Contest Of Challengers

It’s Dal’s birthday, but he has a gift for YOU. Maybe. Tech apologies for episode #287 and a preface to episode #290. That’s not too confusing, right? 3x3: Three things we’ve done wrong and three things we’ve done right. Well, right-ish… We set up at Pritzker School’s reading night and had fun. Kids sure do love business cards. “Graphic Novel” vs. “Comic Book” Do you really care what they’re called? Spider-Man #9 is not the comic we were expecting, sadly. Turns out we are not your favorite shop in Bucktown. A mobile vintage store van is…?

By the Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth! By the Omnipotent Oshtur! By Agamotto's All-Seeing Eye! We saw Doctor Strange on opening night, and we talk all about it! Lots and lots of SPOILERS!

17 hours in the future! Our first-ever Australian interview! An interview with Mitchell Davies from All Star Comics in Melbourne. All-Star is also an Eisner-winning shop and their ideas on retail mirror that of Challengers, from 9,674 miles away. This interview was fraught with technical difficulties, but Mitch is a wonderful guy to talk to and this episode came out great, despite the recording issues. Ever wondered how different comics retail is in other countries? Well then this episode is for you!!

Does the Cubs winning the World Series make people more or less likely to buy comics right now? Patrick is the REAL hero of the World Series. Our Civic Duty Discount is back! Street construction blows. Choosing to turn a negative customer interaction into a positive one. We now have people check their bags, but we hate doing it. A personal message from the Rough Riders for Challengers! Red Sonja #0 is 25¢ and Diamond thinks we need to order 87 copies. A brief talk of original comic art.

Oh, Marvel. Oh, oh, Marvel. We have some serious issues to discuss. Cover price. Page count. Unwanted back-up stories. Seriously, 80% of this episode is problems we have with the current Marvel product. #StandWithChelseaCain Curse Words looks great! And other new books for January 2017.

As it seems that Patrick and Terry are almost the same person, this half of the interview is more about pro wrestling and heavy metal than it is about comics, but it always comes back around to comics. Just like life! When these two get together over a bottle of Jameson (yes, there was Jameson), you never know what’s going to come out.

It’s the first time CoC was recorded in someone else’s comic shop! Terry is the owner of Third Coast Comics in Rogers Park. How did he get into comics? How did he get into retail? All the influences that make him the man and comic book retailer he is today.

We’re up for a Time Out Love Chicago Award for best Bucktown shop! Just where is Bucktown, anyway? Do comic books count as “media” for media mail? Hint: They do not. So just how do we mail comics? We hate Marvel Comics’ paper stock for their covers. Lots of damages lately from Diamond Comics, our distributor. Do we stock the freshest comics? Dal really wants biscuits. Or pancakes. He’s not greedy; he’ll take either. Millarworld is Reborn! Haha! That’s a comic pun. Hollywood celebrities that have written comics. Marvel’s next Star Wars ongoing stars a completely original character.

After weeks apart, Dal returns to Contest of Challengers and it’s like no time has passed at all. New York Comic Con is happening as this episode is recorded, so we talk about new announcements such as Batwoman, Justice League America and Supersons, Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, Warren Ellis and a TMNT/WWE crossover. Yes, that’s right. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures dressed as WWE wrestlers. We also talk about… A new Ex Libris Challengers bookplate. Dal got a Vision t-shirt. Cave Carson and the feel of DC’s Young Animal line.

It’s an interview with Jill Thompson! The triple-threat of pop culture; comics, wrestling, and _________?  Her brand new graphic novel “Wonder Woman The True Amazon” is out now and she’ll be signing it at Challengers on Saturday, October 15th. We talk about how she got into comics as a fan, her love of wrestling, Peanuts, Archie comics and all about Wonder Woman. Bonus: Brian Azzarello is also in this episode at various points, talking about his new Image comic Moonshine (which he’ll be signing at Challengers on Saturday, November 19th), decompressed storytelling and also, professional wrestling. This episode is presented in an entirely different order than it was recorded, just to confuse you.

This is an international episode of CoC as England-based writer Antony Johnston joins Patrick and this week’s special guest co-host, artist Christopher Mitten, to talk all about how they got into comics as fans and how they wound up working together. They’ll both be at Challengers on Saturday, October 1, 2016 from 1:00pm to 3:00pm. Also, music from Antony’s SILENCAEON project.

Dal has an iPhone 7. Batman Day 2016 causes some Snapchat confusion. We, once again, sell posters. This week is an embarrassment of great comic riches. So, so, so many great books came out at once! There is more entertainment diversity in comics now than ever before. Patrick does NOT dislike Declan Shalvey’s art. No matter what Dal tells you. Genre racking in comic book shops.

This starts with probably too much talk about a toilet. That leads, naturally of course, into the building of our new Back Issue boxes. This is the last week we’ll bring up our “C” logo t-shirt Kickstarter. Barnes & Noble is having a rough go of book-selling and that leads us to other retailers and their reasons for a perceived economic downturn. Their reasons surprise us. Clowns! DC sales are up. Marvel’s are down. We’re looking forward to: Supergirl: Being Super, Green Valley, Moonshine, Shade the Changing Girl, Wonder Woman: The True Amazon. Brian Azzaerllo is joining us for Local Comic Shop Day!

This one goes over the 2-hour mark as Patrick and Dal talk about: Messy store shelves The new Back Issue boxes Chicago’s impending Amazon store Image Comics moving their offices to Portland New title announcements from this weekend’s Diamond Retailer Summit Whose fault is it when a title gets cancelled? The Publisher? The retailers? The consumers? Lots of talk about pre-orders and why it is NOT your responsibility.

In a ‘rewarding’ episode, we talk about how Five Stars is working out for us as a customer rewards program. Is it needed to stay competitive? On the heels of Wizard World Chicago, we reminisce about our earliest con-going experiences (and John Byrne). Armed robbery (not of Challengers, but next to). Secret product drops and the comics industry. Civil War II is late and longer and going to wrap AFTER the new Marvel Now launches, just like Secret Wars and All-New All-Different Marvel. So we DON’T learn from mistakes? Patrick is digging a bunch of Dark Horse titles.

Live from Seattle, RJ Casey joins Patrick to talk about self-publishing, small press, and working at Fantagraphics. You may recognize RJ’s name from several Yeti Press events at Challengers, so hear what took him from the Windy City to the City of Destiny. We go back to the beginning of RJ’s comic fandom roots and follow his reading trends away from mainstream comics. Also, Patrick tries unsuccessfully to get RJ to read “The Vision.”

Fridays are down, man, and we don’t know why. Jesse Hedman from Minneapolis stopped by the shop. Marking up open order variant covers. Five Stars loyalty program. The Cap Statue gets dusted in (human) ashes. Black Panther. Deathstroke.

Emails! We’re sending lots of emails! Crowd-funding to save stores (not ours). Thank you, Dal’s Mom. No Comic Hub. Flashback to 7 years ago. Tilting at Windmills. Hardcover Watchmen. Lady Killer 2 and Animosity reviews. Hurrah!

The upcoming week is a big one for us behind the scenes, as we install a brand new point of sale system, ComicHub. Patrick and Dal each got to experience the store as customers do. Have you heard of Boulet? He’s très magnifique. And there is way too much time spent discussing Batman The Killing Joke.

We Want EVERY Award! We Won an International Award but Lost a Local One. An alternative bookstore is NOT a comic shop!! Ebay interactions are ridiculous. Comic-Con International San Diego is happening as we record! Image announces 2 fun-sounding books. And… new action figures are a-coming!