Zubby Newsletter #158: Fifty

Posted by on May 18, 2026 1 comment

And here we are at that big one – Today I turn 50 years old.

I know.

I was surprised too, even though it’s the next logical step after 48 and 49, and the alternative would be much less exciting.

Stacy made me a Lemon Castle Birthday Cake and it was gooood~

The weekend was Birthday-riffic, a get together with friends on Saturday and then a family barbecue on Sunday. A slew of people from different times in my life who have seen me grow and change over the years while also kind of staying the same. It was nostalgic and surreal and also quite wonderful.

I seem to be fully embracing the silver-haired pulp writer part of my development and that’s a very fun phase to be in, so deep thanks to all of you for reading, sharing, and supporting my efforts, year after year. My 40’s have been transformative, and I don’t just mean in terms of gray hair and aches and pains. I have more confidence in who I am, what I value, and a better sense of the future I’m trying to build.

And love. So much love from Stacy and the rest of my family and friends. Yesterday before blowing out the candles I said that I wouldn’t be anywhere without them, and it’s as cliche as it is true.

The rest of the year looks exciting and the adventure continues! Thank you for being a part of it.

On these big number moments people expect you to have extra wisdom to impart, so I’ll try to sum a bit of life advice in 3 quick points:
• Cherish your loved ones and tell them often.
• Big moments go quickly but little moments are easy to find and also worth celebrating.
• Be patient with everyone, especially yourself.

Off I go into the second half of this century!

My Birthday, But YOU Get a Gift

The CONAN: TIDES OF THE TYRANT-KING Prelude from Free Comic Book Day is now on Titan Comics’ website for FREE, so click on through, read and share far and wide!

CONAN OF CIMMERIA believed that THULSA DOOM’s evil had been banished forever, but the Atlantean necromancer’s dark power stirs once more and, if it cannot be stopped, the dead shall overtake the living! The Tyrant-King of Atlantis returns and all shall suffer, unless Conan and his brave allies can turn back the tide!

Confronting Crom


Last week I was on a livestream with Evan from Stygian Dogs, Dan from the Conan Chronology, and Lion from the Sword and Sorcery Book Club.

Over 2 hours, we covered a ton of different questions and bantered a lot about the the stories I’ve written so far and future plans. Make sure you check it out.

More Exile Adventures


My mirthful adventures in Conan Exiles Enhanced continued on Friday night, with another 2-hour liveplay as I once again do not pay close attention to the game’s interface or tutorials and answer fan questions.

Not sure if I’ll be able to maintain this pace or not, but expect more to come in the weeks ahead.

Current + Upcoming Releases

Upcoming Appearances

The day after Howard Days wraps up I’ll be signing at Madness Games & Comics just outside Dallas, so if you’re in Texas please come on by to meet me!

Jun 12-13, 2026 Robert E. Howard Days Cross Plains, TX, USA
Jun 14, 2026 Madness G&C 11:30-3pm Plano, TX, USA
Jul 23-26, 2026 San Diego Comic Con San Diego, CA, USA
Jul 30-Aug 2, 2026 Gen Con Indianapolis, IN, USA
Aug 15, 2026 Comics Assemble Gloucester, England, UK
Oct 15-18, 2026 Gamehole Madison, WI, USA
Nov 12-15, 2026 D&D Weekend Lake Sinclair, GA, USA
Jan 14-16, 2027 Philadelphia Area Gaming Expo Philadelphia, PA, USA

Other Links

• My dear friend Howard Tayler has a crowdfund campaign going for Doodling As a Hobby, a sketchbook with anecdotes about his cartooning career. Howard has been a steady inspiration since we first met in the early 2000’s thanks to webcomics.

• Artist Mahmud Asrar has a YouTube channel and I can watch and learn as he creates beautiful commission pieces? More people should know about this.

• Tabletop University has a nice video discussing the importance of the ‘Action Economy’ in Dungeons & Dragons and other combat-centric TTRPGs.

Jim

Zubby Newsletter #157: Exiles and Easter Eggs

Posted by on May 12, 2026 No comments

Robert E. Howard re-used names he liked in different stories, sometimes different genres entirely. I’m using as many cool pieces as possible in our Howardverse events, but it can require some extra problem solving. Last year when I wrote Sailor Steve Costigan in Savage Sword of Conan #10 I dropped a key bit about a similarily-named Stephen Costigan, who now appears in the Tides of the Tyrant-King event mini-series.

Steve and Stephen, the Costigan Cousins.

I keep telling you guys, it’s all planned out!

In SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN #14, released last week, I had a ton of fun building an epic sword & sorcery tale with artist Ivan Gil.

Was this line an indulgent Easter Egg solely included for my own amusement?

(I know the line is also in the original Terminator, but Arnold made it iconic in T2).

Damn right. That’s the magic of comics, baby.

Author VS The Hyborian Age

On Friday night, I played CONAN EXILES for the first time, discovering the new enhanced game on a livestream (my first time ever doing my own gaming livestream) and everyone got to follow along. It was a bit nervewracking but also a lot of fun, bantering about how bad I would be at wilderness survival, dropping bits of Robert E. Howard lore, and answering viewer questions while stumbling my way into a Hyborian Age desert and the dangerous lands beyond on the game’s standard difficulty.

Also, no spoilers, before you watch the stream take a guess how many times my character named “Hubris” dies within those first 2 hours – I bet you’ll guess wrong!

I don’t know how often I’ll be able to do this kind of livestream, but I will try to make it semi-regular if I’m not traveling as a way to chat about Conan with fans and be a dancing video game monkey for your amusement.

Speaking of livestreams, this Wednesday, May 13th at 8pm EDT I’ll be on a livestream interview chatting with Evan from Stygian Dogs, Dan from the Conan Chronology, and Lion from the Sword and Sorcery Book Club.

Pint O’ Comics

Last month I was on Jon Johnson‘s long-running radio show Pint O’ Comics and the full episode is now available on his website.

We had a really good time talking all about working on Conan, the character’s legacy and future plans. I highly recommend you check it out!

Cooking Zen

Also on Friday at Chez Zub’s, I went all fancy by hand-making Ricotta-Filled Ravioli pasta. I made enough for four people, so I froze half to use as another meal for Stacy and I.

I’ve mentioned before how much I’ve come to enjoy cooking as a hobby and de-stress from writing and other things happening in the world. While I cook I can usually just concentrate on that task, a focus on making something as tasty as possible with the immediate reward of a job well done at the end of it. Very satisfying, and it can save us quite a bit of money compared to going out to restauarants as often as we used to.

If you want wholesome content that inspires me to cook, I highly recommend the Pasta Grannies YouTube channel. Watching little old Italian ladies bust out their favorite recipes in their own homes is good stuff.

When I try preparing a dish I’ve never made before, I usually watch 3-4 different videos to see similarities and differences in technique. One video becomes the main one I follow, but seeing multiple ways of approaching the dish gives me confidence I can change it up and still get great results. With something like Pasta Grannies the range is vast. Different ingredients, different approaches, but all of it homemade and inspiring.

Seeing a 104-year old woman laughing as she kneads and rolls dough is amazing. Having an archive of these people and their personal recipes is a gift, the kind of thing we need more of, especially now.

If my retirement is writing stories, playing games, and cooking delicious food for loved ones I will have won the entire Game of Life.

Current + Upcoming Releases

Upcoming Appearances

Jun 12-13, 2026 Robert E. Howard Days Cross Plains, TX, USA
Jul 23-26, 2026 San Diego Comic Con San Diego, CA, USA
Jul 30-Aug 2, 2026 Gen Con Indianapolis, IN, USA
Aug 15, 2026 Comics Assemble Gloucester, England, UK
Oct 15-18, 2026 Gamehole Madison, WI, USA
Nov 12-15, 2026 D&D Weekend Lake Sinclair, GA, USA
Jan 14-16, 2027 Philadelphia Area Gaming Expo Philadelphia, PA, USA

Other Links

• Omar at Near Mint Condition does a nice rundown of the newly released SKULLKICKERS COMPACT ATTACK EDITION Slipcase set. I am so happy to have the series back in print for new readers to discover:

• My friend Jesse Scoble has a new crowdfund campaign going to continue funding on his supernatural western comic series DEAD MONEY! Make sure you check it out and, if you missed issue #1, there are reward tiers where you can get all caught up with the digital or physical printed comics.

• Atomic Robo is the latest Bundle of Holding, so you can snag digital comics and TTRPG material for a deeply discounted price. It’s one of my favorite action-adventure comics and well worth every penny at full price, let alone this crazy good deal.

• Did you know Google Chrome secretly dumped over 4 gigs of AI model crapola on your hard drive? Yeah, it was news to me too as I followed the procedures here and ripped it all out by the roots. Bad enough that this stuff steals content, but now they’re back door dropping it onto our systems without even letting us know.

