Contest Of Challengers

THE PIPELINE •New Marvel Legends for early 2024. •Hasbro is feeling the same issues as the comics industry. •Advent calendars. •LUCY KNISLEY is coming back to Challengers and we’re working with BFF Bikes for that event! •WHERE THE BODY WAS week 1 sales. •Subscribers not managing their Manage Comics accounts. •How the comics industry is like a spider plant AND like an action figure of Marvel's Evertt Ross.  Contest of Challengers #663

FALLING OVER ON THE SLOPES•So many semi cab horns! •Less of a Palace than you’d hope. •Share the GOOD, not just the bad. •PINE AND MERRIMAC #1 is SO GOOD!! •A disturbing lacy of Body bookplates. •If only new comic shipments came on the same day each week. •An electronic Gift Card is just as good as a physical Gift Card. •Data Nerd Dal loves the CovrPrice ‘Reflective’ feature.  Contest of Challengers #662

I GUESS YOU COULD ALSO JUST KILL ME •Comic shops undergoing changes. •The reality of store events. •Event Spaces •No more Back Issues? •Thanks, Patrons! •Mile High’s Chuck Rozanski responds to Phil Boyle. Dal responds to them both. •Comics discussed in this episode:      If You Find This I’m Already Dead #1      Action Comics #1061      Avengers Twilight #1      Duke #1      The One Hand #1/The Six Fingers #1 Contest of Challengers #661 https://icv2.com/articles/talk-back/view/55717/chuck-rozanski-mile-high-comics-can-comics-be-saved https://www.comicsbeat.com/anyone-comics-is-closing-and-reopening-around-the-corner/

HOW MUCH MORE ROPE? •Post-Thanksgiving retail sales. •Retailers talking about the Biz. •A new 1-star review.  •All we’re really asking is for you to pay for the books you asked us to buy for you. Contest of Challengers #660

TOON IN WITH US •What we sell vs what we buy as consumers. •Vintage shops vs not. •Wouldn’t it be fun to sell comic book trading cards again?  •Our adventure on Toon In With Me. •Broken web links. •The free comic books for 2024’s Free Comic Book Day. Contest of Challengers #659

COME BACK! GET EXCITED! •The Marvels was pretty fun! •Some comics are just bad. •LOTS of retailer chatter this week about the state of comics. •What big names can revitalize the Big 2 publishers? •Imagine trying to run a shop today with only cycle sheets and no subscription management system. •What does the future of the shop’s interior look like? Contest of Challengers #658

A LITTLE LESS HAPPY •Reading publisher previews on Box.com. •Most comic retailers have been at this a long time. •Thanks, Patrons! •The What and Whys of Draft Orders (as promised!!). •Comics talked about in this episode:      Crave      Titans: Beast World      Batman Santa Claus Silent Knight•We’re having a Back Issue Sale in late November! Contest of Challengers #657

STOP GIGGLING LIKE A CHILD •Wimpy Kid thief. •Health insurance premiums. •What’s up with Blue’s old location? •Marvel barcode placement. •SO MANY PRH emails. •How we would format cover descriptions for invoices. •Comics talked about in this episode:       Masterpiece #1       Somna #1       Batman Off World #1       Lotus Land #1       Animal Pound #1       Captain Marvel #1 Contest of Challengers #656 Smash-and-grab burglars plow vehicles into River North boutiques https://cwbchicago.com/2023/10/chicago-river-north-smash-and-grab-burglary-sneaker-boutique-little-black-dress-news.html  Car con Carne (Candy Corn Carne) https://carconcarne.com/2023/10/23/a-visit-to-13th-floor-haunted-house-with-patrick-brower-of-challengers-comics-episode-897/ 

NO MORE SACRED COWS •It’s true; we’ll eat ALL the cows. •This episode is kind of a stark look at the industry from a sales perspective, but also from other sides. •It’s a lot of, ‘how things have changed.’ •It’s not dark, but it sure ain’t bright. •It’s just what you expect from CoC, we guess? •We sadly can’t be your everything. •Especially if your ‘everything’ includes many single issue comics. •Comics talked about in this episode:      White Widow #1      The Deviant #1      Universal Monsters Dracula #1     Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees #1 Contest of Challengers #655

UNDERSERVED •We’re back! For this week, anyway. •Wizards of the Coast product will no longer be available from Penguin Random House. •The dwindling sales footprint of Magic the Gathering. •Dark Tower buys G-Mart’s stores! •Thanks, Patrons! •How our subscriptions work (for any new subscribers). •Brian Posehn came to Challengers! •Daniel Warren Johnson and the appeal of Transformers. •Comics talked about in this episode:      Nights #1 (and #2 and #3) Contest of Challengers #654

