Zubby Newsletter #112: Eyes Thrice Open

Posted by on May 5, 2025 No comments
Free Comic Book Day 2025 at Third Eye.

Two years ago, the new Conan the Barbarian series launched on Free Comic Book Day with our special promotional zero issue and I signed at Third Eye Comics in Annapolis, Maryland. This past weekend, I was back there again with a new FCBD issue as we rocket toward the third year of the series. Longtime friend Ray Fawkes, comic newcomer Jason Shaw, and I had a 3-hour whirlwind signing at the flagship store and easily signed over 800 books apiece. It was exhausting and invigorating. What a rush.

With writers Ray Fawkes (The Phantom) and Jason Shaw (Snow Monkey).

This was my fifth signing at Third Eye (wait, maybe my sixth – Is it good that I’m not sure?) and, each and every time, I leave with a warm feeling that, no matter how tumultuous publishing comics can be, things are going to be okay.

I’ve told many comic professionals this, but it’s well worth repeating as loud and wide as possible – If there was a shop like Third Eye Comics in every state in the U.S., the North American comic book industry would be in a completely different place – a much better place.

What Steve and Trish have managed to accomplish over the past 17 years is absolutely incredible. They have taken the buzz around pop culture – comics, superheroes, anime, manga, games, music, horror, sci-fi, alt culture – and built incredibly well curated stores that celebrate and sell on a scale I have rarely seen before. Most importantly, their staff are knowledgeable, friendly, exuberant, patient, motivated, and – wait for it – well taken care of (solid base pay, health insurance, retirement benefits) and in turn they deliver a customer experience that is top tier. That, in turn, has built a phenomenally loyal customer base that trusts their recommendations and comes out in droves for their events. It’s the kind of vibrant pop culture ecosystem that people in this business dream about, located a short drive from Baltimore and Washington DC.

Hardcore collectors, casual readers, and kids are all well served. Whatever you are into, Third Eye has it – stocked deep and sold with a sincere smile. Until you see it, it’s hard to describe.

Comic publishers, distributors, and other retailers could learn a hell of a lot from those people and their stores. I learn something new about this business every single time I visit, and you can bet I’ll be back whenever they want me there to promote my work.

Want a Signed Copy?

Speaking of well stocked, Third Eye has a limited number of extra signed copies of the CONAN: SCOURGE OF THE SERPENT Prelude and PHANTOM #0 set aside for people who couldn’t make it to their shop, and they do mail order as well, so if you want a copy for your collection, don’t miss out.

The Serpent Revealed!

Line art by Ivan Gil. Colors by João Canola.

Now that the Scourge of the Serpent Prelude issue has been released (and don’t worry, the free digital version will be arriving online soon), it’s time to start revealing some of our secrets!

Over on the official Conan website I dug in deep with Lo Terry, talking at length about my grand plan for the story and how we’re weaving three different Robert E. Howard tales together into one swirling sword & sorcery tale.

It’s ambitious, audacious even, but man oh man, it’s also a lot of fun. Ivan and João are delivering glorious artwork, sweeping readers across time, space, and sanity. The twinkle in my eye for this story has become so much more thanks to our team and I’m incredibly grateful.

D&D in a Castle Deep Dive




Hopper the Devoted and I were on a livestream last week reminiscing about D&D in a Castle and chatting about what’s coming up in November for my players headed to Castle Lumley.

One of my two tables are already sold out, but there are still seats available for my November 10-14 adventure!

Current + Upcoming Releases

  • Conan the Barbarian #19 – released March 19th.
  • Conan: Battle of the Black Stone TPB – released April 1st.
  • Rick and Morty VS Cthulhu – Deluxe Edition – released April 1st.
  • Conan the Barbarian #20 – released April 16th.
  • FCBD Conan: Scourge of the Serpent – Prelude – released May 3rd.
  • Conan the Barbarian #21 – releases June 11th.
  • Street Fighter Masters: Elena one-shot – releases June 25th.
  • Conan the Barbarian #22 – releases July 9th.

    • Upcoming Appearances

    Stacy and I are headed to England later this month for MCM Comic Con London, but the adventure doesn’t stop there – We’re hopping over to Spain for a few days so I can meet some of the amazing artists I’m working with and will be signing with Fernando Dagnino and Ivan Gil on May 31st at 7pm at the Omega Center comic shop in Madrid!

    May 23-25, 2025 London MCM Comic Con London, UK
    May 26, 2025 Forbidden Planet – Signing 2-3pm London, UK
    May 31, 2025 Omega Center – Signing 7-8pm Madrid, SPAIN
    Sep 27-28, 2025 Chattanooga Comic Con Chattanooga, TN, USA
    Oct 16-19, 2025 Gamehole Con XII Madison, WI, USA
    Nov 3-14, 2025 D&D in a Castle Castle Lumley, Newcastle, UK

    Other Links

    • Ed Zitron‘s articles on the flaws and economic pitfalls of generative AI are extensive and his latest newsletter, Reality Check, is well worth reading. “Generative AI isn’t about helping you or me do things — it’s about making new SKUs, new monthly subscription costs for consumers and enterprises, new ways to convince people to pay more for the things that they already used to be slightly different in a way that often ends up being worse.”

