Zub Tales

Imagine getting to contribute to something amazing, but you find out there’s an unfortunate catch.

Last week I announced I’m part of a new INVADER ZIM comic series launching later this year from BOOM Studios. As I mentioned there, I’m a huge fan of the show and was ecstatic to get the chance to build new stories and contribute a variant cover to this brand new comic…

…But what I didn’t know was that Jhonen Vasquez, the creator of Zim, didn’t know about the new series at all and feels really awkward about new material being built on his team’s hard work without any involvement or communication. I understand how crappy that would feel, even if it’s legally allowed.

Over a decade ago, when I wrote the SAMURAI JACK comic series published by IDW, the “Samurai Jack team” knew it was happening and were directly involved. Character Designer Andy Suriano drew the book and we collaborated closely on stories and visuals, Series Creator Genndy Tartakovsky and Art Director Scott Wills illustrated variant covers, and Jack voice actor Phil LaMarr raved online about how much he enjoyed the comic series. I knew Genndy was probably too busy working on other projects to personally review every script, but we had his blessing and he could give us feedback or veto ideas whenever he wanted.

Working on Samurai Jack was an incredible experience – creatively fulfilling and a huge boost to my career.

When I was approached by BOOM and they asked if I wanted to pitch stories for a new INVADER ZIM comic series, I jumped at the chance. 20 years ago, I literally created a bunch of fan art for the show for fun because I enjoyed it so much.

But this time is different from working on Jack. I was told the “Invader Zim team” would be approving our material, but found out after the fact that it wasn’t Jhonen, Eric Trueheart or anyone originally involved in the show’s production. Approvals have gone through a Paramount licensing team who I’m sure mean well, but also don’t have any personal stake in Zim’s creative vision or future.

And sure, I’ve written stories for DC and Marvel where creators of characters weren’t consulted, but those are also shared superhero universes built by hundreds of contributors. Invader Zim is Jhonen’s ideas and humorous flare with contributions by a tight knit group he curated and approved.

So now I’m in a strange spot. I’m incredibly proud of the work artist Dax Gordine and I have done on this new Invader Zim comic. It’s been put together with lots of love for the source material, but not in a slavish way that just repeats the same gags and doesn’t offer any surprises. Dax’s visual storytelling starts strong and gets snappier each issue. We produced it with what we thought was enthusiastic support from the original team, but that was not the case and now we know. No matter what happens next, I want to be as open and honest about that so there’s no confusion.

BOOM’s editorial team has assured me they’ve reached out to Jhonen and believe this can all get sorted out. I hope that’s true, but if not I’ll need to evaluate what to do next. Whatever happens from here, I deeply appreciate your support and understanding.

Your Final Chance For Pirate Gold!

FINAL ORDER CUT-OFF for CONAN THE BARBARIAN #33 is TODAY, so make sure you pre-order NOW at your favorite comic shop! We want to show retailers that this new pirate adventure is worth investing in.

Afterlives of World Building

A couple weeks ago, I was a panelist in the Afterlives of World Building: The Legacy of Robert E. Howard online conference hosted by MacEwan University. The panels and interviews are now all uploaded to the new Dark Man Journal YouTube channel, so you can check them out there.

Howard’s Writing Room

Speaking of Robert E. Howard, Evan Todd from Stygian Dogs and I chatted in the room where sword & sorcery sprang to life when I was at this year’s Howard Days festival.

More Shenanigans

I was a guest again on Comic Shenanigans with Adam Chapman. This time, he and I chat up a storm about being “Grim Jim”, Stacy’s writing career, productivity, imposter syndrome, being like Bob Ross, parasocial relationships, the Glass Cannon podcast, livestreaming, collected editions, and more – Give it a listen!

You can also listen to our previous conversations here: Episodes 368, 794, 986, 1022, and 1087.