Jim

Savage Sword of Conan #14 Reviews

Posted by on May 11, 2026 No comments

I wrote the feature story in the latest issue of Savage Sword of Conan, teaming up with artist Ivan Gil for a tale that takes place right after A Witch Shall Be Born. What did reviewers think of it? Read on and find out-

• Fanlight Zone: 10/10 “Titan and Heroic have been absolutely killing it on this property since they brought it out and Jim Zub is doing some of the best work of his entire career. This main story has absolutely breathtaking art by Ivan Gil. Action and intrigue jumping off the page and hitting you right in the face. This is awesome, awesome stuff.”

• Gaming Trend: “Its longer narrative provides room for Zub to build slowly towards the climax so it feels earned rather than handed to us…a fantastic issue that I had a ton of fun reading.”

• Gary B The Casual Comic Guy: “The art in this is great by Ivan Gil…This was just incredible. I am definitely up for more one-shot Jim Zub tales because was his best Conan story yet. It was amazing.”

• Goodreads: 8/10 “Zub just gets Conan…Gil’s art is what stays with you. It has that classic Savage Sword feel without just being a nostalgic copy, there’s real weight to the figures, real darkness in the shadows, and the matte stock makes all of it pop in a way glossy paper never could.”

• League of Comic Geeks: 10/10 “This is a book of pure skill. Only two people at the top of their craft could take something so simple and make it edge of your seat mysterious and exciting. The writing continues to be epic as f**k! I mean, it’s modern day literary pulp with some of the best line work! These guys must have sold their souls, right?!”

• Old Man Hyborian: “Overall, I found this a real good solid issue…The main story was so well done that it made this issue probably one of my favorites because it really did feel like an old school Savage Sword of Conan story.”

• Pop Culture Philosophers: “The art in this book is frickin’ great. A good, solid, mature readers Conan comic. The kind of Conan story I used to grow up reading…beautifully rendered artwork and a really solid story. Jim Zub is cooking in Cimmera.”

• Stygian Dogs: “Jim Zub and Ivan Gil deliver a classic feeling desert mystery packed with eerie atmosphere and action. Gil’s richly detailed art wonderfully captures the haunting beauty and lurking horror in Zub’s story. It’s familiar yet fresh, the kind of story that feels intuitively at home in this magazine. I’d go so far to say that it’s definitely among my favorite Conan features from the past 14 issues.”

Conan: Tides of the Tyrant-King Prelude Reviews

Posted by on May 7, 2026 No comments

Our Conan: Tides of the Tyrant-King prelude issue arrived in stores on Free Comic Book Day! What did reviewers think of this promo story? Read on and find out-

• Comic Book Corner 2.0: “A short comic book, but my trust is in Jim Zub. He does a phenomenal job with the Conan title.”

• Comic Book University: “Fantastic and amazing story, and this is just a prelude. If you didn’t grab this on Free Comic Book Day, beg, borrow, or steal. You’re going to want this one. It is literally an ideal Conan story.”

• Fanlight Zone: “This is stuff that, decades from now, people will be holding up there with the esteemed Roy Thomas, Barry Windsor-Smith and other incredible runs with this character. This is god-tier work and the art is breathtaking!…I can’t recommend it enough.”

• Gaming Trend: “This issue does a fantastic job setting up its premise. It gives away little, with only a sinister snippet of the looming threat on the final pages to tease what is to come.”

• Gary B the Casual Comic Guy: “Fantastic…Another great Free Comic Book Day book and one you should have in your collection.”

• Infinity Flux Comics: “This is really cool and it makes me want to read the upcoming story…I definitely recommend.”

• Kabooooom: 10/10 “Titan Comics and Heroic Signatures have yet to hit a wrong note in their management of the franchise and Robert E. Howard’s legacy. If you’ve not given the new Conan the Barbarian a chance, now’s the time to see what you’ve been missing!”

• League of Comic Geeks: 9/10 “I think this is the best FCBD book I got today. One continuous story, good pacing and balance of action vs dialogue. Excellent induction for new readers and old readers alike. I really enjoyed the juxtaposition they were writing with the two characters.”

• Mighty Thorngren: “Really, really cool. I like it a lot. Conan fans are eating good right now when it comes to story and art. I had a lot of fun with this one.”

• Stygian Dogs: “For the fourth year in a row we get a free issue with that superior page quality we’ve become accustomed to in the monthly book and it felt thicker than most of the other free issues that I grabbed, definitely superior quality.”

Zubby Newsletter #156: Free For All

Posted by on May 4, 2026 No comments

Free Comic Book Day at Gotham Central was really busy.
How busy?