    • The Byte’s Noor Al-Sibai has an article about people becoming addicted to chatbot interactions, which is hard to fathom but feeds into a dystopian ‘loneliness economy’ we should not ignore.

    • Are we doing three dark article links here at the end of an upbeat newsletter? I swear, I’m in a good mood. Anyways, I also couldn’t ignore Jia Tolentino‘s latest New Yorker article called ‘My Brain Finally Broke’. It’s hauntingly well written, despite its deeply depressing subject matter.

    Jim

    Zubby Newsletter #111: Annual Adventures

    Posted by on April 29, 2025 No comments
    With the legendary Frank Miller at this year’s Calgary Expo.

    There have been 18 Calgary Comic Expos so far and I’ve been to 17 of them for good reason. Every year, it’s a fun celebration of pop culture and creators in a city that proves, time and time again, that they love comics and art…and getting to see old friends and former students is icing on top of a really wonderful cake.

    This year’s show included a surreal surprise. On Friday night, our crew had dinner with Frank Miller and I ended up sitting next to the man himself. Over a couple hours we talked about all kinds of things, including Robert E. Howard, pulp stories, and legacy characters. We also talked about lyricism and poetry, and when I mentioned I’d written a poem in the new Savage Sword of Conan #3, Frank wanted to see it.

    He carefully read it, line by line, and told me it “felt like Howard by way of Tennyson”, a massive compliment. I have a new poem arriving in Savage Sword of Conan #8, in stores this week, and he told me to send it to him once I got home.

    The next morning, Frank came by to get a copy of the new Conan the Barbarian series and we chatted long enough that he was late for his first signing of the day. I know people were waiting, but it really did feel amazing to spend that extra time and go through parts of the book with him as he lavished praise on our team-

    “When the story comes from somewhere real, you can feel it. I see the passion you guys are putting on the page. This looks great.”

    It’s the kind of interaction you always hope for when it comes to industry legends, but not something you can ever expect or plan for, and it certainly made my weekend extra special.

    A couple sketches from Calgary – Batman and Minsc + Boo.

    Outside of that, panels and hangout time with other pros at the show was a delight. I lived in Calgary over 20 years ago, and seeing how the city has grown while still being able to recommend some old spots and shops makes it feel like it wasn’t all that long ago.

    I’m seeing friends for a couple extra days, and then touching base back home long enough to check mail and do laundry before I zip over to Maryland for a big Free Comic Book Day signing at Third Eye Comics alongside my friend Ray Fawkes. If you live in the Annapolis, Baltimore, or Washington DC area, make sure you come on out to Third Eye – it’s going to be awesome!

    On The Homestretch

    With Chris dela Torre from CBC Radio’s Homestretch show.

    I was interviewed by CBC Radio’s Homestretch show at the 11 minute mark of this section of their Calgary Expo live broadcast. Give it a listen!

    At the Corner of Story & Games


    It’s always a blast talking with Gerald at The Corner of Story & Games. This time we cover writing craft, navigating creative industries, working with existing IPs, and things I wish I’d known when I was starting out. Check it out!

    Current + Upcoming Releases

  • Thunderbolts: Winter Soldiers – released March 4th.
  • Conan the Barbarian #19 – released March 19th.
  • Conan: Battle of the Black Stone TPB – released April 1st.
  • Rick and Morty VS Cthulhu – Deluxe Edition – released April 1st.
  • Conan the Barbarian #20 – released April 16th.
  • FCBD Conan: Scourge of the Serpent – Prelude – releases May 3rd.
  • Conan the Barbarian #21 – releases June 11th.
  • Street Fighter Masters: Elena one-shot – releases June 25th.
  • Conan the Barbarian #22 – releases July 9th.

    • Upcoming Appearances

    May 3, 2025 Third Eye Comics – Signing 9am-Noon Annapolis, MD, USA
    May 23-25, 2025 London MCM Comic Con London, UK
    May 26, 2025 Forbidden Planet – Signing 2-3pm London, UK
    Oct 16-19, 2025 Gamehole Con XII Madison, WI, USA
    Nov 3-14, 2025 D&D in a Castle Castle Lumley, Newcastle, UK

    Other Links

    • Why is Call of Cthulhu Japan’s favorite tabletop roleplaying game? Weird Place has a nice overview video on its popularity well worth checking out.

    • Artist Jake Parker has a rundown on how to improve comic storytelling from page rough to final. Solid critique that is useful for any aspiring artist.