Current + Upcoming Releases

• MAD About DC – 2nd printing – released June 3.
• Conan the Barbarian #32 – released June 24.
• Conan the Barbarian #33 – releases July 29.
• Conan the Barbarian #34 – releases August 26.
• Journey to the West: The Beginning – releases September 15.
• Savage Sword of Conan #16 – releases September 16.
• Conan the Barbarian vol. 4-6 Slipcase Set – releases September 16.
• Conan: Tides of the Tyrant-King #1 – releases September 23.
• Savage Sword of Conan vol. 1-3 Slipcase Set – releases September 23.
• Wayward Compendium – releases September 29.
• Conan the Barbarian #35 – releases September 30.

Upcoming Appearances

Stacy and I are visiting IRELAND for a few days in August and will be signing at Dublin City Comics & Collectibles on Wed, August 19th from 5-7pm! If you live in the area, hope to see you there!

Other Links

• My friend Lenore Soleil has a new comic crowdfunder for FRANKLY, a gothic fairytale by way of metaphor for disability. I’ve read the first 20+ pages and it’s off to an engaging and atmospheric start.

• Seth Skorkowsy has a new video that covers great ways to get players invested in a TTRPG game. Simple, actionable advice you can immediately use at your own table.

• Witch House Media‘s lastest podcast covers The Phoenix on the Sword, the first Conan the Barbarian story from 1932, with my friend RPG designer Ken Hite.

Jim

This week is a bit of a sprint. Stacy and I have a manuscript due for the next D&D Young Adventurer’s Guide (yes, more are in development, but titles haven’t been announced yet – The book market works really far in advance) and other comic writing deadlines loom in the foreground of my To-Do List. The month leading up to San Diego Comic Con is usually a rush and this year is no exception.

In stores on Wednesday is CONAN THE BARBARIAN #32, a done-in-one story I’m really proud of, built to feel like a classic Weird Tales-era Conan story. Back in the 70’s and 80’s, these kind of self-contained adventures were the norm on a book like Conan, which also meant it was easy to bring new readers on board, giving them a complete reading experience for the cover price of a single issue.

So, if you follow this newsletter and haven’t had the chance to read the series yet, do me a favor and check this one out. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised, and Doug Braithwaite‘s line art mixed with Diego Rodriguez‘s colors is always a winner.

A mysterious woman with an even more mysterious mission hires Conan to be her bodyguard on a sacred task across forbidden lands. Is any reward worth the risk? The Cimmerian is about to find out…

This Interview is Truly Disturbing

I spoke to Sam at Truly Disturbing all about my ongoing commitment to Conan the Barbarian – Discovering Conan, misconceptions people have about the character, writing sword & sorcery stories, and more!

Using AI

The discourse about AI use in creative projects is a steady thrum now. Is it “inevitable”, as the AI companies want people to believe, or will it pop like NFTs and other tech trends that had limited useage but weren’t as transformative as the market assumed? Only time will tell, but in the here and now I know how it affects my current workflow – not much at all.

When Midjourney first launched free online, I typed in a half-dozen image prompts and thought the output looked creepy. That’s the only time I sought it out.

I’ve never used AI to make text for my writing or correspondence. I don’t have any Ai-dedicated programs installed and turn off AI features I find in tools I use.

Once I found out that AI was predictive text not actual knowledge and that platforms were being trained on material without permission or compensation, I knew that using it for writing would both be a copyright minefield and morally bankrupt.

Because AI systems are being injected into so many programs and platforms, I’m sure it’s a background presence as I work (AI summaries on research that I don’t trust until I dig deeper, AI generated captions on audio, etc.) but I do not want generated material in my plots, descriptions or dialogue.

I know large language models and neural networks can be useful at sifting through data and have powerful applications in science and medicine, but think that its use in creative art and writing robs creators of personal analysis and growth.

Storytelling and making art is more than just output, even when it’s a commercial endeavor. They’re time capsules of who you are at that moment – Your skill and development. Your priorities and influences.

Offloading that to the randomness of those systems closes you off from that growth.

I want a glimpse at the people who made that story/art, I want to see their specific choices and collaborations, not a random homogenized product they pasted together and put their name on.

Less ‘perfect’, possibly, but far more insightful and tactile.

