Contest of Challengers

"Multiples of the Normal Cost" Please wear your mask over your mouth AND nose. Patreon Free Comic Book Day questions (answered 1 month late). DC, Lunar AND FedEx all have the potential to upset our weekly DC receiving schedule. KickStarter survey woes. Diamond's Retailer Best Practice Awards are back for 2021. Dal really like CRIMSON CAGE #1! Dal also read some other yet-to-be-released comics. IDW + PRH = acronym abundance!

"It's Soul-Crushing" Playing with our new 1D, Bluetooth, cordless barcode scanner. The overallocation of both subscriptions and special orders in ComicSuite. Last episode we talked about having to do Final Order Cutoffs via Penguin Random House for the first time. This week we talk about actually having done them. Current Initial Order hurdles. Supply prices (bags) are going up AGAIN, as are Marvel Legends prices. Full days of work, at the store and not at the store. Trying to lessen the burden for the future.

"Weirder and More Stable" It's the first week for Marvel Comics single issue Final Order Cutoffs thru Penguin Random House. Manage Comics' most recent thought stream makes our excitement build, even if the release date is pushed back. Experimenting with Shopify's point of sale system. Supplies and Funko Pops trade places in the shop.

"Please Choose Returnability" Still no DC data in ComicSuite means no one can subscribe to November's DC books (UPDATE: DC books have been added to the system after we recorded). We're kind of bad a promoting new comics and merchandise via social media. Cover I.D. I don't remember what this refers to, but it was in my notes so it's here. Have you heard about publishers printing multiple covers for the same comic?? Weird, right? Customer Service isn't for everybody... Our new shirt Kickstarter campaign is in its last week! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/challengers/keep-reading-comics-t-shirt-designed-by-ali-cantarella

"Broken Links in the Supply Chain" The regular occurrence of graphic novels damaged in shipping. Patrick has been doing this for 31 years. Huge week for DC! So many stores did not get their new comics in time for Wednesday, AND DC is having to delay a lot of books for supply reasons. Ingram is on top of it all! 2 of our upcoming store signings have been cancelled (Dave Scheidt "Mayor Good Boy" and Allyson Lassiter "Star Beasts"). Trying to order Marvel graphic novels. Retailers industry wide are feeling the stress. We've still got a new shirt on Kickstarter right now! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/challengers/keep-reading-comics-t-shirt-designed-by-ali-cantarella

More Questions answered about Manage Comics. Store improvements this week: door leak guards, 2 new door thresholds, new carpet runners and 17 new window banners! Also new – Challengers Birthday card, I Love You But I've Chosen Comics enamel pin and the Patrick + Dal heads 2-pin set! Our Free Comic Book Day aftermath. Bad Idea's latest disagreeable marketing decision. Substack! What is it? Which creators are using it? How will it impact comic shops? We've got a new shirt on Kickstarter right now! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/challengers/keep-reading-comics-t-shirt-designed-by-ali-cantarella

Carpet Diem Patrick is SO high strung right now. He can feel the cable starting to fray… Free Comic Book Day is NOW! Although it'll be over by the time you hear this. Our last 7 days, in order. SO much stuff happened! The process of getting the carpet installed.

Special thanks to: Kent Challenger Samantha Challenger, Vex and Steve Drew and Ashleigh Keith and Margie Tad And also… Felix Challenger Andrew Challenger Benhur Jackie Erik

"The Value Aspect" Introducing 'new' publisher MarvelPRH! A good idea from Diamond! Further adventures with Pullbox. What our subscription service is supposed to be vs what it's turned into. "Curbside" vs "In-Store". The pitfalls of celebrity signings. Our recommended offer to exchange. You should really add Ed Brubaker's Friday HC to you want list. Our current stance on comic Kickstarters. There is no Challengers TikTok. People really want the "hot" Free Comic Book Day titles, but is it for the actual comic stories?

"Changing the Calculus" Masks are once again required in-store. Will these rising Covid numbers change Free Comic Book Day (Aug 14)? DC = Doesn't Care Constantly having to apologize to subscribers for computer errors we can't control is exhausting. Talking about it every week, even more so. Thanks, Patrons! The ever-changing due dates for Final Order Cutoff numbers. We've finalized our new mid-windows banner design.

Minimizing Chances of Failure Wearing a coat in July. Seven Sagas vol 1's. Patrick is working on the last Marvel Comics order from Diamond. Our (probable) switchover to Manage Comics looms ever closer. I'm sorry, but we're out of Pokémon cards. Again. Still. The face of your disappointment. New Challengers Greeting Card, singular. Our new carpet installation has been pushed back by 1 week. Who makes money in Comics?