    Jim

    Zubby Newsletter #110: Slow & Fast

    Posted by on April 22, 2025 No comments

    The past week has been simultaneously slow and fast – Slow to recover from jet lag and a head cold I picked up after traveling halfway around the world, and fast in terms of work still needing to get done, deadlines we had to meet before Stacy and I jump on a plane tomorrow to Calgary for the annual Comic & Entertainment Expo happening this weekend. Thankfully, those deadlines have been met and luggage is laid out behind me in a state of ‘mostly packed’ that will become ‘fully packed’ once the last load of laundry is done.

    Even though my Seneca staff account shut down on Monday, quietly marking the end of an era, it certainly doesn’t feel like life has slowed in any way, shape, or form. If anything, things are busier than they have been in quite a while. Stacy has a couple new projects she’s excitedly diving into, which means both of us have been clickety-clacking away on keyboards here at home, touching base for morning tea, lunch, and dinner but otherwise focused on deadlines and deliverables.

    I’d like to say that things will slow down in May but, when you scroll down to upcoming appearances you’ll see that isn’t true either…Right now, June looks reasonable, so we’ll go with that. 🙂

    The Tale of Four: Zula in Conan the Barbarian


    The official Conan the Barbarian website has a new article all about Zula’s return and how I’m weaving together multiple narrative sources to create a new version of a fan favorite character. Read on, adventurers, and make sure you snag issue #20, which came out last week!

    Interviewed In India

    While at Mumbai Comic Con, I spoke to PTI, India’s largest news agency. They used sound bites on TV and just posted the full interview on their YouTube channel. We talk about the entertainment industry, conventions, creating fictional characters, teaching, and AI.

    I also spoke to Arindam at a YouTube channel called Indian Nerve and had a text interview all about the use of AI and creativity printed in India’s Economic Times.

    Current + Upcoming Releases

  • Thunderbolts: Winter Soldiers – released March 4th.
  • Conan the Barbarian #19 – released March 19th.
  • Conan: Battle of the Black Stone TPB – released April 1st.
  • Rick and Morty VS Cthulhu – Deluxe Edition – released April 1st.
  • Conan the Barbarian #20 – released April 16th.
  • FCBD Conan: Scourge of the Serpent – Prelude – releases May 3rd.
  • Conan the Barbarian #21 – releases June 11th.
  • Street Fighter Masters: Elena one-shot – releases June 25th.
  • Conan the Barbarian #22 – releases July 9th.

    • Upcoming Appearances


    Thrilled to announce that I’m back at MCM Comic Con London on May 23-25, 2025 – Bring your Conan the Barbarian and other Zub books to get ’em signed in jolly ol’ England!

    Apr 24-27, 2025 Calgary Expo Calgary, Alberta, CANADA
    May 3, 2025 Third Eye Comics – Signing 9am-Noon Annapolis, MD, USA
    May 23-25, 2025 London MCM Comic Con London, UK
    May 26, 2025 Forbidden Planet – Signing 2-3pm London, UK
    Oct 16-19, 2025 Gamehole Con XII Madison, WI, USA
    Nov 3-14, 2025 D&D in a Castle Castle Lumley, Newcastle, UK

    Other Links

    • Over on the Proko channel, painter Erik Gist talks about how to illustrate covers – composition, clarity, and storytelling. A good look at important skills that help sell books.

    • Matt Levin continues posting wonderful comic book content. This time he talks about the origin of Blacksad, one of the finest comics ever produced with animation-influenced art that is second to none. Just watching this video makes me want to go back and reread them all.

    • LEEP Gaming has a solid video explaining how Bloodborne learns from and improves upon the core gameplay from Dark Souls to create a satisfying game experience. Bloodborne’s 10th anniversary was a few weeks ago and I’ve been thinking about jumping in for a replay. Check out my ramblings about why I like Souls games way back in Zubby Newsletter #8.

    • Dan at the Conan Chronology has a well-sourced long form article all about the legacy of Savage Sword of Conan magazine.

    Jim

    Conan the Barbarian #20 Reviews

    Posted by on April 21, 2025 No comments

    Conan the Barbarian #20 is the final part of arc 5, Twisting Loyalties, filled to the brim with action and intrigue. What did critics think of it?

    • Comic Book Corner 2.0: Grade A “This book is really good…I love the action, I love the fighting, and I love how it’s just barbaric!”

    • Comical Opinions: 10/10 “Jim Zub’s voice for Conan and reverence for Robert E. Howard style are in top form and Doug Braithwaite’s art is fantastic and maybe even better than we’ve seen before.”

    • Cool Thunder: 10/10 “Jim Zub continues to prove he was born to write Conan. His work here stands among the best the franchise has ever seen—layered, character-driven, and true to the spirit of the Hyborian Age. Paired with Doug Braithwaite’s stunning artwork, which is nothing short of breathtaking, this issue is nearly impossible to put down. Every panel feels alive with grit, motion, and emotion.”

    • DC Patrol: “Well written, beautifully executed. I love every page of this…I’m gushing.”

    • Dragon’s Cache: 9.4/10 “Doug Braithwaite packs Conan The Barbarian #20 with furious action. Like fast cuts in a movie, the panels lead the eye from one camera view to another…Diego Rodriguez wields a series of limited color palettes in fight sequences.”