Building a Beautiful Brick

Speaking of self-contained time capsules, late last week I finished laying out and uploading print files for the upcoming WAYWARD COMPENDIUM, the 904-page softcover compilation of the creator-owned series Steven Cummings and I published at Image from 2015 to 2018. Going back through all 30 issues brought on a rush of great memories and reminded me of how proud I am of what our team put together.

This Compendium arrives in September and will give readers who never had the chance to discover the series when it first came out an easy way to read it all, and retailers an even easier way to keep it in stock since this book will be one beautiful value-priced brick instead of six separate trade paperbacks.

Buy one for yourself, got another as a gift for someone you know. It’s gonna be a beauty.

Current + Upcoming Releases

• MAD About DC – 2nd printing – released June 3.
• Conan the Barbarian #32 – releases June 24.
• Conan the Barbarian #33 – releases July 29.
• Conan the Barbarian #34 – releases August 26.
• Journey to the West: The Beginning – releases September 15.
• Savage Sword of Conan #16 – releases September 16.
• Conan the Barbarian vol. 4-6 Slipcase Set – releases September 16.
• Conan: Tides of the Tyrant-King #1 – releases September 23.
• Savage Sword of Conan vol. 1-3 Slipcase Set – releases September 23.
• Wayward Compendium – releases September 29.
• Conan the Barbarian #35 – releases September 30.

Upcoming Appearances

Apologies for the last minute change, but I’m unable to attend Fan Expo: Anaheim this week. Personal stuff has come up and I need to be here at home. Thanks for your understanding.

Other Links

• My friend David Pepose has a new crowdfund campaign for his creator-owned comic series The O.Z., an alternate world survivalist take on The Wizard of Oz.

• The Dark Man Journal is moving online, and the first two videos on their new YouTube channel are interviews with Arlene Stephenson and Jacque Chidress from the Robert E. Howard Museum and Rusty Burke, who started Howard Days 40 years ago.

Jim

It’s a bit of a mad sprint of productivity and packing today as I wrap up a script and then finish getting ready for my flight tomorrow morning to Texas for the Howard Days 40th anniversary, two days of discussion and celebration of the father of sword & sorcery’s legacy in the exact place where Conan the Barbarian‘s tales were first written. I attended the festival for the first time back in 2024 and you can read how that went HERE.

As with any convention or signing, I’m a mix of nervous and excited. Last time I attended it had been less than a year since our big relaunch at Titan and now it’s the third year of big swings and stories I’m really proud of, so I’m curious how all that’s been received by the intensely passionate fanbase who attend this event. I guess I’m about to find out.

I’ll arrive in Cross Plains late afternoon Thursday and be there through Saturday night. Looking forward to seeing friends and meeting new people coming in for the big anniversary gathering.

I’ll also be signing throughout the event. No charge, but donations encouraged, with all proceeds going to the Howard House fund underway to help with repairs. Same goes for items I’ll be donating to the silent auction.

No ticket is required to attend the festivities, so if you’re in Texas and able to make the trek, consider coming out to Cross Plains to celebrate with us or, if you’re closer to Dallas, come to my signing at Madness Games & Comics happening this Sunday from 11:30am-3pm.

Laudator Temporis Acti

Reading online posts that go on about how “my generation is the best because we persevered through [moment in time], had [pop culture things], didn’t fall for [current trendy pitfall] and life was better because [random item] only cost [cheap compared to now]!” always makes my eyes roll, especially when it’s about my generation.

Even more painful are the “my generation learned how to work hard because we didn’t have [current technology] or parents who [do current parental thing] and weren’t coddled with [respectful current social norm]!” posts.

Congrats, you’ve discovered nostalgia.

It doesn’t make you unique or your cohort some awe-inspiring generation better than all others.

Truly, the time you grew up in was the most special, you main character of your own story you. What an incredible coincidence.

Notice that every generation before or after you posts the exact same shit.

Nostalgia and remarking on how things have changed is fine (and can even be useful and important), just have enough clarity to realize it’s rooted in your personal experience, not a universal truth.

