Challengers Comics + Conversation’s very own Patrick Brower joins John and David for a 2-part year-end conversation about all things comics in 2025. They get into how Diamond’s fall reshaped the entire industry, what it takes to run a comic bookstore, the disappearance of customer service, and a week in the life of a Challengers comic book.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of The Corner Box vs Patrick Brower!

Timestamp Segments

• [01:13] The podcast peaks.
• [05:00] The fall of Diamond.
• [13:53] Navigating smaller margins.
• [16:57] Where is customer service?
• [19:05] Heroes World.
• [20:46] Delivery headaches.
• [25:09] David gets a card.
• [27:06] The shelf-life of a Challengers comic book.

Notable Quotes

• “Not being able to access customer service and talk to a real-live person in 2025, there’s nothing that makes me more angry than that.”
• “It’s not a New Year’s card. It’s a Christmas card.”
• “If you want people to look through stuff, hide it.”

Relevant Links

challengerscomics.com

Books Mentioned

• Kamen Rider, by Shotaro Ishinomori.
• Transformers.
• Transformers: Optimus Prime, by John Barber & Kei Zama.