    • Eternal Crusader: “I consider Doug Braithwaite’s work on this issue his strongest so far. He started at a very high level, but he has since refined his craft further. I was pleased to see him incorporate more shadows into his panels, adding depth and making the characters appear more three-dimensional. The issue is packed with intricate details, lavish panels, and dynamic action sequences.”

    • Evan the Architect: “Another fantastic issue on this title…Jim Zub has made me a die hard fan of Conan and his world.”

    • Goodreads: 10/10 ” Stellar and impactful art from Braithwaite, always captures the fury of battle and calm dramatic moments…It’s endearing, and in good hands.”

    • League of Comic Geeks: 10/10 “This issue is a masterclass in sword-and-sorcery storytelling. If you’re not reading Conan the Barbarian right now, you’re missing one of the genre’s finest modern runs.”

    • Mighty Thorngren: “So much in this book was entertaining and made me happy…I had a good time reading this and look forward to the next issue, which can’t come soon enough.”

    • Nerd Initiative: 10/10 “The best compliment I can give it is that it feels exactly like old school Conan comics you were buying off the spinner rack…Fantastic art, cool story, get it!”

    • Professor Frenzy: “This has been an awesome book, an awesome run and, as long as it keeps doing this, I am absolutely in.”

    • Sci-Fi Pulse: 9.7/10 “Jim Zub continues to captivate me with his stories of Conan the Barbarian and his many adventures. The comic stays true to the novels I remember reading in the 1980s”

    • Stygian Dogs: “Conan the Barbarian #20 is a thunderous, sword-swinging spectacle with deep time-spanning lore that will be appreciated by fans of Robert E. Howard’s characters in comic book form.”

    • Sword & Sorcery Book Club: “Doug Braithwaite did a good job with the artwork here, Rodriguez’s colors were pretty stunning this time, and I enjoyed the story a lot. I thought the twist with the Zula character were pretty nice, I enjoyed the exorcism aspect, I enjoyed the fact that they battled the spirit and I like where the story is going.”

    • Thinking Critical: “Pick of the Week…I love it, it’s absolutely gorgeous and well told, and this is probably the best illustrated issue of Conan by Doug Braithwaite. He’s already a great artist, but I think his art in Conan is getting stronger.”

    • Two Guys and a Stack of Comics: “No matter what’s happening there’s such good action, such great art on each page from Doug Braithwaite in this comic book and it fully embraces who Conan is.”

    Zub at the Calgary Expo 2025!

    Posted by on April 21, 2025 No comments

    I’m at the Calgary Comics & Entertainment Expo on April 24-27, 2025. It’s one of my favorite shows each year so if you’re headed to the show, I hope to see you there! I’ll be set-up with the Comic Sketch Art crew at:

    BMO CENTRE – ARTIST ALLEY TABLE Section P20-P36


    The Expo started in 2006 and I have only missed one show across all those years. Watching it grow and seeing friends and fans, year after year, is always a pleasure.

    In addition to being at my table, I’m also on a panel Thursday:
    THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 2025 – 6:00pm – REINVENTING CHARACTERS – Theatre 5 (Room 209)
    Join our esteemed panel of writers as they explore the ups and downs of reinventing popular characters for new audiences. Panelists: Jason Aaron, Cecil Castellucci, Stephanie Gerk, Mark Russell, Jim Zub.

    Zubby Newsletter #109: Travel Changes You

    Posted by on April 16, 2025 No comments
    The Gateway of India in Mumbai.

    Travel changes you.

    I’ve told my students that for years and even now, after attending around 200 conventions all over the world, it still holds true. The moment you move outside the places you know and experience other countries and other cultures, you expand your understanding of our shared humanity and see how the place you grew up helped shape who you are.

    Traveling to India for the first time was wonderful, but intense. If my schedule wasn’t so stacked right now I would’ve loved to stay longer and see more, but even this quick tour and convention was still a real eye-opener. Mumbai is a bustling, vibrant city jam-packed with colorful sights. It’s also summertime right now, so the weather was extremely hot and humid, which slowed us down on our tour day, but it still made a really big impression on me.

    Great food, great conversations, and quite a few ‘How did all this even happen?’ pinch me moments. Six days across the world and back is a rough schedule and I know jet lag is going to have its grip on me for days to come, but it was worth it.

    My incredible booth set-up at Mumbai Comic Con

    Mumbai Comic Con was absolutely wild. It was one of the busiest and most passionate shows I have ever experienced in my 20+ years of conventions. I am gob smacked at the fandom there. The economics of everything in India is different from North America, so as a creator you need to adjust expectations on that front, but as a social and travel experience it was top notch and incredibly enriching.

