It’s wonderful to be back at Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle, Washington, one of my favorite conventions each year. I’ll be set up with the Comic Sketch Art team at-
ARTIST ALLEY TABLE A-23
In addition to signing at my table during the show, I also have a couple panels and signings:
THURSDAY, MARCH 5 5:15 PM-6:15 PM – LitRPG OMG – Room 343-344 • Level 3
Lit RPG has exploded in the last few years. Join these acclaimed fantasy and Lit RPG authors as they discuss the genre, its rise in popularity, and how authors are taking their readers on unforgettable campaigns. Jim Zub(Conan the Barbarian), Matt Dinniman(Dungeon Crawler Carl), Tao Wong(A Thousand Li)
6:30 PM-7:00 PM – Post-Panel Signing – Third Place Books Booth #20627 Jim Zub and Tao Wong from the Lit RPG OMG panel will be on hand to meet fans and sign books. (Matt Dinniman‘s signings are scheduled separately.) Books will be available for purchase at the signing from ECCC’s official show bookseller, Third Place Books.
FRIDAY, MARCH 6 12:30 PM-1:30 PM – Convention Horror Stories, An ECCC Tradition – Room 345 • Level 3 Jim Zub(Conan the Barbarian, Rick and Morty VS Dungeons & Dragons) is back with the fan-favorite con horror stories panel! What’s it like working as a pro in the business on the convention ˜circuit’? Ridiculous, embarrassing, and always entertaining! Some of these stories will make you laugh out loud, others will make you cringe! This panel is recommended for those 16+ due to coarse language.
SATURDAY, MARCH 7 5:00 PM-5:45PM – D&D Young Adventurer’s Signing and Giveaway – Booth #20515
At the Penguin-Random House booth, author Jim Zub will be signing FREE copies of Dungeons & Tombs while supplies last!
CONAN THE BARBARIAN #29 introduces a new villain to the Hyborian Age. What did readers think of this kick-off to our eighth story arc?
• 9 Panel Grid: “It’s a pretty brave move to have a Conan book missing the namesake character for almost the entire issue, but it speaks to the strength and trust of the Conan team to deliver an incredible story about influence, corruption and brutality…Braithwaite on artwork killed it. The visuals were stunning.”
• American Texan Reads: “If you have never read Conan, issue 29 is a great place to jump on…I think this is great.”
• Comic Book Corner 2.0: “Even though Conan was not in this, it was still entertaining.”
• Comic Culture: “I love the interior artwork. It is so good. Braithwaite has the best interior artwork for a Conan title I can imagine…I thought it was a spectacular issue. I cannot wait for more. Like I say, over and over again, everything Conan the Barbarian right now is a must read, from Barbarian to Savage Sword.”
• Comical Opinions: 9/10 “-a nightmare antagonist with teeth-grinding precision, priming epic clashes via blood-drenched origins. Does it earn a place amid ongoing sagas? Unequivocally yes.”
• Cool Thunder: 9/10 “It is hard to put the book down, and when it is over you are left salivating for more epic sword and sorcery. Doug Braithwaite on art and Diego Rodriguez on colors continue to pull you deep into the Hyborian Age with stunning and immersive visuals.”
• Cupcakes Comics Reviews: “Every issue is a banger, every issue you’ll have fun because it’s so good and so well written…The art is Doug Braithwaite and he’s been killing it, slaying it, in fact.”
• Eternal Crusader: “One major strength of the current series from Titan Comics is that it doesn’t adhere to a rigid, pre-established plot formula. Instead, it tightens the narrative where necessary and allows it to unfold more expansively where the story demands it.”
• Fanlight Zone: “I could go on about how much I love Jim Zub’s work on this and I want him to keep writing it until the heat death of the universe, and how awesome the art is on every issue with Doug Braithwaite hitting it out of the goddamn park. I could go on and on, but all I’ve got to say is that it’s 10/10 every month.”
• First Comic News: “The tension is handled well, positioning this cold and calculating killer as a genuine threat…Next issue promises the inevitable clash between these two barbarians—a savage confrontation that feels destined to end in blood and certain death.”
