Contest of Challengers
From Challengers Comics + Conversation in Chicago, this is Contest of Challengers, a podcast about the business of running a comics shop. From publishers to distributors to the sales floor itself, each episode deals with the issues of the week and how they affect the way Challengers conducts business, and that includes the actual comic book issues themselves. Hosted by Patrick Brower and W. Dal Bush. Thanks for listening. Keep Reading Comics!
- Update frequency
- every 7 days
- Average duration
- 68 minutes
- Episodes
- 750
- Years Active
- 2009 - 2025
DEAD POWER
DEAD POWER
•Dead Strange •Chainsaw Man’s Power •Neca product returns. •No bags (this is in my notes but as I’m typing this, I have no memory of what it means, yet we only recorded 2 hours ago).
•…
YOU SHOULD HAVE CALLED
YOU SHOULD HAVE CALLED •Patrick’s experience as a retail customer. •2023 number fun!! Now in percentages! •Positive consumer financial positivity (via AP and Axios). •Turning lemonade into lemons, fe…
ECONOMIC-CABAL
ECONOMIC-CABAL •Oooohhhhh! Episode 666! Sooo spooookyyyyy!! •Stacked deliveries really suck! •More complaining about how Diamond ships out product. •Product Costs vs. Operational Costs •Kamen Rider t…
A BURDEN TO SURVIVORS
A BURDEN TO SURVIVORS •Arielle Free is in Chicago and Patrick had no idea (non-comics). •Remembering the contributions of George Brower III (Patrick's Dad) to the early days of Challengers. •We got o…
20 = 1
20 = 1 •Happy Christmas! •Nick Piterra’s AX-WIELDER JON is here! •December’s messed-up New Release lists. •WHERE THE BODY WAS bookplate update. •Diamond’s retailer calendar for 2024. •DC’s Batman “R…
THE PIPELINE
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 B…
FALLING OVER ON THE SLOPES
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 …
I GUESS YOU COULD ALSO JUST KILL ME
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 B…
HOW MUCH MORE ROPE?
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. Con…
TOON IN WITH US
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. •T…
COME BACK! GET EXCITED!
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? •Im…
A LITTLE LESS HAPPY
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…
STOP GIGGLING LIKE A CHILD
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 f…
NO MORE SACRED COWS
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 c…
UNDERSERVED
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…
THE ONE LINE PITCH with HOLLY AITCHISON
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…
SHELVADOR
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. •Bre…
NO MORE EASY ANSWERS
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 Or…
COMING SOON
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 Cha…
14 YEARS LATER
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 …