    Unexpectedly, I was a huge draw at the show. I didn’t realize that the span of projects I’ve worked on would have such international appeal, but looking in the rearview mirror after the show it sort of makes sense – Marvel superheroes, Dungeons & Dragons, Conan the Barbarian, Rick and Morty, and Samurai Jack. Obviously I didn’t create those properties, but I’ve contributed to all of them and so fans from India came out in a big way to show their excitement and appreciation. In many ways, I was a one-stop shop for both younger and older fans. It was so crazy-busy on the show floor that volunteers had to form a human ring around Rob DenBleyker (Cyanide & Happiness, huge with the online crowd) and I to get us to our booths or out to the green room for lunch. I have never experienced anything like that before. I’m not stating that to brag, honestly, the whole thing was amazing and also mind-numbing.

    The Comic Con India staff worked their butts off to keep the event running smooth and I could see a lot of shared values and bonds between them that reminded me of the original Calgary Expo crew, a show put together by one of my closest friends that earned its excellent reputation. That’s the best compliment I can give – the hospitality and hard work in Mumbai reminded me of some of my favorite convention experiences and is now right up there with them.

    All in all, it was one heck of an adventure. I’m so thankful I was able to experience it and now have advice for other creators who might be interested in heading to India for conventions in the future.

    One of the many sketches I did for fans and staff at the show.

    Indian Comic Creators – Info and Links

    With Ravi Raj Ahuja, Bijoy Raveendran, and Utsab Chatterjee – The Technicolour Lovers team.

    One of the other nice surprises at the con was getting to meet other creators in India, both independant and commercial. I wish I had more time to explore and meet local creators at the show, but here are a few highlights:

    • The crew at Black Sheep Comics and Yali Dream Creations had copies of Technicolour Lovers at the show and it looks absolutely top notch. Make sure you check out the preview pages and, if you’re as impressed as I was, snag a copy for yourself.

    • Vivek Goel was inspired by Marc Silvestri‘s company Top Cow Entertainment and, since India reveers cows as sacred, his comic company is called Holy Cow Entertainment, and they have a slew of original titles worth checking out.

    • Rosh is an award-winning artist and colorist and his wife Lilo is a fashion designer. Together they have a fantastic selection of sketchbook bags and other art supplies at their website LILOROSH.

    • Tadam Gyadu is the artist of Spider-Man: India, producing amazing artwork locally and abroad. Check his art out!

    • Aparna Chaurasia gifted me a copy of Soul Contract, her manga-style graphic novel and it looks great!

    Twisting Loyalties and the Road Ahead

    Zula makes his Titan debut – line art by Doug Braithwaite, colors by Diego Rodriguez, lettering by Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith.

    Today sees the arrival of Conan the Barbarian #20, the final part of our Twisting Loyalties story arc! Doug, Diego, and the rest of the team put their all into every damn page. I am so, so proud of our work here. Please grab your own copy and let us know what you think.

    Now that we’re a month removed from the previous issue, I can spoil that Zula is back. He’s a fan favorite character from the original Marvel run who was adapted into a female version in the Conan the Destroyer movie. Like with introducing the iconic Atlantean Sword into comic continuity, I’m working to merge pop culture visions of Conan together into a somewhat cohesive whole, so expect to see multiple versions of Zula work their way into the story in ways readers may not expect. Issue #19 even has tabletop roleplaying game stats for Zula included, a bit of cross promotion with the Conan: The Hyborian Age TTRPG.

    Twisting Loyalties is transitional in some ways, setting up chess pieces for future moves in the big mythic story I’m building in the monthly flagship book and yearly events, but I wanted to make sure that the adventures here also had pulpy power all on their own. That’s the tricky balance we’re trying to keep and so far readers are responding well.

    Conan the Barbarian #20 sneak peek.

    Current + Upcoming Releases


    With the sale of Diamond Distribution there have been shipping delays and hassles galore across the comic industry, but it looks like things are set to improve with new ownership and new options, including Lunar. We’ve been on time, production-wise, but to keep from having a gap mid-story arc as ownership changes hands, it looks like Titan is delaying the release of Conan the Barbarian #21 by one month, from May to June. Thankfully, with Free Comic Book Day we’ll still have a May release, our free Scourge of the Serpent Prelude issue. Don’t miss it!

  • Thunderbolts: Winter Soldiers – released March 4th.
  • Conan the Barbarian #19 – released March 19th.
  • Conan: Battle of the Black Stone TPB – released April 1st.
  • Rick and Morty VS Cthulhu – Deluxe Edition – released April 1st.
  • Conan the Barbarian #20 – released April 16th.
  • FCBD Conan: Scourge of the Serpent – Prelude – releases May 3rd.
  • Conan the Barbarian #21 – releases June 11th.
  • Street Fighter Masters: Elena one-shot – releases June 25th.
  • Conan the Barbarian #22 – releases July 9th.