The big reason life felt simpler or more difficult is because you were a kid. You probably had more free time and less responsibilities. You were starting to self actualize and went through puberty.

It’s your story and it matters deeply to you, so you want it to matter to everyone else too.

As immensely fucked up right now is for adults, kids growing up in the midst of this will tell future generations it was the best time because now (the future) sucks compared to their youth.

I am thankful I grew up pre-social media and didn’t have to start my career in this current market, but that’s fortunate timing not generational superiority.

Script to Page

I’ve added even more FREE material to my Patreon page, including scripts for all the Conan Free Comic Book Day issues so you can see what I wrote and how that was interpreted by artists Jonas Scharf, Ivan Gil, and Jesus Merino over the past three years.

If you want access to well over 300 story pitches, scripts, and other resources in my Patreon archive, you can join for less than the price of a fancy coffee.

Survival in the Exiled Lands

My fourth liveplay session of Conan Exiles Enhanced was a relatively relaxed affair, rebuilding my resources and equipment after getting my butt kicked the week before. I answered some questions about writing and bantered with people who watched live.

Current + Upcoming Releases

• Conan: Tides of the Tyrant-King Prelude – released May 2.
• Manga Classics: Journey to the West Prelude – released May 2.
• Savage Sword of Conan #14 – released May 6.
• Conan the Barbarian Vol. 7: The Conquering Crown TPB – releases May 20.
• Conan the Barbarian #31 – released May 27.
• Conan: Scourge of the Serpent TPB – released May 27.
• Savage Sword of Conan Vol. 4 TPB – released May 27.
• Stranger Things VS Dungeons & Dragons HC – released May 27.
• MAD About DC – 2nd printing – released June 3.
• Conan the Barbarian #32 – releases June 24.
• Conan the Barbarian #33 – releases July 29.

Upcoming Appearances

The D&D Weekend I’m Dungeon Mastering on November 12-15 in Georgia was sold out, but one of the players had to drop, so a single ticket is now available. If you want to play in a whirlwind 24-hour campaign over 3-days, get on board!

Other Links

• David Brothers‘ short video essay about growing up playing video games and what he learned about defeat and persistence playing Sekiro really struck a chord with me. David’s a skilled comic writer and always brings thought and care into his observations about pop culture.

• Baffler has posted a series of essays from professional writers who have struggled to make a living through their writing, even after finding some success. The messy and awkward highs and lows of a creative career are on full display here and worth reading, even when they make you wince.

• Rabbit Hole has a surprisingly deep dive into where Lorem Ipsum came from, the ‘nonsense’ latin that designers use to drop temporary text into place before they have actual text ready for a page. It’s far more interesting than you might expect.

I hope my friends and fans in the LGBTQ+ community had a great start to Pride Month!
Jim

May was a busy month with my big birthday and deadlines aplenty. I prepped for a bustling summer by getting a lot of writing done. From January to May this year I’ve already written more than I did for all of 2025, which is pretty wild. It feels good crossing off each deadline and building momentum, week after week.

Now that Conan the Barbarian #31 is in stores and we’ve wrapped up our Son of the Tooth 3-parter, the focus of course now turns to issue #32, which I’m incredibly excited about.

CONAN THE BARBARIAN #32 is a done-in-one sword & sorcery spectacle called “A Sacred Task”, built in the style of the original Robert E. Howard Conan stories from Weird Tales magazine. Our Cimmerian is hired as a bodyguard for a beautiful and mysterious woman on an important quest and their journey together will be memorable, to say the least.

I’m so proud that we’ve built enough trust with readers and retailers over the past 31 issues that we can do this kind of self-contained story as a breather between larger plot developments.

A classic adventure. An easy jumping on point.

In the current North American market, many series get cancelled outright or rebooted every 10-12 issues. I know how special this kind of extended run is, especially outside of DC or Marvel.

Great word of mouth got us this far and it’ll keep the adventure going, on and on, with reader support.

Where Should You Start Reading?

With all the excitement around Conan the Barbarian – movie rumors, the enhanced Exiles video game, new action figures, and publishing projects aplenty – it can be a lot to take in, especially if you want to jump into this world of High Adventure for the very first time.