• Gaming Trend: “If this issue is a preview of what we can expect from this new story arc, then we’re in for an exciting ride. It does a fantastic job of building this new antagonist up as someone who can truly challenge Conan”
• Gary B The Casual Comic Guy: A+“At Titan Comics, Conan has felt fresh and new with the stories they’ve been telling and I’ve really enjoyed them…Just a brilliant job by the entire team and a solid issue, especially for those of you who love a good villain’s tale.”
• League of Comic Geeks: 10/10 “Incredible storytelling! Zub and Braithwaite are a power house team in the world of fantasy comics…This whole issue is about establishing a new villain and it’s masterfully told.”
• Pop Culture Philosophers: “I love that Jim took the time to build up this character in one go, one issue. So now when things explode in future issues, I’ve got everything I need to know…I love this book. It’s stellar.”
• Stygian Dogs: “Zub is afforded the space to fully forge an antagonist of unspeakable malice, one whose corruption is rendered all the more harrowing through Braithwaite’s depiction of the boy’s descent into violence…It’s a darkly compelling, confident, and well executed entry.”
• Superhero Speak: 8/10 “It does a great job of character development and gets us excited for what’s going to happen in the future. The art is great, very detailed and does a great job of conveying the dark, grim and gritty tone we expect.”
• Thinking Critical: “It’s incredibly difficult to write an interesting and compelling story without your titular character…You need a strong motivation to understand where this villain is coming from so you can really root for our hero to take them down. I love it and the art is solid as well.”
Conan the Barbarian #29 art by Doug Braithwaite and Diego Rodriguez.
Tomorrow sees the arrival of CONAN THE BARBARIAN #29, which kicks off a brand new story arc and introduces a new villain to the Hyborian Age called The Son of the Tooth! When I first outlined this arc, I titled it “A Taste of Vengeance”, but as I wrapped up all the scripts for it I saw different elements had come to the forefront, so now Conan Arc 8 is called “Ghosts & Echoes.”
Conan the Barbarian #29 might also be unique amongst Conan comic stories in that (*minor spoilers ahead*) there’s basically no Conan in this issue. I wanted to build up a strong sense of ‘self’ for this new villain, showing both his motivation and capabilities in a Weird Tales-style origin story. Not having our title character show up for a month is a risk, but also the kind of creative swing that keeps things interesting and challenging for our team.
Surprising no one, Doug Braithwaite and Diego Rodriguez delivered phenomenally atmospheric pages, leveling up every part of the script I wrote. Working with such skilled collaborators is an absolute gift.
I really hope you check the issue out and let us know what you think!
Covers by Rob De La Torre, Doug Braithwaite, Martin Simmonds, and Jesus Marino.
Pathfinder, using characters and concepts from the best-selling TTRPG of the same name, was my first work-for-hire sword & sorcery series, building on the foundation I started with Skullkickers (which is also back in print in new Compact Attack Editions from Oni Press). It showed people I could write an ensemble of characters, deliver work on a monthly basis, and showcased my excitement for TTRPG worlds in comics. It also established personalities and backstories for several of the Pathfinder iconic characters, which have remained canon to this day.
When I played the demo in mid-2023 I enjoyed aspects of it, but didn’t quite fall in. A recent play of the full game finally clicked and I really dug it. It’s right up there with Nioh 2 for me in terms of Soulslike games outside the FromSoft dynasty.
The kookiness of turning Pinocchio into a grim gothic-steampunk action RPG felt like a chore at first, but I was surprised how charming it became once I settled in.
The environments are interesting, the combat is tight, and it scratches that Souls itch surprisingly well. The slavish adherance to the Souls formula could easily have left it feeling painfully derivative, but smooth gameplay and some smart choices around character builds + side quests (how they’re given, how they’re tracked) give it just enough to stand out strongly on its own.
There are story beats and character turns that are bizarre-bordering-on-comedy, but if you can handle the plot development of most mainstream anime you won’t bat an eye at any of this. Everything in the game takes it seriously, so eventually you do as well.