    • Upcoming Appearances

    Apr 24-27, 2025 Calgary Expo Calgary, Alberta, CANADA
    May 3, 2025 Third Eye Comics – FCBD Signing Annapolis, MD, USA
    Oct 16-19, 2025 Gamehole Con XII Madison, WI, USA
    Nov 3-14, 2025 D&D in a Castle Castle Lumley, Newcastle, UK

    Other Links

    • Stacy is over the moon for the upcoming Murderbot TV series coming to Apple+ next month and has been feverishly watching the new trailer. I hope it’s just as sharp as the novella source material by Martha Wells.

    • Superman writer Josh Williamson has a great chat with Sal over at Comic Pop. His straight forward advice and practical understanding of how the business works is bang-on.

    • My buddy Ron Marz has a new campaign on Zoop for a Shinku comic series collection, a creator-owned book that came out not too long after Skullkickers back in the day. It’ll be nice to finally have as much of this story available as possible, with artwork by the late-great Lee Moder.

    • Mike Dargie, one of my old friends from Calgary when I first started teaching animation, has a new book coming out called Brandjitsu all about creative branding and business.

    Jim

    Zubby Newsletter #108: Globetrotting

    Posted by on April 10, 2025 No comments
    In the Delhi Airport waiting for my flight to Mumbai.

    16 hours travel time and I’ve arrived in India. I managed to get some sleep on the plane and feel a bit spacey but not too bad so far. I’m going to crash out early and try to reset in the morning to match local time as best I can. Fingers crossed.

    Every time I’ve been fortunate enough to go on one of these international convention trips, the surrealness of it all really hits me. Traveling the world because of comics, stories, and games. It’s the kind of thing I didn’t even dream about when I was younger because it never even crossed my mind that it might be possible to do this as a career. As far as I could tell back then, in order to do comics you either had to live in New York City or be brilliant and British.

    I’ve said it many times, but it’s still true – meeting the people who worked on superhero stories, or D&D, or Conan the Barbarian would have been mind-blowing enough for this kid. Actually doing this, year after year, and getting to meet fans and fellow creators in so many places – Let me never take this for granted.

    Swords & Larceny Arrives in September

    I have a short story in the upcoming prose anthology Swords & Larceny alongside a slew of amazing industry authors and friends, including John C. Hocking (Conan: City of the Dead) and Mark Finn (Blood & Thunder), with a cover by the amazing Todd Lockwood.

    Make sure you PRE-ORDER now to ensure you get your copy in September!

    —
    Even the most flawless plans have a way of unraveling. When the stakes are high and the odds are stacked, only the cleverest and most daring will make it out with the prize. Thirteen daring tales of fantasy heists and high-stakes capers—where charm is as sharp as steel, and the score of a lifetime is just one misstep away.

    Conan Chatter at Comic Shenanigans

    Always wonderful to chat with Adam at Comic Shenanigans. This time we dive in deep on Conan the Barbarian, Battle of the Black Stone, Scourge of the Serpent, other Robert E. Howard characters, Free Comic Book Day promotion, working with Jonas Scharf, Ivan Gil, readers getting their money’s worth every issue, the intensity of Frozen Faith, doing conventions with Comic Sketch Art, Skullkickers, Thunderbolts, and more!

    You can listen to our previous conversations here: Episodes 368,794, 986, and 1022.

    Traversing Epic Realms

    I had a fun chat with Nick over at Epic Realms. We talk up a storm about growing up nerdy, how my love of comics and gaming are intrisincally tied together, Skullkickers, Dungeons & Dragons, the Thunderbolts movie and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, source material, Conan the Barbarian, and more!

    Current + Upcoming Releases

  • Conan the Barbarian Vol. 4: Frozen Faith TPB – released February 19th.
  • Conan the Barbarian #18 – released February 19th.
  • Thunderbolts: Winter Soldiers – released March 4th.
  • Conan the Barbarian #19 – released March 19th.
  • Conan: Battle of the Black Stone TPB – released April 1st.
  • Rick and Morty VS Cthulhu – Deluxe Edition – released April 1st.
  • Conan the Barbarian #20 – releases April 16th.
  • FCBD Conan: Scourge of the Serpent – Prelude – releases May 3rd.
  • Conan the Barbarian #21 – releases May 14th.

    • Upcoming Appearances

    Apr 12-13, 2025 Mumbai Comic Con Mumbai, INDIA
    Apr 24-27, 2025 Calgary Expo Calgary, Alberta, CANADA
    May 3, 2025 Third Eye Comics – FCBD Signing Annapolis, MD, USA
    Oct 16-19, 2025 Gamehole Con XII Madison, WI, USA
    Nov 3-14, 2025 D&D in a Castle Castle Lumley, Newcastle, UK

    Other Links

    • My friend Karl Kerschl has a new crowdfunding campaign coming up for his creator-owned comic called Death Transit Magpie and he and Andy Belanger also have a new YouTube channel where they’re discussing classic comics and their influences that is a lot of fun.

    • Legendary Dungeons & Dragons illustrator Jeff Easley has a big art book funding over on Kickstarter. His artwork for gamebooks through the 80’s and 90’s helped set the vision for D&D.