Thankfully, Titan has officially released their Free Comic Book Day Conan promo issues online, no charge, so make sure you check them out and please share these links far and wide:

CONAN THE BARBARIAN Free Comic Book Day 2023:
https://titan-comics.com/news/download-the-conan-the-barbarian-fcbd-comic/

CONAN THE BARBARIAN Free Comic Book Day 2026:
https://titan-comics.com/news/read-the-2026-conan-fcbd-issue-here/

Hubris By Name, Hubris By Nature

Last week’s livestream of Conan Exiles Enhanced was not what I expected, but apparently much closer to what the experienced Exiles audience thought would happen back on session 1.

Hubris lived up to his name and I spent 90% of the stream trying to retrieve my corpse and/or running from enemies. It was a rough ride in the ol’ Hyborian Age:

Trying to be entertaining on a livestream (banter, answering questions, keeping things moving) and being careful/methodical about playing a game do not go hand in hand. Especially on a game I’ve never played before and purposefully did no prep for in advance.

Glancing down at the chat and keeping that conversation going means I keep missing brain damagingly obvious stuff in-game. People watching must have thought I was incompetent, and I was, because it’s like trying to learn to drive with 50 people in the car with you giving directions and changing the radio station.

I definitely have a much different perspective on livestreamers who do this well. Playing a game you know and are good at would certainly make a huge difference. The learning curve and distraction is wild. At some point I may have to stream a game I know so viewers don’t think I’m absolute trash at video games in general. I’ve platinumed Souls games. I don’t mind a challenge.

Stacy: “How’d your game go?”
Zub: “Hyenas chewed on my gnards and I lost all my equipment.”
Stacy: “Did you have fun?”
Zub: “Sort of.”

Hubris was brought low and lost all of his spiffy equipment. I learned some of the game’s systems despite my foolishness and will return to lick my wounds and rebuild, more carefully this time.

Current + Upcoming Releases

• Conan: Tides of the Tyrant-King Prelude – released May 2.
• Manga Classics: Journey to the West Prelude – released May 2.
• Savage Sword of Conan #14 – released May 6.
• Conan the Barbarian Vol. 7: The Conquering Crown TPB – releases May 20.
• Conan the Barbarian #31 – released May 27.
• Conan: Scourge of the Serpent TPB – released May 27.
• Savage Sword of Conan Vol. 4 TPB – released May 27.
• Stranger Things VS Dungeons & Dragons HC – released May 27.
• MAD About DC – 2nd printing – releases June 3.
• Conan the Barbarian #32 – releases June 24.
• Conan the Barbarian #33 – releases July 29.

Upcoming Appearances

The D&D Weekend I’m Dungeon Mastering on November 12-15 in Georgia was sold out, but one of the players had to drop, so a single ticket is now available. If you want to play in a whirlwind 24-hour campaign over 3-days, get on board!

Other Links

• My dear friend and collaborator Troy Little has a new crowdfunding campaign underway for Levada, a graphic novel inspired by his trip to Portugal. I think Troy is one of the most amazing cartoonists in the industry and know that this introspective story is going to be special. If you enjoyed his work on Rick and Morty VS Dungeons & Dragons or Rick and Morty VS Cthulhu, make sure you check this out.

• Marcia Lucas, the Oscar-winning film editor on American Grafitti, Taxi Driver, and Star Wars, passed away last week. The work she did on Star Wars, in particular, is an absolute master class in refocusing and enhancing a production. RocketJump‘s video essay on How Star Wars Was Saved in the Edit is an amazing overview of how much editing changed pacing and intent to create a classic. Did you know that originally the Death Star was not going to destroy the Rebel Base at all? Watch this video and you’ll be impressed!

• David Finch‘s YouTube channel is packed with incredible drawing advice and examples from his own work and other top notch artists. His latest, all about drawing background tech, covers a lot of valuable techniques, plus you get to watch him draw in real time.

I hope you’re enjoying the Spring weather,
Jim