Contest Of Challengers

Triple trouble on this episode of Challengers, as Dal talks with comics couple Stien and Christian all about their history, their comics... and the horror of Rashida Jones' comic book.

Onrie Kompan joins Patrick this episode to tell all about the unbeatable warrior, Yi Soon Shin, to talk about digital devices, the Amazing Spider-Man and how an electronic community will never replace a physical, brick and mortar one.  At least we HOPE so... Also, as an added bonus, there's background noise (at the beginning)!  Yes!  The sounds of a busy comic store on a Wednesday.  You're welcome!

Dal talks to Jon M. about Doctor Who, The Return of Bruce Wayne, Wonder Woman #600 and other things all obtained legally.

Patrick is joined by Challenger-in-training KENT FREMON. Kent loves Grant Morrison's Batman and he's not afraid to tell you about it.  And Seaguy. And even some non-Morrison works, like Tales Designed to Thrizzle are discussed!   And cartoons.  Kent is also forced at virtual gunpoint to recommend something for you all to read.  And he does.  Good show, Kent!

This time out, Dal talks with RYAN VOSS about Amazing Spider-Man, John Constantine: Hellblazer, Amazing Spider-Man, Scalped, and Amazing Spider-Man again.  BONUS: Amazing Spider-Man discussion.

Everything old is new again this week as we welcome Jimmy PS Hayes to not only Contest of Challengers, but to Challengers in general!  Jimmy joins Patrick to discuss the figure-four leg-lock, paying people back, Robert Kirkman, the difference between the comics you read as a kid and the comics you want to own now, and Tom DeFalco.  They also do a quick C2E2 wrap-up and Patrick does a horrible impression of a former comic publisher.  Featuring W. Dal Bush and James Galinski.  

Grant Craig joins Patrick for Episode 23: "Black Metal Comics" in which the subject of 'black metal comics' never comes up.  Comics, sure, and a whole lot of music talk (some of it related to black metal but most geographically located in the Raleigh/Chapel Hill areas).  And while this is certainly a long one, Grant has a great ability to take Patrick's music segues and bring them back around to comics while keep the intened point.  Way to go, Grant!  I also feel the need to point out that my spellcheck is disabled and I feel completely lost without it.  So any spelling mistakes right here are the result of faulty technology and a grown man's terrible inability to spell.  Guest starring W. Dal Bush and Mike Lee!

Lord Farcus? Well, our guest this week is MARCUS FOSTER, but we never call him Lord Farcus.  I almost called this episode "Bananas Foster" but I don't call him that, either.  Anyway, join us as Patrick mumbles more than ever while he completely ruins the surprises of "Blackest Night" in a conversation where all the really good bits were cut out because we both name too many names. Yes, you get the second-rate version of the Marcus Foster interview right here!  Also, there are sound effects! Be worried.

Miss us?  Contest of Challengers is back, and this time we're talking with our own Christina Challenger about what she's reading and what she's looking forward to reading.  Also, the somewhat-declining physique of David Boreanez.  You totally missed us!

It's Christmas Eve Eve and we're in the middle of our 30-hours straight Christmas Crisis event.  Poor Donald Cardenas just wanted to pick up his weekly comics and suddenly he's talking to BOTH Patrick & Dal about older brothers who read comics, the Wolverine and plenty more!  And in an effort to get this out quick, NO EDITING!

Listener mail!  Sort of!  This episode, Dal responds to questions submitted through the Challengers website.  Well, "responds".  It's more like "digresses endlessly and misses the point", but, you know...

It's a disturbingly egocentric episode this time, as Patrick interviews… Patrick…?  Surprisingly, he has a lot to tell himself as he came prepared with a list of questions and did not try to answer them ahead of time.  And dig this… NO rambling! And for the first time, thanks to our pal Bob Burns of “The Divorce Gun,” we have a theme!

We keep it in the family this week as Patrick talks to the man who got him interested in comic books in the first place, his brother George Brower! Yes, the former Rumble Brotheres reunite before your very ears!  Find out what made George start reading comics, which comics and why in this trip down memory lane. George recounts what it was like to be the older brother while corrupting the mind of an innocent.  Ahhh, good times.

Got too many comics?  Patrick talks to Steve Davich about selling your comics on eBay!  Is it fun?  Is it worth it?  Will you make money?  Steve tells all!  They also talk about what got them reading in the first place and both men ramble and digress as much as you'd expect, even without the addition of alcohol.  Yes, really.

Patrick talks to Frank Davis about what makes a writer worth following and which current writers have lost their 'all access' cards with Frank and why.  It's almost all writers this week, folks, and Frank is okay with that.

This week Patrick & W. Dal talk about comic book art; why they love it, what they look for and the reasons that led them to hold a Comic Art Show and Sale.  Your eyes will well up as each of them recall a specific page of art from their past and they discuss it as if it were a fragile, wounded butterfly that has been gently captured and then run thru with a push pin placing it forever on display.

This week, Dal talks to Bud Sims about comics and carving, as this interview was conducted during day two of our 2009 Halloween Spooktacular.  Thus, expect a slightly distracted couple of talkers.

This week we deviate from our weekly interviews and present a selection of excerpts from our ChallengeJuniors recordings.  ChallengeJuniors is our all-ages read-along group that meets one Saturday a month.  For it we gather a cast of friends and record all the dialogue of that month's chosen book.  Then we play that back in the store as everyone follows along in their books.  We have a lot of fun and hopefully it shows.

In an episode actually recorded in the waning hours of 24 Hour Comic Day, Patrick talks to Jose Mirque about other countries popular comic books, the legitimacy of Doctor Voodoo's degree (*psst* he's a Doctor of Psychology), the sheer number of Hulks and Hulk-related characters and much more.

Dal and Patrick take turns talking to Seamus Burke, Dan Carroll and Chris Burnham, three of our brave 24 Hour Comic Day competitors.  What were their goals, ideas and reasons behind such madness?  And did they succeed?  Listen on!