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15 Canadian Comic Book Creators You Should Know – on CBC

I’m thrilled to have been included in the CBC profile article on 15 Canadian comic book creators you should know. Thanks for the support!

Year In Review

I’ve been writing these ‘Year In Review’ posts since 2010, and each time I try to summarize what’s happening in my life and the gratitude I have for all these incredible experiences.

2018 was intense but saying that at this point feels redundant. They’ve all been intense. Intense is now normal, I think I’m just better capable of handling it.

That was kind of the theme this year – This is crazy but somehow, we press on and make it work.

At Seneca we’re lining up our Animation program review for 2019, and it looks like big changes will be happening again as part of that process. It’s hard to believe I’ve been coordinator of the program for 12 years. I’m proud that we keep innovating, making improvements to keep the courses relevant and make sure our grads are ready to go out and kick butt in the industry. I’ve been here long enough now that some of our grads are coming back to teach as well and that’s a surreal and gratifying experience.

The new subway stop at York University has completely changed how I get to school for teaching. Instead of grinding my way through traffic and worrying about parking, I start my days by reading my lecture notes or catching up on comics. It’s been transformative and cut down on stress that used to eat into my day.

Speaking of reducing stress, I started working out in late July and it’s helped me keep moving so my sedentary jobs don’t continue to wreck my neck and back. I feel better than I have in years and I’ve lost a bit of weight too, so that’s been exciting and unexpected.

Stacy and I did the regular convention circuit in North America and also traveled to Johannesburg and Vienna. Zipping around the world for comic conventions, balancing work and sightseeing, is becoming a reality and it’s something I hope we get to keep pursuing in 2019 and beyond.

Creatively, 2018 was mind-boggling:

Hey Jim, how would you like to co-write the world’s biggest superhero team while their new billion-dollar movie comes out? While that’s going on, how about co-writing a crossover between one of the hottest cartoons on TV and your favorite hobby, the one that inspired you to become a writer in the first place? Just for good measure, how about taking the reins on a new generation of young heroes to guide their formative years?

Yeah.

I look at that insane rundown of releases and I’d say I could hardly believe it, but I’ve got the gray hairs to prove that it all really happened. Between teaching and writing it really is two full-time jobs, with promotion and travel heaped on top. I love all of it, but the juggling has been wild at times.

I decided to cash in some of the creative credit I built up at Marvel and worked with Nyla Innusuk and Sean Izaakse to create a new Canadian superhero. The response to Amka, and the way readers from Canada and abroad have embraced her has absolutely blown me away. If we get any Snowguard cosplay in 2019 I don’t know if I’ll be able to handle it.

Wayward the comic series wrapped up in October, but we still have our final Deluxe Hardcover and the co-op board game (designed by Jon Gilmour) arriving in 2019. The animated series fell through and the rights have been returned to Steven and I, so my agent is now back on the attack looking to get it attached elsewhere. Fingers crossed.

Writing Evil at Baldur’s Gate and co-writing Rick and Morty VS Dungeons & Dragons made this year special, but I’ve got even more Dungeons & Dragons material coming in 2019. Comics and game stuff aplenty, but I’m sworn to secrecy for now. More details coming soon.

2019 is looking good. If things go the way we’re planning it could be another banner year.

If your 2018 was rough, I hope the new year brings better news and brighter days. If the year was good, let’s keep that momentum going!

2018 Joe Shuster Award!

Just found out I won the 2018 Joe Shuster Canadian Comic Award in the ‘Outstanding Writer’ category.

Thank you to Kevin Boyd and everyone else involved! I deeply appreciate the support.

Congrats to all the other winners, including my friends Andrew Wheeler, Djibril Morissette-Phan, Stuart Immonen, Gisele Lagace, Hope Nicholson and Mark Askwith!

Infinity Countdown: Champions #2 Reviews

Bleeding Cool: 8/10 “a surprisingly intense story that challenges its protagonists and shows them how small they are in this dangerous universe.”

Caped-Joel: 8/10 “I honestly wish more tie-in stories were written like this.”

Comic Book.com: 8/10 “The crime-fighting teens face off against their biggest opponent yet — literally — and prove that with teamwork, anything is possible. This issue has tremendous amounts of heart”

Comic Book University: “This is such a brilliantly done comic book.”

Comic-Watch: 9/10 “Jim Zub manages not only to tell a fun, easy, breezy event tie-in but also manages to give two of the Champions – Sam Alexander and Riri Williams – some excellent character development.”

Fortress Of Solitude: 7.5/10 “I like the twist of the good guys having to defend the bad guys.”

Heroes At The Summit: “This story takes a toll on each member of this team and I am very excited to see how that is addressed in Champions #22 and beyond. The story deserves a high recommendation and the art an even higher one.”

League of Comic Geeks: 8/10 “The Champions versus Thanos and the Chitauri. Can it get much better than this?”

Shoot The Breeze: 9.9/10 “equally enthralling and enjoyable, providing more character development for not only Nova, but also Ironheart as well.”