This was the line when Chip and I arrived-

There was no way I could get the whole line in one photo. I don’t think four photos would have worked. It stretched down the block and, at its peak, excited comic fans waited an hour and a half in chilly winds to snag free comics, get signatures, and take advantage of deep sale discounts at the shop.

We signed hundreds of comics and extended the signing from 3 hours to 4½ to meet as many people as possible. Chip was a rockstar and it was a lot of fun. Big thanks to everyone who came out for it and braved the cold to see us there. Before we left we signed giant stacks of extra books, so hopefully even if you didn’t make it there during the signing you were able to grab an autographed copy.

I’ve been keeping some parts of Conan: Tides of the Tyrant-King close to my chest so readers wouldn’t be spoiled ahead of time and it’s been fun seeing fans surprised when they crack it open and start to see the scope of what we’re building, and which classic Robert E. Howard story is at the heart of this new event mini-series.

A bunch of people have asked if I have extra copies of this Tides Prelude to sell. I only have a couple here at home, but am hoping to get more. Beyond that, Titan will make the digital version freely available online in a week or so, and of course I’ll link that far and wide once it’s available.

In the meantime, you can grab the FREE digital version of our previous FCBD issues here: 2023, 2024, 2025.

May the 4th

May the 4th Be With Y’all.

I have two Star Wars credits so far in my career, one as a Colorist and the second as a Writer.

2004: STAR WARS TALES #19, published by Dark Horse Comics. I colored “The Rebel Club”, a parody of The Breakfast Club, written and drawn by Scott Kurtz, lettered by Robert Kirkman.

2020: EMPIRE STRIKES BACK FROM A CERTAIN POINT OF VIEW, published by Del Rey. I wrote the “The First Lesson” short story, showing Yoda’s POV on Luke’s arrival to Dagobah and his thoughts around training the young Jedi.

I’ve pitched a couple other possible projects over the years, but so far that’s my little contribution to a Galaxy Far, Far Away. Fingers crossed for the future.

Trying Not To Kill Time

Actually, I am trying to kill Time (Chronos, God of Time, that is), but also don’t have time to kill (deadlines aplenty).

Hades II arrived on Playstation at last and, after getting back from Calgary, I indulged in booting up this god-like rogue-like and it is so, so good. Supergiant Games have done a stellar job at keeping the core gameplay of the original while iterating on it in ways that enhance the experience and propel the narrative forward in incredible ways.

Sequels can easily fall into a ‘just more of the same’ mindset and when it comes to video games it can be tough to balance familiar gameplay and something new and unexpected. The highest compliment I can give Hades II is that I have to use it as a reward at the end of a productive day of writing, otherwise I know I’ll slip into playing it way too damn much. An absolute banger.

Current + Upcoming Releases

Upcoming Appearances

Jun 12-13, 2026 Robert E. Howard Days Cross Plains, TX, USA
Jul 23-26, 2026 San Diego Comic Con San Diego, CA, USA
Jul 30-Aug 2, 2026 Gen Con Indianapolis, IN, USA
Aug 15, 2026 Comics Assemble Gloucester, England, UK
Oct 15-18, 2026 Gamehole Madison, WI, USA
Nov 12-15, 2026 D&D Weekend Lake Sinclair, GA, USA
Jan 14-16, 2027 Philadelphia Area Gaming Expo Philadelphia, PA, USA

Other Links

I was chatting with friends about ridiculous and amazing animated opening theme songs from when I was a kid, so here are a few you may remember if you’re my age, or can watch as a curiosity if you’re not (and feel free to post some of your own favorites in the comments):


STARBLAZERS


FORCE FIVE


FABLES OF THE GREEN FOREST


THE MIGHTY HERCULES


ROCKET ROBIN HOOD


Have a great week!
Jim

Zubby Newsletter #155: Ready For Battle

Posted by on April 28, 2026 No comments
Conan: Tides of the Tyrant-King Prelude artwork by Jesus Merino, colors by Jao Canola.

This Saturday, May 2nd, is FREE COMIC BOOK DAY and I have two giveaway titles available on the big day- CONAN: TIDES OF THE TYRANT-KING Prelude and MANGA CLASSICS: JOURNEY TO THE WEST Prelude!

I’ll be signing at Gotham Central comic shop in Mississauga from 11am-2pm along with comic creators Chip Zdarsky, Nick Marinkovich, and Derek Laufman!

Conan: Tides of the Tyrant King
CONAN OF CIMMERIA believed that THULSA DOOM’s evil had been banished forever, but the Atlantean necromancer’s dark power stirs once more and, if it cannot be stopped, the dead shall overtake the living! The Tyrant-King of Atlantis returns and all shall suffer, unless Conan and his brave allies can turn back the tide!

