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

BECAUSE, COMICS It’s a special off-site episode, recorded at Club Lago in Chicago’s River North neighborhood!* Thrill to the sounds of an active Italian eatery as we have a scintillating conversation with the man who came all the way from Canada to taste some Chicken Marsala, Manage Comics’ BRIAN GARSIDE!! You’ve heard us talk about Manage Comics a whole lot the past year and a half, now hear about it from the man who built it!!

*not the first episode to be recorded here, nor the last, I’m sure.

Contest of Challengers #643

FIREJET AND JUMPCLIFFER •Why publishers decide to do second printings (possibly). •Robert Kirkman’s fun publishing ideas. •John Romita Sr and the definitive Spider-Man artists. •Kelly Thompson!! •Avengers Inc. •What is a Green Tea Shot? •Comic talked about in this episode:      Void Rivals #1 Contest of Challengers #642

WE CAN KEEP YOUR SECRETS •A change in Reward tiers. •Void Rivals #1 •What’s the #1 thing retailers want? •Kelly Thompson!! •Transformer questions. •Diamond shipping fees… •Comics talked about in this episode:      Sins of the Salton Sea #2, #3      Ribbon Queen #1 Contest of Challengers #641