Episode 3.10: Challengers Comics + Conversation (Windy City Part 1)

Host Anthony Desiato shares some momentous Flat Squirrel news before sitting down with Patrick Brower, co-owner of the Eisner Award-winning Challengers Comics + Conversation in Chicago. Living up to the "Conversation" part of the store's name, Anthony and Patrick discuss how and why Challengers nurtures comic book fans and readers rather than collectors. This episode is Part 1 of a two-episode visit to the Windy City.

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About the Podcast

My Comic Shop History

A Podcast from the Director of My Comic Shop Country

My Comic Shop History is a podcast hosted by filmmaker Anthony Desiato (My Comic Shop DocumentARy, My Comic Shop Country) exploring the culture, business, and fandom of the comics retail industry. In Season 1, New York's Alternate Realities closed after 23 years in operation, a community united to say farewell, and a podcast was born. The series continued with deep dives into collecting (Season 2), national comics retail (Season 3), conventions (Season 4), and Westchester County's lost shops (Season 5). In 2021, "The LongAR Halloween" reunited the Alternate Realities gang in a yearlong, holiday-themed series. In 2022, My Comic Shop History presented a pair of multi-part events showcasing Fat Moose Comics ("Oldest in New Jersey") and Acme Comics ("The Once and Future Lord Retail"). Now, in 2023, the podcast signs off with a quarterly farewell event, "For All Seasons," which considers the legacy of Alternate Realities almost a decade after its closing.

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About your host

Anthony Desiato

Anthony Desiato, owner and founder of Flat Squirrel Productions, is a lifelong Superman fan, documentary filmmaker (MY COMIC SHOP COUNTRY), and podcaster. He hosts a network of podcasts including: DIGGING FOR KRYPTONITE, ANOTHER EXCITING EPISODE IN THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN, SUMMONING THE ZORDS, and MY COMIC SHOP HISTORY.