Contest Of Challengers

SOMEWHERE WITH A T-REX This one’s a mystery! Who’s on it? What do they talk about? WHO KNOWS?!? Okay, we know that it’s Dal and MJ, and they’re probably talking about store stuff and distributors and comics and what not. But actual specifics? Well, neither of them write these previews, and I haven’t listened to their episode, so let’s all be surprised together! Contest of Challengers #589

CR-APP-TACULAR •Not Free Shipping!! •The recipient files the claim. •Shopify app update chaos. •We’re not wearing masks anymore (for now). •Donating to Little Libraries. http://littlefreelibrary.org •Tim Seeley’s just-announced new Dark Horse comic THE ROADIE looks fun! •Adding to a ‘complete’ summer crossover checklist after-the-fact. •Working with Image for our exclusive cover wasn’t as straightforward as we’d have liked. Contest of Challengers #588

“I DON’T READ MY EMAILS!” •Trying to make our store as tech-forward as we can. •Don’t get mad at us for trying to help you. •Negative interactions can ruin your whole week. •Getting handmade thank you comics from kids can save your week. •Chicago Podcast Day. •Aftershock’s A CALCULATED MAN is a good read! Contest of Challengers #587 Header image photo by Ana Everling

“NAH; I DON’T WANT TO” •Our FINAL AT&T story (we hope), in 2 parts. •When prices rise with no added value. •Marvel Comics August solicitations. •Black Adam #1 is surprisingly good. •Patrick no longer wants to stock one-shots (he’s looking at YOU, Last Shadow Hawk). •Perry White! $5 for 7 new pages. •Updating security camera apps. •Way more PRH shipping damages. Contest of Challengers #586

“BIG-HEADED” •Chicago Podcast Day is next week! •No more sponsorship. •We’re big-headed now, we guess. •Free Comic Book Day wrap-up (with special guests)! •It’s May, so of course the shop is in the 80’s (degrees, not decade). •Metal bookmarks, anyone? •Buy our Exclusive covers (please)! Contest of Challengers #585

“AND” CONVERSATION, NOT “OR” •More problems with AT&T. This time with a 2nd account! •No, sorry, we’re still noy doing consignment. •What is this “Free Comics Book Day” all about? •Sometimes it’s hard to get people to pick up their free t-shirt. •Begging for reviews is a bad look. •Manage Comics updates—they’re all good! Contest of Challengers #584

I WILL THROW YOUR COMICS IN THE TRASH •A broken Bat Grappling gun •Thor Love and Thunder Marvel Legends are out now! •Fixed costs (I told you I’d keep it in).  •Comics for out-of-touch old men. •Cyclical sales (or was this what I was keeping in? I can’t remember) •Simon & Schuster billing fun. Seriously delinquent fun. •Dal really enjoys using Stocky to maintain Challenger’s graphic novel inventory. Contest of Challengers #583

WHO ARE THESE BOOKS FOR? •All Gwenpool, all the time! •Handling collected editions. •Why we collect what we collect. •Why are these comics being made and who are they for? •Why we find it difficult to stock variant covers. •We can’t order everything… •Oh, backorders. When will you fill? •Marvel Legends pricing is going up (again). OUR SPONSOR: MANSCAPED The Best in Men's Grooming https://www.manscaped.com/ Use the code CHALLENGERS at check-out for 20% off! National Art & Trade Tuition Opportunity (NATTO) Scholarship http://nattosoup.com/scholarship http://nattosoup.com/scholarshipkit Contest of Challengers #582

•Chipotle SHOULD sponsor us. •Manage Comics functionality we’re still hoping for. •Marvel in April. Not so many comics… •Remembering disbursement (that’s what my notes say). •Missing solicitation/press release information. •IDW’s 9 new originals. •A weird PRH delivery from this week. OUR SPONSOR: MANSCAPED The Best in Men's Grooming https://www.manscaped.com/ Use the code CHALLENGERS at check-out for 20% off! National Art & Trade Tuition Opportunity (NATTO) Scholarship http://nattosoup.com/scholarship http://nattosoup.com/scholarshipkit Contest of Challengers #581

DRAWN FROM COMICS •Stealth Marvel cancellations. •Thanks, Patrons! •Google sure seems to have their sites set on us! •Minor store changes. •The strange allure of POP Vinyl’s.  •Jon Bogdnaove sold some major art! •Bookscan numbers for 2021. •Raise your hand if your school held Scholastic Book Fairs! •We’ve got some great signings headed your way! We’ve also had some other great signings that did not go so well… •Dal suggests you check out BOOM!’s Grim #1 and Image’s Bone Orchard Mythos Passageway graphic novel. OUR SPONSOR: MANSCAPED The Best in Men's Grooming https://www.manscaped.com/ Use the code CHALLENGERS at check-out for 20% off! National Art & Trade Tuition Opportunity (NATTO) Scholarship nattosoup.com/scholarship nattosoup.com/scholarshipkit Contest of Challengers #580

FOURTEEN-TO-LIFE •We tuned 14 on the day this episode was recorded! •A week’s worth of AT&T problems (and no phone). •Follow-up to our FCBD layout. •Sometimes calling someone out on the podcast is a GOOD thing. •Toy Hunting in Kokomo, Indiana! •Comic Shop hunting, in the same city. •Sorry in advance, but it’s a Recorded-in-the-Car episode. •Shout out to MJ and Stella for handling all the in-store problems today (they’re not on this episode, but we just wanted to thank them, again). OUR SPONSOR: MANSCAPED The Best in Men's Grooming https://www.manscaped.com/ Use the code CHALLENGERS at check-out for 20% off! Contest of Challengers #579

