Contest Of Challengers

CONNECTIONSorry, but this episode was recorded in the car. It’s been a busy week and there was no other time to get together and do it. It’s also a little shorter than usual, so that’s strike 2. But we do manage to talk about some industry news (Marvel ramping up their QR page usage), some SDCC stories, and run down the full slate of DC Comics creator changes starting in October. Contest of Challengers #695

COIL VOLTAGE •Zdarsky Comic News •Powerpuff Girls #1 is so much fun! •Giveaways being given to the right people. •ALL IN and Absolute DC.•A last-second security alarm call! Contest of Challengers #694

FOR STABILITY REASONS •How the video game Zenless Zone Zero is like working in a comic shop.•BIG Manage Comics update! •Gettin’ them ducts cleaned!•DSTLRY leaves Lunar for Diamond!•We actually like Lunar as a comic distribution company.•Penguin Random House buys BOOM! Studios!•When publishers reuse terminology, such as “absolute” or “ultimate”. Contest of Challengers #693

IT’S NOT AN ERA •Challengers Shelf Sponsorship is live! https://challengerscomics.com/products/shelf-sponsorship  •The Future of The X-Men starts Now!•Thanks, Patrons!•Comics talked about in this episode:      X-MEN #1      POWER FANTASY #1, #2      NICE HOUSE BY THE SEA #1      RED BEFORE BLACK #1      KILL ALL IMMORTALS #1, #2Contest of Challengers #692

IT’S JUST NOISE •The new weekly delivery schedule for new comics. •Marvel’s stealth release of Moon Knight Fist of Khonshu #0. •DC’s confidence in Absolute Power #2? •Notable, non-product specific challenges. •Shopify’s 150+ updates.•Diamond’s new Fandomworld. •Our products in someone else’s (non-comic) shopContest of Challengers #691

“SOMETHING SPECIAL IS COMING” •July 3rd is going to be a very small week of new comics. •Tipping. •Marvel has quietly ended/is ending several series. •Strange Tales Marvel Legends. •SAGA, now in a smaller collection format. •Frustrations when ordering from incomplete solicitations. •Upcoming comics for September. •Other media writers writing comics. •Comics talked about in this episode:      SOMETHING CRAWLED OUT #1 Contest of Challengers #690

TO FACILITATE BEAUTIFICATION •Advance PDF’s from BOOM! Studios and Image. •Shelf Sponsorship—more details! •Website Changes? Dark Mode! •Cute Animal Videos •Rifters #1!•Manga Contest of Challengers #689

“SUPERHERO BURGER” •CRIME! Crime? •Spam. •No single issues; the future? •Sponsorships!! •Maybe there’s something to that burger idea…? •Comics talked about in this episode:      TMNT #1      SCARLETT #2Contest of Challengers #688

OBFUSCATING THE DETAILS •4 years ago today… •The bad and good of retail, both in one day! •Identity thieved! •Thanks, Patrons! •Taskmaster! •Marvel’s bizarre FOC maneuvers.  •July is HUGE for New #1’s! •Red Band books are (unfortunately) the future. •Lack of interest in Blood Hunt/Absolute Power, even tho we’re happy with them. Contest of Challengers #687

DUST BITERS •Item Scraping solicitors.  •”New Series” Flyer for Sidekicks and Manga. •The difficulties of ordering new manga. •Adjusting our Manage Comics Bookmark. •The 1982 DC Comics Style Guide. •The saga of Black River’s new floor. •Comic talked about in this episode:      SCARLETT #1 Contest of Challengers #686

FOLD-ER  •Welcome to Contest of Challengers with Charles and Dale!  •Archiving comics on our website. •UPS shipments. •Card game ordering, and lack thereof. •(More) New X-Titles! •Comics talked about in this episode:      LAWFUL #1      GROMMETS #1      PROFANE #1 Contest of Challengers #685

GETTING A HANDLE ON FCBD  •What happened to our front door handle? •Smoke N Snack’s front window nightmare. •How was Free Comic Book Day? Contest of Challengers #684

INTELLECTUALLY?  •Bad customer service. •Gotta get them Back Issues! •Setting up for FCBD. •Thanks, Patrons! •Our C2E2 experiences. Contest of Challengers #683

THE FUTURE OF COMIC BOOK RETAIL LIVE from Conference Room S403 at McCormick Place, it’s the C2E2 panel discussion, THE FUTURE OF COMICS RETAIL with Patrick, W. Dal, Katie Pryde (Books With Pictures, Portland), and Dimitrios Fragiskatos (Anyone Comics/Everyone Comics, NY). The sound quality is a little iffy on this one due to recording in such a large room, but we’ve adjusted it some to make it a little more listener-friendly. But Patrick and Katie were much closer to the recording device than Dal and Dimitrios were. We talk about: •Building your shop on your specific passions. •Using the book industry as a retail guide. •What to immediately change in the next year to increase sales. •Lots more! What you missed (before the recording started): Patrick pretending to be James Tynion IV for the first 5 minutes of the panel. It’s okay though, because afterwards, James actually signed off on the impersonation. •Comics talked about in this episode:      SPECTREGRAPH #1

I’M NOT EVERYBODY •Dented packaging. •Charging delinquent subscribers interest…? •DC’s 5-book release week. •FCBD output. •California’s Earth-2 is closing, and their reasons make perfect sense. •Results of the ComicsPRO Retailer Survey. •Patrick read a ton of advance PDF’s (and most of the books already came out). •Comics talked about in this episode:      CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON LIVES #1, #2      WHITE BOAT #1      AIN’T NO GRAVE #1      CROCODILE BLACK #1      HELLVERINE #1 Contest of Challengers #681

BLACK TIE •The Future Of Comic Book Retail •Apparently we are not a “Legacy” shop. •”Marcus” and his comic book. And a black tie. •People keep asking to have signings at Challengers. •3 new X-Titles and X-Men ’92 vs X-Men ’97. •Waaayyy too much television digression. Sorry. •Lunar’s waxy new cardboard inserts. •Diamond shipping changes. Contest of Challengers #680

ENTHUSIASM OVER KNOWLEDGE •A very full inbox. •Leaving tasks for the other person. •Upcoming Events with: Brian Azzarello, Stephanie Phillips, Sarah Becan, Sage Coffey, Bianca Xunise (and more!)! •Publisher price changes are always a surprise. •Misplaced retailer concerns. •Prioritizing sales over tasks. •Us, as customers at other shops. •Our dentists. •”Butcher, Baby” by The Divorce Gun. Contest of Challengers #679

IN SEQUENCE •We have now officially been open for 16 years! Yow! •Keeping the “local” in local events. •C2E2 is fast approaching. •Wanting to refresh every aspect of the shop. •Some of the many books being published in June. •Thanks, Patrons! •Taskmaster  Contest of Challengers #678

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

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