Not sure when I’ll have a chance to play Overture (the DLC) with everything on my plate right now, but the base game was a fun ride.
• Asian Boss has a great video talking all about the history of Japanese 7-11 stores, how the ‘konbini’ revolution changed retail in Japan, and how difficult it will be for 7-11 to reproduce that success in North America. If you’ve ever been to Japan you know how impressive these stores are for value and convenience and this insight into how they work is surprisingly compelling.
On Friday, a package arrived with the first volume of the new SKULLKICKERS Compact Attack Edition being reprinted by Oni Press! Each compact-sized volume collects two of the previous Image Comics trade paperbacks at a value-packed price, introducing a whole new generation of readers to the swords & sassery story that kicked off my comic writing career.
I sent all the signed and sketched items to Zoop, so the special crowdfounded editions should be shipping to backers soon as well. Deep thanks again to everyone who supported that campaign.
It’s wild to think how much changed for me 16 years ago. I distinctly remember the chaos of planning my wedding at the same time as preparing to launch this creator-owned comic, while also teaching and managing creative projects at the UDON studio. I genuinely have no idea how I had the energy to juggle all that, but obviously I’m glad I did.
Making it a Near Mint Condition hat trick here, Chip Zdarsky and I chatted up a storm with Omar, Melanie and livestream viewers who asked us questions:
In addition to signing times at my table, I’m also on a panel Saturday afternoon:
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 14, 2026 1:45pm-2:30pm — COMIC WRITERS ASSEMBLE – Theater 3 Comic professionals explain their craft and working in the business, with Ryan North, Jim Zub, Erica Schultz, and Stephanie Gerk.
Always read contracts you’re sent to sign, even if you’re told it’s “boilerplate”.
Understand what you’re agreeing to and don’t be afraid to ask questions or request adjustments.
When you’re starting out you may not have much room to negotiate, but at least you can go into situations with your eyes open.
If an employer doesn’t want to answer questions or clarify aspects of their contract, you have to decide how much you want/need to sign on. I signed some crappy deals at the start of my career, but I knew it and accepted it because I needed the credit and meager money involved, and didn’t have any leverage.
I recently read a contract with a potential client that had two clauses I couldn’t abide:
• The client could choose not to credit me, even if work I contributed was approved and used.
• I could not say I worked on the project at all without permission.
A few emails back and forth and they’ve both been adjusted:
• I will be credited for work done.
• If the project is made public, I can discuss my involvement using publicly released material.
Fixed. There’s still secrecy kept where needed but I’m less likely to get screwed.
Notice I say “less likely”. Even with a contract in place sometimes people don’t do what they’re supposed to. Legal documents are helpful but enforcing them if things go wrong is its own challenge.
There are many reasons why I juggled full-time teaching for so long alongside my freelance writing career.
One of the biggest was the ability to choose which freelance projects I wanted to tackle instead of having to take whatever I could get because the roof over my head depended on it.
I’m determined to make it through the turbulent highs and lows of a creative career without letting it destroy me.
Hope for the best but plan for the worst.
Jack Kirby’s portentous words – art by Dylan Horrocks
Last week’s newsletter was a monster, with lots of stuff to cover, so let’s keep this one more under control-
Excerpt from Conan the Barbarian #28 – “Better a traitor to the crown than to slay one’s own kin in cold blood.”
CONAN THE BARBARIAN #28 arrived in stores last week and I was thrilled to see how many reviewers had it as their Pick of the Week. Our team put their all into this wartorn storyline and I’m so glad readers keyed into what we were going for while we filled in a crucial gap of Conan’s history.
As we’ve been doing throughout the series (and how Robert E. Howard did it in the original Weird Tales stories in the 1930’s), we’ll keep jumping around Conan’s timeline, so our next story arc returns to pre-King adventures, but I definitely have big plans for future stories with the mighty monarch of Aquilonia.