FILTER THE SEARCH •Running a modern comic shop without internet. •Receiving product using only your phone. •Zestworld, the new Substack. •Checking In with a Challenger! •We have a sponsor! •Who would we want to advertise on Contest of Challengers? OUR SPONSOR: MANSCAPED The Best in Men's Grooming https://www.manscaped.com/ Use the code CHALLENGERS at check-out for 20% off! Contest of Challengers #578

DO A EXCLUSIVE COVER •DO A POWERBOMB! That’s one of the things we were hinting at last episode. •We have a Challengers Exclusive cover or 2 on the horizon. •Diving back into Store Events      BY THE HORNS signing March 30      WEST OF SUNDOWN signing April 6 •How to layout the shop for FCBD this year…  •Checking in with Stella! •Erroneous Google reviews. •The power went out! Yet business was not interrupted.  •Another PRH call. •Most of our Substacks are coming to Image Comics this summer. Contest of Challengers #577

ANYTHING BUT INNOVATIVE •Too much vague talk about thigs we just can’t tell you yet. •Patrick talked to/at 5 wrestlers today, for… reasons… •We’re really excited by one of favorite creator’s new comic project, to be announced next week. •Our Hero Initiative JLA/Avengers raffle is underway! •Patrick’s video call with PRH •Potential new shipping boxes (we like them). •Calling us “innovators” makes us uncomfortable.  •Checking in with Andrew. DONATIONS: • https://www.heroinitiative.org/ Contest of Challengers #576 

BUYING A SOLUTION •Rowing Home with Jordan North. Congratulations, Jordan!! •Where we’ve been donating this week (links below). •UPS (too) Early-morning delivery. •Why the crazy (online, not instore) demand for AVENGERS FOREVER #3? •New Releases are always a limit of 2 (unless you preorder). •Why a Hold Box can’t work with an online inventory (not subscriptions; a take-it-off-the-shelf hold). •A phone that never rings (if only!). •You say you want a(n) (AEW) Revolution… •Advance reads: Rogues #1 (again), Shadow War Alpha. •Last week’s Marvel graphic novels are still missing… •Thanks, Patrons! DONATIONS: • https://canvas-story.bbcrewind.co.uk/jordan/ • https://give.unrefugees.org/220224ukr_emer_d_4983/ • https://gmgunion.com/ Contest of Challengers #575

THE WORD “NONE” •ChallengersComics.com has changed! •Why you should read EIGHT BILLION GENIES, I HATE THIS PLACE and BATMAN (starting at #125). •Our JLA/Avengers plans IF we get any copies. •Paint drinker. •Goddammit, please stop stealing our action figures!!! •Checking in with Jeanna, the ‘while driving’ edition. •Our modified Tuesday night email. •Just how well did our “NEW PRINTING” signs work?  Contest of Challengers #574

F*CK THIS EPISODE •Patrick has been saving up his Shopify questions for Dal until this recording. •Subscribers ordering duplicate covers and we get stuck with their mistakes. •Shopify’s new Customer page layout is not good. •Our website will be changing this week! Maybe even by the time you read this! •We love our new Challengers portraits by Georgeo Brooks! •Too many shelf signs: 1st Issue/New Print/New Last Week/Recommended By •The new, very limited printing of JLA/Avengers from the Hero Initiative. •Marvel theme park attractions: Universal vs Disney. •F*ck This Place by Kyle Starks is already stirring up controversy. •Upcoming books you should look at: BATMAN KILLING TIME and ROGUES. •Current books we’re really digging: JOE HILL’S RAIN, DIRTBAG RAPTURE and WHAT’S THE FURTHEST PLACE FROM HERE. Contest of Challengers #573

•Friday customer interactions. •How’s the Sale going? •INVOICING! And why we hate it. •A Manage Comics feature Dal would literally give a tooth for. •In interesting Sales Tax find. •Advance previews! Radiant Red (again), World’s Finest and West of Sundown. •DC’s upcoming crossovers and why we cringe at the very idea of them. Contest of Challengers #572

SNOW PROTOCOL •Fun with Facsimile Editions. •Questionable Creators vs the Characters they create. •Snow Protocol!! •Santa Clauses •Creating new items in Shopify vs ComicSuite. •Some minor Manage Comics quirks for the week. •Thanks, Patrons! •Patrick has no idea what Star Wars Crimson Reign is about. •Issue #1 of the upcoming Batman Killing Time mini-series is real good! •Looking at all the Substack comics that dropped this week. Contest of Challengers #571

Contest of Challengers #570 FRUGAL + VICIOUS = FRICIOUS •Compendiums vs Trades, as more publishers are going for the larger collections. •The comic shop mainstay that is MAUS. •A brief interlude about Joe Lycett. •What non-superhero trades will we always keep in-stock? •Publishers, it’s okay to let properties die. •Dal’s amazing Shopify hack! •The ease of using Manage Comics as a consumer. •Hand-adding existing subscribers to a new/companion title is not a quick task.