Journey to the West
Following the Buddha’s instruction, monk Tang Sanzang and his four disciples set forth on a journey to India to retrieve the Buddhist scriptures. What kind of evils and dangers will they encounter along the way? This introductory story also tells the origin of Sun Wukong – the legendary Monkey King!

Post-Calgary Expo

With Jed MacKay and Ed Brisson as the show wound down.

This year’s Calgary Expo was a success and, as always, it was wonderful to see old friends and fans in Alberta. Quite a few people mentioned that they follow along with my adventures here in the newsletter, which was nice to hear as well.

The weather shifted wildly between snowy and cold to sunny and…also cold. It was unexpectedly chilly this year and I forgot to bring my winter jacket so I didn’t venture too far from the hotel in the evening but, thankfully, it also wasn’t required because there were so many good spots nearby.

I did quite a bit of sketching at the expo and my commission list was steady throughout, which was fun as well. Here are a trio I thought turned out solid:

I’m still in Alberta visiting friends until tomorrow night. When I get home, the first thing on my work schedule is illustrating a variant cover for an upcoming-but-not-yet-announced comic project, which will be a nice change of pace and something I want to do more of down the road.

Canadian News Coverage

Canada’s CTV News covered three Canadian comic book professionals talking about being on the convention circuit and I was honored to be one of them alongside legends Tom Grummett and Ken Lashley.

A Conanza This Spring

The hit video game CONAN EXILES conquers its 8th anniversary in May and, to celebrate, it’s getting a major visual overhaul on PC on May 5th, moving to the latest Unreal Engine, massively enhancing the environments alongside other quality of life gameplay improvements.

I’ve never played Exiles before and am thinking about jumping in and giving it a shot, maybe even on a livestream game. My work schedule is intense right now, but it would be fun to be part of the relaunch excitement alongside new fans and old. Fingers crossed.

Along with that, Monolith has announced they have a new Kickstarter campaign coming for the Conan Board Game and Hyborian Age tabletop RPG. This time they’ll be showcasing Conan’s pirate adventures and venturing to legendary Zamora as well, which syncs up quite well with our next comic story arc, Cursed Shores Beyond.

Click on the art below to go to Monolith’s pre-launch page and sign up.

Current + Upcoming Releases

Upcoming Appearances

May 2nd, 2026 Gotham Central 11am-2pm Mississauga, ON, CANADA
Jun 12-13, 2026 Robert E. Howard Days Cross Plains, TX, USA
Jul 23-26, 2026 San Diego Comic Con San Diego, CA, USA
Jul 30-Aug 2, 2026 Gen Con Indianapolis, IN, USA
Aug 15, 2026 Comics Assemble Gloucester, England, UK
Oct 15-18, 2026 Gamehole Madison, WI, USA
Nov 12-15, 2026 D&D Weekend Lake Sinclair, GA, USA
Jan 14-16, 2027 Philadelphia Area Gaming Expo Philadelphia, PA, USA

Other Links

• Marvel has posted a tribute to writer and former editor-in-chief Gerry Conway, a comic book legend who contributed many important moments to the Marvel Universe. He passed away yesterday.

• Luis Escobar has a nice quick tutorial on drawing ‘dot eyes’ for comic/cartoon characters, with some great examples by other artists.

• Chris Arrant writes an editorial lamenting the loss of Newsarama, the comic news site that used to be at the heart of online conversation about comics.

Jim

Zub at Calgary Expo 2026!

Posted by on April 22, 2026 No comments

I’m at the Calgary Comics & Entertainment Expo on April 23-26, 2026. 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 P66


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 a couple panels:
THURSDAY, APRIL 23 – 7:45pm – BEYOND THE CAPE: CRIME, SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY COMICS – Stage 5 (Room 209/210)
Join a panel of amazing comic book writers for a look behind the curtain at the process of crafting stories for some of the biggest pop culture characters as well as their own personal, creator-owned work. Panelists: Jim Zub, Ed Brisson, Dave Dwonch, Heather Antos, Stephanie Gerk, Zack Kaplan.

FRIDAY, APRIL 24 – 2:45pm – BEYOND THE CAPE: CRIME, SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY COMICS – Stage 5 (Room 209/210)
The magic that goes into a comic book is a dance that often requires an extra pair of feet; or two, maybe four. Skill sets, personalities, and perspectives dispersed among every panel on a page, every onomatopoeia thrown. Have you ever wondered what it takes for a creative team to build your favorite comic books from the ground up? Join the team behind the critical hit series, RISE and their guests to pull back the curtain behind the collaborative nature of comics, revealing the secret calculus to getting the best out of everyone involved. Panelists: Trevor Fernandes-Lenkiewicz, Heather Antos, Eric Zawadzki, Jim Zub.

