**An hour after we recorded this episode, our River North location was looted. So we start there and then go to the beginning of the episode** (It was actually looted 6 different times during the night, but that happened after our post script) How have DC Comics' recent actions impacted us THIS week? Customers ignoring our pandemic procedures. Reopening for in-store shopping (this Wednesday!) T-Shirt Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/challengers/keep-reading-comics-t-shirt-designed-by-gene-ha/ Comics Fists Face Mask: https://challengers.threadless.com/designs/comics-fists-mask Comics are back, so of course speculators are also back. Avengers #33 is SO GOOD! The passing of a subscriber. Patrick injury update and losing his Mom to Alzheimer's (http://rememberingfrances.com). Thank you, Patrons!

Guess what? Patrick’s leg still hurts. Welcome, all you Kamen Rider message board fans! Preparing to re-open for in-store business, but then, not. How DC Comics keeps making life so much harder for us. DC subscription management issues. Challengers Blue is done. Blue bookshelves for sale!! Making more by selling less? The first New Comic Wednesday in 2 months. IS the market stronger with subscribers, or without? Shopify fun!

Not quite a full episode, but to be honest we've had less coherent ones. More like 30 minutes of Patrick rambling about how much his leg hurts. Some comic things are discussed, but we’ll (hopefully) be back next week with a full rundown of current events, and Dal. Plus, new blinds! Thanks, Drew & Ashleigh!!

How filming a dumb IG video put Patrick in the hospital for a few days this week. New comics May 20th for sure! DC wants their books to be released on Tuesdays. Too bad, DC. Which day is the ideal day for new releases? Marvel’s temporary staggered release schedule. Marvel’s new digital first initiative. Sorry, Hawkeye, Ant-Man and Star fans. Patron comments. What DO we think of Chris Jericho? Curse Words has a massive new Kickstarter happening right now!

Mental health check-in! Do you want us to ask how you’re doing? Shipping delays are now the norm for all businesses. Our Challengers facemasks arrived! And they are… um, masks. When our in-store inventory doesn’t match our Shopify inventory. Local pick-up shifts from Chicago Board Game Café to Challengers Bucktown starting Monday, May 4th. Our self-imposed rules for our IG videos. Thanks, Patrons! Kenny Omega is a pumpkin-headed dip$#!t!

How do you display your action figures and their accessories? Updates to DC Comics’ new distribution plans and Diamond. Our new online Shopify store is LIVE! https://challengers-comics.myshopify.com/ New Bucktown Pick-Up hours for May. And how the extended Illinois shelter-in-place will change what we’re doing. Explaining to our landlord the impact this all has on our business. The ever-changing release schedule for super-hero movies.

Why we no longer swear on this podcast (for now). The Friday News Dump. DC Comics’ new distribution plan/ultimatum. Keeping you (and us) safe when we’re allowed to re-open. Challengers masks! How creators are helping retailers. Our new Shopify online store. Making stupid videos to connect with the people we can’t see in-store. Thanks to Chicago Board Game Café!

The Comics Industry is Broken Comics are great! The comics industry isn’t. Comics distribution 40 years ago vs Today. Ordering comics in October 1981. When Back Issues were king. #LibcomixRA Wednesdays: Boost Your Local Comic Shop The adjusted Diamond shipping schedule (for now). No events for the foreseeable future, even after we open back up. Football talk?? Weird.

Sticking to our weekly routines. Still NO new comics, When the Illinois stay-at-home is lifted, what will be better for us…      A. Opening back up BEFORE Diamond resumes shipping new comics?      B. Opening back up AFTER Diamond resumes shipping new comics?      C. Opening back up AT THE SAME TIME Diamond resumes shipping new comics? Marvel and DC delay their digital releases, for a bit… Diamond’s financial woes. What would a (hypothetical) future without Diamond/single-issue-comics look like for Challengers? Comic Hub as a point-of-sale program. Comic Hub as a digital comics platform.

Part of this was recorded as Patrick and Dal hand-delivered comics to people in Chicago! And by “hand-delivered” we mean left on porches at a respectable distance. Some comic book publishers are trying to work around the fact that printers are shut down and Diamond is no longer accepting comics. How Blackmask, TKO Studios and Vault are helping retailers. Thanks, Patrons! Some very supportive people have recently bought Challengers Gift Cards online. We have yet to see the money from those purchases. Here’s why.