One of the other things I’ve been seeing lately is the good word of mouth online leading to more readers getting on board with volume one and excitedly catching up. Having that clear entry point for the series and our whole publishing line is something that so easily gets lost with rebooted issue #1’s and I’m hopeful that if we keep going on this trajectory we’ll build something that lasts, a run worthy of the world’s greatest sword & sorcery hero.
Game Day
Post-Filming Pic with the Dungeon Dudes Crew: Me, Joe, Monty, Kelly, and TroySteel/Mickey.
I spent yesterday in studio with the Dungeon Dudes filming a few episodes of a TTRPG Actual Play one-shot adventure, which was a fun way to start the week. More details and footage should be coming later this month.
Beyond spending a whole day gaming and laughing with great people, the other unexpected advantage was being too busy to check social media at all. I came home and realized how nice it felt, before reengaging in updates about the current merry-go-round of garbage that is world news.
At the same time, Amazon announced a Sex Criminals TV show, which is surprising, amazing, and about fuckin’ time (literally, it’s about people who stop time when they have sex and use the time freeze to rob banks), so big congrats to his Chipness and Matt Fraction.
• “Art is the means by which we become what we want to be.” – Author Brandon Sanderson‘s keynote speech has some great moments talking about art, AI, and what we might lose if we punt all our creativity to prompts.
• Rob Liefeld is a contentious comic creator whose career has spanned multiple booms and busts in the comic industry. His Robservations podcast can be all over the map in terms of subject matter but, when it’s at its best, it’s filled with enthusiasm for the medium, insightful anecdotes, and deep cuts about some of the biggest names in the industry. His latest episode, an interview with Jim Valentino, is one of the more enjoyable ones I’ve listened to as they reminiscence about the founding of Image Comics.
Conan of Cimmeria and his forces fight a desperate battle against the oppressive Mad King Numedides of Aquilonia and only one will survive their final confrontation! What did reviewers think of the climax of our story arc?
• 9 Panel Grid: “Top Comic of the Week…The way everything has been laid out shows that the team on this book and everyone involved at Titan Comics with Jim Zub, the art team, everyone – they’re arguably just as strategic as Conan himself is on the battlefield.”
• American Texan Reads: “I love the way Jim writes these prose blocks here. It’s not overly done. It’s
beautifully descriptive. The art brings out the narration…Just beautiful art, beautiful storytelling. Absolutely loved this.”
• Comic Book Corner 2.0: “Top Indie Pick of the Week…it was great and the artwork is phenomenal. I love the narration in this book. Just another top notch independent and a phenomenal read.”
• Comic Culture: “Aesthetically, the book is phenomenal. The character designs, the environments, the dungeons, and everything else. The action, coloring and everything is absolutely perfect for a Conan book.”
• Comic Patrol: “Book of the week…This book is beautiful, month after month – writing, art, colors, letters – Everything about this book is constantly as good as comics get. Old fashioned without being ‘old fashioned’, modern without being ‘modern’ – It’s timeless!”
• Comical Opinions: 9/10 “You should absolutely make room in your monthly budget for this series because it represents the gold standard of modern adventure comics.”
• Cool Thunder: 10/10 “The art by Fernando Dagnino consistently delivers a sense of grand, glorious epic with every issue he pencils, and the color work by Diego Rodriguez brings each and every panel vividly to life. This issue is chock-full of action, massive battle scenes, and emotion on every page.”
• Cupcakes Comic Reviews: “It’s amazing and has got great art…Whenever it’s collected it’s going to be an amazing read. Even now in single issues I’m enjoying each and every one.”
• Eternal Crusader: “This is arguably Dagnino’s most epic issue to date and once again demonstrates how outstanding his panel composition and page layouts are…This run is something we will be talking about for a long time to come.”
• Fanlight Zone: “Fantastic art, kinetic energy just jumping off the page and Jim Zub murdering it on this book for 3 years now…This needs to be the best selling comic forever!”
• League of Comic Geeks: 10/10 “The narration is spot on and carries with it the voice of those days of 30s and 40s adventure writing. Political intrigue, a rising and unstoppable hero, and an epic showdown that leaves the reader feeling very satisfied are all present and accounted for, by Crom.”