    • If you enjoyed The Expanse as much as Stacy and I did, you’ll definitely want to check out the continuation being put together in graphic novels, the latest of which is being written by my friend Andy Diggle.

    Jim

    Zub at Mumbai Comic Con 2025!

    Posted by on April 7, 2025 No comments

    I’m going on an international adventure, heading to India for the first time for Mumbai Comic Con 2025 at the Jio World Convention Centre on April 12th and 13th!

    I’m one of two international comic guests for the show and am really excited to see somewhere new and meet fans of Marvel superheroes, Dungeons & Dragons, Rick and Morty, and Conan the Barbarian!

    In addition to signing times at my table, on Sunday, April 13th I have a panel on the main stage-

    2:45pm – Comic Con Special Session With Jim Zub – Witness legendary writer & artist Jim Zub take the stage as he brings his epic storytelling magic—from Marvel & DC to Conan the Barbarian to life!

    Conan: Battle of the Black Stone is Available Now!

    Posted by on April 1, 2025 No comments

    CONAN: BATTLE OF THE BLACK STONE is now available in trade paperback wherever fine books are sold! This volume includes the complete 4-issue mini-series and our special prelude issue, along with essays about pulp storytelling and the works of Robert E. Howard.

    Conan of Cimmeria is haunted by shadows, living nightmares connected to a mysterious eye symbol etched in black stone.

    An unspeakable evil looms over the Hyborian Age and every age connected to it… and it will take more than a lone barbarian to stop its relentless march upon time, space, and sanity.

    Battle of the Black Stone is an epic new Conan event published by Heroic Signatures and Titan Comics, from Jim Zub (Conan the Barbarian, Dungeons & Dragons) and artist Jonas Scharf (Dark X-Men, Basilisk).

    • 9 Panel Grid: “I had a lot of fun with this series. This was really quick, really exciting, really action-packed, and I think the star of this has been Jonas Scharf and the colorist…It kicked the doors wide open for Conan to explore the cosmic horror side of his universe.”

    • Comic Book Dispatch: 9.8/10 “Jão Canola’s otherworldly fire burns yellow and green, threatening to consume John Kirowan, Soloman Kane, and Brissa like Human torches. The fire tinges the forest orange and fills the background with darkness…When the Black Stone’s power proves too powerful for stalwart warriors to combat, a scholar’s thirst for knowledge and a writer’s imagination prove pivotal in defeating a mind-consuming power.”

    • Comic Culture: “I loved it. It was handled so well…So many characters in the group had their moments, which I thought was really good…Well worth it if you’re not already checking it out.”

    • Comical Opinions: 10/10 “It’s one thing to start a mini-series on a decent note and finish strong, but it’s another to start strong and end on a phenomenal note….Jim Zub imagines a battle for the ages that requires our heroes to fight, sacrifice, and die to save the world, and Jonas Scharf’s artwork is pulp magnificence.”

    • Cool Thunder: 9.8/10 “The conclusion to the Battle of Black Stone is nothing short of spectacular, delivering a thrilling, action-packed narrative that seamlessly weaves together the interconnected stories of its characters.”

    • DC Patrol: “This is amazing – they nailed it! Four issues and look at the story that’s told…I adored every moment of it.”

    • Gaming Trend: 9.2/10 “It’s a perfect combination of fantasy action and mystery that I found almost impossible to put down. From intense fight scenes with an eldritch foe the likes of which none of our heroes have faced, to surprisingly tender moments between Conan and a long-lost ally, to shocking twists that genuinely caught me by surprise, this story has everything. “

    • Good Reads: 5/5 “There is nothing but pure payoff here from page one. If you find yourself disappointed by other series having poor or unsatisfying conclusions, look no further than Conan mainline or Black Stone.”

    • IPauleyxx: “…a love letter to fans of the Barbarian, offering something for newcomers and seasoned readers alike. Its perfect blend of legacy, innovation, and thrilling surprises makes it a must-read for anyone who relishes high-adventure comics.”

    • League of the Comic Geeks: “Howard’s heroes bounce off of eachother surprisingly well and Scharf gives the book some incredible action.”

    • Mighty Thorngren: “I had such a blast with this book. It was so cool. I have throughly enjoyed this series and I hope that we see the further adventures of all the characters in these books…This kicked as, all four of them together were wonderful and this was a great finale.”

    • Mr. Multiverse: “The comic has this epic feel to it, and it is a massive love letter to the Howardverse…This event was really cool.”

    • Quest Wise: “It is brilliantly told. It is wonderfully written. I truly believe that if Robert Howard were alive today, he would be proud of Battle of the Black Stone…The writing in this is amazing. The artwork is beautiful. It just flows very well. There are ups and downs and ‘Oh My God’ moments, all in four issues.”

    • Stygian Dogs: “Fantastic stuff!…The awesome action and cosmic horror aside, the success of Jim Zub and Jonas Scharf’s event series has been the creative integration of Howard’s pantheon of characters into an exciting experiment of enrichment.”