Year In Review

As I’ve done in years past, I try to sum up the year that was in a post here on my site. 2017 was a strong year for me on a personal level and that felt a bit odd compared to the tumultuous and difficult state of the world at large.

We celebrated 10 years at our house in Toronto. I can’t believe it’s been a decade living downtown at the same address. It’s our home base in the middle of the city and, now that the subway extension to York University is finally up and running, it’ll be even easier for me to get to school without worrying about traffic snarls and parking hassles.

Speaking of school, teaching at Seneca was unexpectedly rocky with the Ontario College Teacher’s Strike lasting five weeks, throwing our schedule and finances for a bit of a loop, and creating challenges for the many students I coordinate in Seneca’s Animation program. Keeping our facilities open with computer labs and life drawing sessions running helped give some semblance of structure to the strike period and that helped our students weather the worst of it, but there are still ripple effects to the curriculum and schedule that will make the Winter term more hectic than usual. Thankfully we have a wonderful staff and community of students working together to move things forward.

On the creative front, I made deeper strides at Marvel, wrapping up Uncanny Avengers and plugging away on Avengers: No Surrender, a special weekly story line that starts January 10th, co-written by industry superstars Mark Waid and Al Ewing, with art by Pepe Larraz, Kim Jacinto, and Paco Medina, with editors Tom Brevoort and Alanna Smith keeping the whole thing running smooth. It’s the biggest project of my career so far and, with the extra attention being shown to the Avengers leading up to the May release of the Avengers: Infinity War movie, I’m hoping No Surrender does well with new fans and old. Beyond that, I have a new monthly Marvel series I’m taking over in April that should be announced soon. Exciting times!

Wayward was optioned by Manga Entertainment for a possible animated or live-action series and is being turned into a co-op board game by Jon Gilmour and the crew at IDW Games. I don’t have any more official news on the show front, but everything seems to be moving forward bit by bit. All this media stuff takes time to get rolling, even in the best of scenarios, so I’ve learned to just let it happen at its own pace while Steven, Tamra, Marshall, and I stay focused on building the comic.

The Glitterbomb: The Fame Game mini-series just wrapped up this week and we’ll have a collection for it in the new year. With so much abuse and harassment in Hollywood finally coming to light we struck a chord with readers, but those collection sales will determine whether we’re able to come back for a third and final mini-series in the Fall of 2018. Whether or not we do, Djibril and I are talking about working together on future projects.

Working on the Dungeons & Dragons comic series has been a blast but getting the chance to spend a few days in the D&D offices brainstorming story material for an upcoming RPG product was an extra-surreal thrill. I’ve always felt closely connected to the RPG industry and having another chance to make new friends in that space and find like-minded storytellers passionate about what they do is always inspiring. There’s more good stuff coming on the D&D front in 2018 and I can’t wait for you to see what we have planned.

Stacy and I are in Japan for the holidays and that’s come with its own set of challenges. On the morning of December 24th she took a bad fall and injured her back and we’re still riding out the aftermath of that as we get ready to head into New Year’s Eve here in Tokyo. Stacy’s injury put a damper on part of our trip, but thankfully we’re here for each other and in the end that’s what matters most. Together I know we can overcome any of life’s many challenges.

On the whole, I’m heading into 2018 hopeful and thankful – Hopeful about where things will go and thankful for the wonderful opportunities and events happening in my life. I hope your holidays have been relaxing and prosperous and that the year ahead looks bright.

Year in Review

As I’ve done in years past, I try to use this post to sum up the year that was. 2016 was such a strange and turbulent time around the world and that made it even more surreal as I personally had a banner year in my work and personal life.

In May, Stacy and I traveled to Japan for a 6-week sabbatical, mixing in a few work-related events with an extended stay in Tokyo along with a half dozen other locations. It was something we’d been planning for the past two years and really was the trip of a lifetime. So many wonderful experiences and such meaningful time spent together, it’s hard for me to even describe. It strengthened the bond between the two of us and got us thinking about future travel opportunities.

After the big course curriculum changes in 2015, this year was way smoother by comparison. It’s my tenth year as Coordinator of Seneca’s Animation program and so I have a pretty good feel for the hills and valleys that come up as each term rolls along. With a record number of applicants to the program, the current group of students is one of the strongest we’ve ever had the fortune of teaching. I’m excited to watch their skills develop.

Comic-wise, I thankfully had far more highs than lows. I finally had the chance to tackle a monthly superhero series at Marvel with the new Thunderbolts, and the repercussions of delivering on that looks like it’ll ripple into 2017 and beyond. More news on that as we head into the Spring.

Launching Glitterbomb, a new creator-owned comic series at image, was an especially wonderful opportunity. Pushing my storytelling skills with something unexpected and working with rock solid newcomer Djibril Morissette-Phan has been a blast. We’ve got fun plans for the second arc arriving later in 2017.

