! Making more by selling less? The first New Comic Wednesday in 2 months. IS the market stronger with subscribers, or without? Shopify fun!

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 comic things are discussed, but we’ll (hopefully) be back next week with a full rundown of current events, and Dal. Plus, new blinds! Thanks, Drew & Ashleigh!!

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 Tuesdays. Too bad, DC. Which day is the ideal day for new releases? Marvel’s temporary staggered release schedule. Marvel’s new digital first initiative. Sorry, Hawkeye, Ant-Man and Star fans. Patron comments. What DO we think of Chris Jericho? Curse Words has a massive new Kickstarter happening right now!

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! And they are… um, masks. When our in-store inventory doesn’t match our Shopify inventory. Local pick-up shifts from Chicago Board Game Café to Challengers Bucktown starting Monday, May 4th. Our self-imposed rules for our IG videos. Thanks, Patrons! Kenny Omega is a pumpkin-headed dip$#!t!

How do you display your action figures and their accessories? Updates to DC Comics’ new distribution plans and Diamond. Our new online Shopify store is LIVE! https://challengers-comics.myshopify.com/ New Bucktown Pick-Up hours for May. And how the extended Illinois shelter-in-place will change what we’re doing. Explaining to our landlord the impact this all has on our business. The ever-changing release schedule for super-hero movies.