Contest Of Challengers

He’s been a Challengers supporter since the beginning and he has more than put in his time behind the registers in comics retail; this week Patrick talks with Tony Valdez about life on both sides of the counter.

This episode is Apple heavy as our guest is Mac specialist and long-time friend, Tony Marengo. Tony, Patrick and Dal used to work together in the 90’s and this is an extended trip down comic book retail memory lane with 3 current small business owners.

If you can only listen to ONE podcast this week, this is NOT that podcast. So non-integral is this episode, it doesn’t even get its own number. It’s a point five, for sure. This is everything we cut out of Episode 100, yet here it is, daring you to listen. You’ve been warned.

Century Guild’s THOMAS NEGOVAN turns the tables and interviews Dal and Patrick for this, the recorded live in the store 100th episode. Featuring Tom Kelly, Jose Capetillo, Melissa Chapel and not Jimmy PS Hayes. It’s our secret origin episode.

A little bit of everything is on deck this time. Patrick’s episode of “Creative Has Nothing For You”; Ryan Browne talks Blast Furnace all sorts of Hawkeye goodness!

Oh yes its Ladies Night and the feeling’s right; oh, what a night. That’s right; we spend an awful lot of time discussing a potential Women-Only night, as well as LeakyCon, Wizard World, Square, and Dal’s fake role in “Twilight.”

Dal relives his Wimbledon days as fictitious tennis takes center (clay) court… but only as a lead-in to a much greater Marvel Now discussion. And more from Colt Cabana. 

Ten years in the making! One half of Serpent Crown reunites as Patrick talks with long-time comics fan Chris Carlson. In another life (the 90’s) they were in a band together, and as an added bonus, the end of this episode features the unreleased Serpent Crown live track, “The Final Stand.”

This week’s topics include a Writing component for Challengers Assemble!, a few new event announcements, the Mike Norton Surprise Party, and an annoying eBay story. And almost NO Transformers toy talk. Almost. 

A 2-hour San Diego wrap up! What are the stories that impact Challengers the most? Also, cameos by James VanOsdol (thanks to his show on the Steve Dahl Network) and Tim Seeley (at the very, very end).

This week Patrick and W. Dal talk about successful events, very delinquesnt subscribers, an alteration to Challengers' consignment policy and gallery exhibits that won't be happening.

In an episode filled with animal crackers, Patrick and Dal talk about Brave, Rebekah Isaacs, KickStarter and more, and there’s even a (pre-recorded) cameo by WWE Champion, CM Punk (from someone else’s podcast).

Busy summer! So many books! So many issues of so many books! And... Patton Oswalt! Not, you know, ON the episode, but we talk about him, as he talked about us. Bonus! MORE Transformers toy talks!

We didn’t go to Book Expo America, but that doesn’t stop us from talking about it. Or the new DC #0 issues. Or Patrick’s childhood visit to the DC offices. And, yes, the secret history of Team America. 

It starts with a discouraging weekend and ends with a bunch of future excitement. With 1992 Chicago radio in-between. And Will Eisner “Spirit of Comics” nominations. And then, Belly. And Miss Ion’s Mall Business.

How best to show off the store in a 5-minute video? Presenting… Challengers To You. And we’re bringing some old product lines back to the shelves.

Lots of catching up to do, courtesy of Free Comic Book Day, The Avengers, the Robot Print Art Show and more. Guest-starring Colt Cabana, Kevin Nash and Sammy Hagar. 

86! The year Patrick graduated high school! Ha! He's old. And this week it shows, as he takes the reins solo while trying to tackle the question of morality in today's comic market.

It’s time for a post-C2E2 rundown here at Challengers Central, and NO convention wrap-up is complete without a thorough discussion of the beanie shark throwing game known as OFFICER DOWN!

We just can’t get enough of our toys! We talk about lots of stuff this week, but really, all we wanna talk about are our toys. And then we wonder if this actually adds value to your lives? Also, toys. And Colt Cabana drops by.