THE ONE LINE PITCH with HOLLY AITCHISON Patrick is joined by longtime Challengers supporter, Patron and friend, HUMANOIDS Director of Sales HOLLY AITCHISON! It’s a conversation that could have lasted forever about all things comics, publishing and retail (but it’s mainly about Morgan and Esther)! Holly illustration by Katie Longua https://www.klongua.com/ Contest of Challengers #653

SHELVADOR •The Plight of the 1950s Crosley Shelvador Automatic Refrigerator. •Calling Peoples Gas, AGAIN. •Breaking up longer episodes. •Receiving graphic novels packed standing on their spines. •Breaking down our first Lunar invoice containing Image books. •Listen to all these amazing events coming up!! •The Ultimate Guide to Comic Books!  •Comics talked about in this episode:      Wonder Woman #1 & #2      The Flash #1      Urban Legendz Contest of Challengers #652

NO MORE EASY ANSWERS •Unboxing original Becca Hillburn art! •The 3 ways orders are placed for the product we sell:      1. Initial Orders (including New To Order and Order Increases)      2. Final Order Cutoffs      3. Reorders •We’re changing how we order! •We’re also making a change in how we source our comic supplies. •Check out the Evie and the Helsings Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/stevebryant/evie-and-the-helsings-12/ Contest of Challengers #651

COMING SOON •The current run of Amazing Spider-Man •The JOY Reward Program experience •Draft orders •Sending invoices •We do not want to check your bag •Small Press submissions •Covers Contest of Challengers #650

14 YEARS LATER •The current (meteorological) climate of business. •14 years of Contest of Challengers! What is wrong with us?? •All of the paying jobs we’ve held in life. •Thanks, Patrons! •2 Manage Comics topics discussed      Mail-order subscribers not being able to pay invoices      Previously purchased subscriber books reappearing in their cart •Atom Eve •Dear Comic Creators, always include a PDF of your book in emails to retailers. Thank you. •Comics talked about in this episode:      Rumpus Room #1      The Madness #1      Superman Annual 2023      The Penguin #1      Batman Gargoyle of Gotham #1      Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville #1 Contest of Challengers #649

NEGATIVE DIFFERENTIAL RESISTANCE •Our UPS driver’s thoughts on how the comics are boxed, guest-starring Jeanna Challenger. •The saga of our light fixtures. •Pitching upcoming comics on this podcast before FOC’s. •The continual quest for returnability. •Our differing philosophies regarding our weekly New Comics Instagram pitch videos. Contest of Challengers #648

THAT’S THE EXCLUSIVE PART •RDJ AI •It’s SDCC week! We know the official name is Comic Con International San Diego, but SDCC gets to the point quicker. •Ryan Browne is signing at Challengers in 2 days!! •The amount of solicitation emails and phone calls is completely out of hand. Go Huskies! •Omnibussing •DC’s offerings for October 2023. •New Marvel books, also for October 2023. Contest of Challengers #647

“OH, THE CHEAP STUFF” •No, we don’t sell Mylar; we only sell “the cheap stuff.” •"Shops Discuss the Often Difficult Year So Far in Comics Retail" (READ IT HERE) •Yes, Black Lives Still Matter. •The Department of Truth team takes on Universal Monsters’ DRACULA. •Will THE MIDNITE SHOW be our new The Sixth Gun?? •Pre-Paid Pre-Orders. •Comics talked about in this episode:      Children of the Vault #1      Harley Quinn Black White Redder #1      Hawkgirl #1 Contest of Challengers #646

LEGS OF ANY KIND •Office jobs. •The Toys That Made Us. •The mid-year check-in with David Harper for SKTCHD.com. •Inconsistent publisher invoicing. •OF THUNDER & LIGHTNING from Silver Sprocket looks great! •The first week of KNIGHT TERRORS (pronounced ‘KUH-nite tuh-TER-errs”) sales. •Comic talked about in this episode:      Of Thunder & Lightning      Ribbon Queen #2 Contest of Challengers #645

A TWO-HANDER •Hasbro invoicing. •Our Jeff & Tillie signing. •An AEW Fight Forever interlude. •The Devil’s Cut email. •Insignia covers. •The latest Tilting at Windmills column by Brian Hibbs. •Comic talked about in this episode:      The Devil’s Cut      Swan Songs #1, #3      Plot Holes #1      Knight Terrors #1, KT First Blood      Superman Last Days of Lex Luthor #1      Sacrificers #1, #2, #3 Contest of Challengers #644