Wayward continues and the whole team has been so incredibly consistent and wonderful that I need to make sure I don’t take any of it for granted. In an industry where even Marvel and DC series can struggle to make it past issue 12 we’ve just sent our 20th issue off to press, which is a heck of a milestone. On that front as well, we’ve got exciting plans I can’t wait to share with all of you.

Dungeons & Dragons, Street Fighter Legends: Cammy, the upcoming Freelance series and Monsters Unleashed: Avengers – I feel like I’ve hit a good groove in terms of material that exemplifies what I do best and collaborators who I work really well with.

I feel so incredibly fortunate to be able to teach, write and create, working with and meeting so many amazing people. I know things look bumpy for the year ahead, but my fingers are crossed that we’ll all be able to weather the storm. Wishing you and yours a very happy and prosperous new year.

Happy Anniversary, My Love

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It’s still Saturday in North America but, here in Japan where I am right now for a business trip, it’s Sunday so I’m putting this message out early.

Happy Anniversary, Stacy!

Marrying you and our time together has been the best part of an ongoing adventure I never want to end.

Your kindness, enthusiasm, and intelligence inspire me and give me the strength to never give up. Your beauty, in appearance but also the warmth you bring into our life together, engages and renews me day after day.

It’s you and me, lover, and I can’t imagine things any other way.

I’ll see you soon and we’ll celebrate another wonderful year of being ridiculously, delightfully together.

Some Thoughts on the DC Writers Workshop Results

Lots of chatter about the DC Writers Workshop announcement.

I have no idea how many entries they received. In the press release they say “thousands” and that doesn’t surprise me.

When I posted I was looking for a colorist for a pitch I received hundreds of portfolios. With DC’s size and reach, thousands seems right.

So, with thousands to sift through, I can’t even imagine how hard it must have been to narrow the selection to 8. Just bonkers.

When you’re dealing with those kinds of odds, any tiny thing can demote a proposal just to try and get it down to a manageable number.

It sounds callous, but it’s true. I sort hundreds of portfolios each year for the Animation program where I teach. It’s a bit maddening.

You want to spend time with each one because they each represent a person – Their hard work and aspirations laid bare for you.

But then the sheer volume starts to overwhelm and you realize you have to filter. You have to start cutting. Dreams will be crushed.

You try to be as rational and fair as possible, and every little tidbit of information becomes a way to promote or demote a choice.

If I saw a bunch of established professionals in that mix, some award-winning, many quite accomplished in other fields, that would be tough.

It sets a really high bar but, given the massive amount of submissions, it makes sense.
I don’t envy anyone in that situation.

But, here’s the other important thing –
With that competition, it’s also hard to take it personal if you didn’t get in.

No matter how you feel right now, let me assure you:
A failed submission does NOT define your creative career unless you let it.

I’ve worked on amazing projects and worked on crapola.
I’ve been hired, fired, and black listed.
I’ve screwed up and been screwed over.

What matters is that I kept my integrity and kept creating.
I’m not the best writer, not by a long shot, but I do not give up.

That doesn’t mean I’ll get what I want when I want it (does anyone?) but it does mean I’ll keep creating and be ready for opportunities.

It’s 100% fine to feel crappy because something you wanted didn’t go the way you hoped. That’s real.

But, after you finish that browbeating and regret, decide what’s the next best step to creating work you’re proud of and build toward that.

(Taken from my Twitter thread and archived here because Storify went kaput.)

Good-Bye to the Family Cottage

Our lives are changing and the travel bug has bitten Mom and Dad, so they decided to sell their cottage up north. With the closing date imminent, we pulled the family together for a quick overnight trip to see the place one last time.

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I have so many memories of going up to the cottage each and every summer as I grew up.

Work and play, family and friends.

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In the daytime my brother and I would help Dad clean up the property or go for a hike and then jump in the lake.

In the evening we’d play card games or Scrabble…lots of Dungeons & Dragons too. I’d dream about swords and sorcery and how I might impress my brother with derring-do in our next gaming session. This is where I learned to tell stories.

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Lots of happy times were shared there. Lots of tears too.

It was creaky and musty and full of critters, but it was our place on the lake.

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As we got older it became harder to fit cottage trips into our busy schedules and the place sat empty longer and longer each year. I know Mom and Dad have made the right choice but it was still really emotional saying good-bye.

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Onward we go.

Forty.

Forty.

I’m sure I could pull out every cliché imaginable as I try to sum up four decades of being me but, for at least once in my life, I’ll try to go for brevity over blather.

If I’ve learned anything up until this point it’s that learning is everything; Learning about the world around me means learning more about myself. Learning, growing, accepting, and continuing to move forward.

Here are a few other things I’ve learned:

Friendships matter more than competitions.
Experiences matter more than objects.
Kindness matters most of all.

I feel incredibly fortune in love and life – a strong relationship and a fulfilling creative career. I know neither would be possible without the steady support and enthusiasm of family and friends who encourage me and keep me in their thoughts.

Thank you for being part of the journey. Let’s keep going.

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