Zubby Newsletter #154: Deer Friends

Posted by on April 20, 2026 2 comments

I flew in a few days early to Calgary and am staying with my friends Kandrix and Lindsay who live west of the city. After three weeks of intense writing, I’m thankfully back on schedule so this week is some much-needed quiet time hanging out with dear friends.

And also deer friends–

Lots of local wildlife stopping by to stay hi. 🙂

The big Calgary Expo is this coming week, an annual tradition I enjoy being part of. I get to see old buddies and long-time readers, while also showing comic pro pals a bit of the city and some of my favorite restaurants/pubs. Good times every time.

Later today, I’ll be popping by a high school where a friend’s teenager is a student for a presentation about writing, which should be fun. High schoolers rarely hold back on their excitement or ambivalence, so we’ll see how they react to Old Man Zubby learnin’ ’em about comics…

A Pirate Life for Jimmy

Fernando Dagnino cover art for Conan the Barbarian #33

Solicits are out for July, showcasing the stellar covers for CONAN THE BARBARIAN #33, which kicks off Cursed Shores Beyond, our next big adventure, packed with pirates, phantoms, and a formidable frontier.

This is our 9th story arc on the Heroic-Titan Conan run. Including event mini-series, it’s my 12th.

It’s the exact kind of long and meaningful marathon I’ve been wanting to build since I started getting traction in my writing career. An extended structured monthly run is such a rare thing in North American comic publishing nowadays. I never want to take it for granted or have readers feel like we’re delivering anything less than our best to earn that cover price and spot on their pull list.

As I’ve mentioned in past posts, I’m signed on for 50 issues. So, in terms of production, the build up toward that anniversary issue and conclusion of the larger plan is underway, which feels both amazing and strange – Scheduling art teams through 2027, discussing how the big moments will come together. Each issue on the docket right now includes specific references to previous storylines as threads in the overall tapestry start to tighten up.

The consistency of our art teams has been a huge part of what makes the series work so well. Rob De La Torre, Doug Braithwaite, Fernando Dagnino, Alex Horley, Ivan Gil, Diego Rodriguez, Jao Canola, and more to be announced soon for Savage Sword…Each crew gets the time and space they need to bring their best to the page. I’m happy to juggle 4-5 stories simultaneously when the end result is so damn sharp.

Starting Down That Dungeon Path

I returned to the Dungeon Master’s Block podcast to talk about comics, tabletop roleplaying games as inspiration, and bringing a new generation of gamers into the hobby.

Irritation as Inspiration

I read a lot of current comics to keep myself up to date on what’s coming out, the state of publishing, both commercial and creator-owned. With close friends I sometimes discuss pros and cons, what worked for me and what didn’t, but I keep most of those thoughts to myself because I’m a professional writer, not a professional critic. The important thing is that I’m always taking in new stories and learning from them…even if sometimes what I learn is what not to do.

I read the first couple issues of a new series (no, I won’t say what it was) and was so utterly baffled at how badly they dropped the ball on the promise of the premise that I couldn’t get it out of my mind. The idea was/is good, but at every single turn the creative team seemed intent on making boring or baffling choices instead of executing on its potential. I don’t know if editorial was asleep at the wheel or what else was going on behind the scenes, but when I compare the series announcement to the published issues, it’s just incredibly disappointing.

It annoyed me so much that I finally realized I could rework the larger idea into an original story and do a completely different version of my own – A much healthier creative outcome instead of marinating in negativity.

So yeah, the next time your read a book or watch a movie and they fail to deliver the goods, use it as a creative exercise – How can you use parts of that story you like and make it your own?

Current + Upcoming Releases

Upcoming Appearances

Apr 23-26, 2026 Calgary Expo Calgary, AB, CANADA
May 2nd, 2026 Gotham Central 11am-2pm Mississauga, ON, CANADA
Jun 12-13, 2026 Robert E. Howard Days Cross Plains, TX, USA
Jul 23-26, 2026 San Diego Comic Con San Diego, CA, USA
Jul 30-Aug 2, 2026 Gen Con Indianapolis, IN, USA
Aug 15, 2026 Comics Assemble Gloucester, England, UK
Oct 15-18, 2026 Gamehole Madison, WI, USA
Nov 12-15, 2026 D&D Weekend Lake Sinclair, GA, USA
Jan 14-16, 2027 Philadelphia Area Gaming Expo Philadelphia, PA, USA

Other Links

• Did you know that you can listen to radio stations all over the world for free? Check out Radio Garden and enjoy!