    • Super Hero Hype: “The Battle of the Black Stone comic was an event undreamed of…However, the comic still managed one last surprise for readers in the final chapter with the reveal of the series’ ultimate villain.”

    • Thinking Critical: “This was a lot of fun. Action-packed, character building…If you’re not reading Conan and everything from Titan Comics, hop on the train, you will not be disappointed. These are truly great legacy characters.”

    Zubby Newsletter #107: Make It Happen

    Posted by on March 31, 2025 No comments

    Luc Forsyth‘s video titled “If You’re Creative But Lazy, Please Watch This” is BANG-ON.

    ‘Action Over Everything Else’ is a critical attitude to have. Watch and learn-

    This. This. This.

    My creative career leapt forward as soon as I started doing instead of stockpiling plans and looking for the ‘right’ moment to start. There is no inevitable success, but improvement and personal satisfaction comes from consistently doing and building good creative habits.

    I’ve known way too many people who paralyse themselves with learning about learning or planning the plan and never finish anything, because they’re afraid of being judged on the result and coming up short. It’s a self defeating cycle because actual improvement only happens with experience and if you don’t do the actual thing, over and over, you are not building that experience.

    Luc covers some absolutely crucial ways of looking at a creative skillset – finding time, setting realistic goals, building momentum and incremental improvement that leads to actual growth.

    A lot of people seem to understand the importance of practice and habit when it comes to physical pursuits, being an athelete or dancer, but they have a blind spot around the same mentality for other creative pursuits – art, writing, music, acting, photography, filmmaking. It is the same. The sooner you get into the habit of creating on a regular basis, the sooner you will be able to see progress, no matter where that path may lead.

    Deep Archives

    Excerpt from Conan the Barbarian #7 (2024) – Line art by Doug Braithwaite, colors by Diego Rodruiguez, lettering by Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith.

    Speaking of seeing progress, over on my Patreon there are now over 320 scripts in the archive, work from almost every major comic publisher in North America that you can check out and compare my script to the published version to better understand how comics are created, step by step. All those scripts, plus Q+A’s and other resources all available for the price of a fancy coffee. Check it out!

    Upcoming Hyborian Adventures

    Conan the Barbarian #21 (2025) artwork by Fernando Dagnino, colors by Diego Rodriguez.

    Eagle-eyed Conan fans noticed that a few unlettered preview pages of Fernando Dagnino artwork were incuded with the pre-order listing for Conan the Barbarian Vol. 6: A Nest of Serpents and they’ve been excitedly posting them up on Conan fan groups, so I thought I’d put a link to those here so readers can see how wonderful the story arc coming in a few months is going to look.

    Fernando is a massive Conan fan, he’s bringing his absolute best to the series, and I can’t wait for you to see how this story kicks off! Just this morning he sent over character designs for an upcoming issue and they are stellar. I feel so fortunate that I get to work with so many phenomenal artists and that they’re just as passionate about these stories as I am.

    Talking to Black Gate


    I spoke to Ismail Soldan at Black Gate: Adventures In Fantasy Literature all about working on Conan the Barbarian and the importance of the character’s legacy in prose and comics.

    Current + Upcoming Releases

  • Conan the Barbarian Vol. 4: Frozen Faith TPB – released February 19th.
  • Conan the Barbarian #18 – released February 19th.
  • Thunderbolts: Winter Soldiers – released March 4th.
  • Conan the Barbarian #19 – released March 19th.
  • Conan: Battle of the Black Stone TPB – releases April 1st.
  • Rick and Morty VS Cthulhu – Deluxe Edition – releases April 1st.
  • Conan the Barbarian #20 – releases April 16th.
  • FCBD Conan: Scourge of the Serpent – Prelude – releases May 3rd.
  • Conan the Barbarian #21 – releases May 14th.

    • Upcoming Appearances

    Apr 12-13, 2025 Mumbai Comic Con Mumbai, INDIA
    Apr 24-27, 2025 Calgary Expo Calgary, Alberta, CANADA
    May 3, 2025 Third Eye Comics – FCBD Signing Annapolis, MD, USA
    Nov 3-14, 2025 D&D in a Castle Castle Lumley, Newcastle, UK

    Other Links

    • With economic struggles happening everywhere, we’re seeing more GoFundMe campaigns popping up for older American comic creators who have fallen upon hard times. I try to signal boost these fundraising campaigns when I can. Mike W. Barr (Camelot 3000, Batman and the Outsiders), Thomas Tenney (West Coast Avengers, Iron Man), and Peter David (Incredible Hulk, Star Trek) are all in need right now, so if you’re able to help and/or spread the word wider, please do so.

    • Alex Segura, Sara Century, and Patrick Kennedy have a new comic online called The Forgotten Five, all about a strange new superhero group on the run from the government. It’s paced like a classic comic strip serial with a fun retro style to match.

    • Bill Cavalier chats with the official Conan the Barbarian website all about how Robert E. Howard’s work influenced the creation of Dungeons & Dragons.

    Jim