• Daði Birna at Mystic Arts delivers again with a new video about Why Your DM Can’t Use Your Character’s Backstory. I really like the ‘knives’ concept he references and will keep that in mind for my own games going forward.

Jim

Zubby Newsletter #153: Tides of War

Posted by on April 13, 2026 1 comment

Last time I mentioned that I needed to have a productive writing week to keep up with projects I have on the go and, thankfully, it was a really good one. I hit a strong writing flow and knocked down some much-needed project milestones. As much as I can get writing done while I travel, having uninterrupted writing time here in my studio works best.

It’s Final Order Cut-Off day for the CONAN: SCOURGE OF THE SERPENT trade paperback so, if you haven’t pre-ordered yet, today is your last chance to ensure a copy is waiting for you before the print run is finalized.

What is Set the Snake God’s plan for humanity and, now that it’s begun, can it be stopped?

Scourge of the Serpent is a major pillar in our grand mythic plan for Conan so, if you haven’t had the chance to read it yet, do not miss out!

All that said, Scourge was our 2025 Conan Fall event so now we start turning our attention toward this year’s sword & sorcery blockbuster: TIDES OF THE TYRANT-KING!

Want a little sneak peek at Tides? Let’s do it-

Artist Jesus Merino is delivering absolutely top notch line art on this event mini-series, pushing himself on every single page. I am blown away by his confident cinematic staging and just how damn solid everything looks. He has a very distinct vision for the Hyborian Age, built on the foundation of classic Bronze Age Conan comics, but isn’t afraid to give it his own spark as well.

Look at that simmering Cimmerian gaze!

This is the iconic sellsword barbarian in his prime ready to kick ass but, just as we’ve done with our previous event mini-series, there will be twists and turns aplenty to keep you engaged and guessing as the adventure unfolds.

Make sure you tell your favorite local comic retailer you want a copy of our Free Comic Book Day CONAN: TIDES OF THE TYRANT-KING Prelude issue on Saturday, May 2nd!

Megacon Chatter

Speaking of Cimmerians, I had an engaging chat with Matt from The Comic Book Guy YouTube channel when I was at Megacon a couple weeks ago. It was noisy on the convention floor, so the focused audio is a bit tinny, but we cover a lot of great stuff in and around working on the series.

Talking with G33K HQ

I also had an extensive interview with Robbie over at G33K HQ. We obviously talk about Conan the Barbarian, but also cover a bunch of other titles and projects, including Pathfinder, Dungeons & Dragons, Skullkickers, MAD about DC, Journey to the West, and important advice for working in the business.

Sometimes Messy

Every part of the no/clip making of documentary on Disco Elysium is well worth watching, but part 6 is the end and it carries mixed feelings on the highs and lows tied to creating this strange and brilliant game:

I’ve been part of creative collaborations that forge lifelong friendships and others that poison relationships and leave scars. It’s such a hard thing to explain to people outside these creative whirlwinds. They’re wonderful, terrible experiences.

You hope you get to be part of something so intense and meaningful, to collaborate with passionate and skilled people like that, but that dedication can leave a lot of damage in its wake. In the end, Disco Elysium is a beautifully twisted game that contains multitudes. It’s a dichotomy of low brow and high brow concepts, philosophy and politics set against nihilism and entropy.

Rambling jazzy pompous poetry that shouldn’t work but somehow does.

For better or for worse, it’s a fragile messy game made by fragile messy people.

Current + Upcoming Releases

Upcoming Appearances

My D&D Weekend event in Georgia is already sold out, which is exciting and a bit intimidating. Looking forward to chatting with my players later this summer and incorporating their character concepts into the adventure.

Apr 23-26, 2026 Calgary Expo Calgary, AB, CANADA
May 2nd, 2026 Gotham Central 11am-2pm Mississauga, ON, CANADA
Jun 12-13, 2026 Robert E. Howard Days Cross Plains, TX, USA
Jul 23-26, 2026 San Diego Comic Con San Diego, CA, USA
Jul 30-Aug 2, 2026 Gen Con Indianapolis, IN, USA
Aug 15, 2026 Comics Assemble Gloucester, England, UK
Oct 15-18, 2026 Gamehole Madison, WI, USA
Nov 12-15, 2026 D&D Weekend Lake Sinclair, GA, USA
Jan 14-16, 2027 Philadelphia Area Gaming Expo Philadelphia, PA, USA

Other Links

• Daði Birna at Mystic Arts has some great advice on building scenarios for tabletop gaming campaigns using “But” and “Therefore” while thinking about how plots and motivations link together.

• Patrick Willems’ rundown on things he learned while directing a short film is a great glimpse behind the curtain and the difference between guerilla filmmaking and high-end production. Lots of useful advice in here, even if you don’t work in film.

• “Your greatest asset that you have is your persistence, and it’s the one thing you’re fully in control of. When you see someone who really excels at something, it’s persistence, and staying with it and repetition over a long period of time.” – Ray Kinman from Disney Imagineering.

Jim

Zubby Newsletter #152: A Savage Treat

Posted by on April 6, 2026 1 comment

Last week was intense with Stacy’s book launch and the MAD About DC signing, so this week needs to be a post-Easter burst of productivity. I have a To-Do List of deadlines coming up and approved outlines to work from, so it’s just going to be scripting up a storm here at Zub HQ.

Savage Sword of Conan #14 art by Ivan Gil.

If you enjoyed Ivan Gil‘s artwork in Conan: Scourge of the Serpent, you’re going to see him fully unleashed in our feature 48-page story for SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN #14, arriving in May!

Ivan worked so damn hard on Scourge, so for this story he got to choose every piece – What era of Conan we’d be working with, where it took place, and what the threat would be. I tailor-made this story to his strengths and he attacked it with gusto.

His ability to carve out these environments and make them feel as real as the characters in the story is so amazing. Seeing that art in pure black & white at magazine size is going to be a real treat for fans, and it’s been an absolute feast for me as his collaborator.

The Nomad, Now Deluxe-ified!


Speaking of Conan x2 – Titan has announced a deluxe oversized hardcover edition of THE NOMAD, the fully oil-painted anniversary issue we released last year. If you missed my first King Conan story, a stunning visual whirlwind brought to life by master painter Alex Horley, you’ll definitely want to pick this up. And if you already have a copy, this baby is going to bring that artwork to life like never before and includes more making-of material so you can fully appreciate Alex’s phenomenal artistic skills.

Alex and I actually had a Zoom call last week where we chatted about current and future projects. Not sure when things will get announced, but know that there is more in development.

I’ll Be At Howard Days 2026


Speaking of Conan x3 – My travel is booked, so I’m happy to announce that I’ll be attending Robert E. Howard Days this year for the 40th anniversary of the festival happening on June 12th and 13th. It looks like fans from multiple generations of REH fandom will be in attendance, so if you’ve thought about making the trek, this would be a fine year to make it happen.

I attended for the first time back in 2024 and had a good time with friends and fans in the spot where the sword & sorcery genre erupted from Bob’s Underwood no. 5 typewriter.

Current + Upcoming Releases

Upcoming Appearances

A pile of events have now been confirmed, filling in crucial parts of my summer schedule, as you’ll see below. I’ll be back at SDCC and Gen Con, which are once again happening back-to-back. I’ve also booked my first appearance for 2027 already, which is pretty wild.

Apr 23-26, 2026 Calgary Expo Calgary, AB, CANADA
May 2nd, 2026 Gotham Central 11am-2pm Mississauga, ON, CANADA
Jun 12-13, 2026 Robert E. Howard Days Cross Plains, TX, USA
Jul 23-26, 2026 San Diego Comic Con San Diego, CA, USA
Jul 30-Aug 2, 2026 Gen Con Indianapolis, IN, USA
Aug 15, 2026 Comics Assemble Gloucester, England, UK
Oct 15-18, 2026 Gamehole Madison, WI, USA
Nov 12-15, 2026 D&D Weekend Lake Sinclair, GA, USA
Jan 14-16, 2027 Philadelphia Area Gaming Expo Philadelphia, PA, USA

Other Links

• Matt from the Comic Book Guy YouTube channel had a nice little shout-out about our chat at Megacon. He and his buddy Guy have all kinds of fun fan discussions on their channel and it’s worth checking out, especially if you’re a collector.

• Did you see Chip Zdarsky‘s MAD About DC promo video that came out the same day as the issue? Filmed in Toronto, it’s one for the ages and reminds me of his Toronto mayoral campaign video from 2010, which I would love to link for you but doesn’t seem to be online anymore.

• Heroic Signatures has details on their upcoming Robert E. Howard-focused ebooks arriving throughout the year. These short stories are a great way to sample sword & sorcery authors and keep up on the many characters in our “Howardverse.”

Jim