• Pop Culture Philosophers: “The artwork by Dagnino is frickin’ fire in this book. Classic comic book awesomeness and the story gives us the same…Jim Zub is creating an entire new generation of Conan fans with his incredible work.”
• Scifi Pulse: 9.7/10 “Fernando Dagnino and Diego Rodriguez deliver some excellent work on this book…A satisfying end to what has been one of the most epic Conan stories in this series to date.”
• Stygian Dogs: “Readers of Heroic Signatures’ Conan the Barbarian are treated to yet another glimpse of the epic cosmic narrative Zub has been building and foreshadowing since issue #1. I remain eager to see it reach its climax.”
• Two Guys and a Stack of Comics: “This was one of the best issues of the series so far. I thought it was suitably dramatic and did a great job with so many things.”
• Thinking Critical: “This is easily my Pick of the Week…Definitely starting out 2026 on fire once again to be in competition for the best comic book of the year.”
• Void City Reviews: “I enjoyed the hell out of it. It’s well written, well drawn, and very well executed and could have possibly been Pick of the Week.”
This week’s CONAN THE BARBARIAN #28 feels strangely appropriate to the mood out there- Conan of Cimmeria and his forces fight a desperate battle against the oppressive Mad King Numedides of Aquilonia and only one will survive their final confrontation! If you love epic swords & sorcery or ever wanted to know how Conan became king, do not miss this issue!
A Grand Zubstitution
With Anthony at the Revue Cinema just before the screening start.
Back in 2019, Chip subbed in for me at East Coast Comic Expo when I had to attend an Avengers creative summit in New York City. He tweeted that he was the superior “Z” and signed my comics while taking selfies with fans. 8 years later, turnabout was fair play as I signed a bunch of his Captain America #1’s sent as giveaways to the screening.
A 100% genuine “Chip” signature – Worth big money!
Big thanks to Anthony Oliveira for bringing me on board and the crowd for being good sports about it all. America is a terrifying mess right now, but the dream can endure if patriots keep fighting for it.
Speaking of his Chipness, Zdarsky invited me to be a part of his guest edited April Fool’s Day issue of MAD Magazine called MAD ABOUT DC. I teamed up with my friend Ramon Perez on a brand new SPY VS SPY comic strip called GUY VS SPY with Green Lantern vet Guy Gardner squaring off against the pair of infamously hapless espionage agents.
As one of the millions of kids who grew up reading MAD Magazine and was changed by the way it playfully ripped the veil off pop culture and politics, it’s a rush to contribute to this issue, especially on Spy VS Spy, one of the most iconic features. Make sure you pre-order this special, as it’s jam-packed with comic talent.
Back in the Fight
Street Fighter Masters: Elena cover art by Jeff “Chamba” Cruz.
Titan Comics unleashes our CONAN: TIDES OF THE TYRANT-KING Prelude, foreshadowing the return of Thulsa Doom, Necromancer of Ancient Atlantis, and UDON asked me to do some epic scripting on their Manga Classics take on JOURNEY TO THE WEST, an anime action-adventure version of the famous Chinese fables.
Last week, the Robert E. Howard Foundation celebrated Bob’s 120th birthday with readings of poems and story excerpts. I was honored to be in this year’s line-up alongside other authors, literary scholars, pulp researchers, and lifelong fans. Check it out and raise a glass to the man and his work:
Hugo Eligible
It’s that time of year when Worldcon members get their registration finalized (the registration deadline is January 31st, 2026) and think about which titles they will nominate for the Hugo Awards, one of the most prestigious awards in fiction. Stacy and I attended Worldcon in Seattle last year and it was an absolute whirlwind of panels, parties and time well spent with some of our favorite people in the business.
It can be an odd balance when it comes to making sure members are aware of work without coming across like you’re sucking up, but in this case I feel a deep need to beat the drum, so here we go-
CONAN THE BARBARIAN #25, “The Nomad” is a heck of an achievement. It took almost a year for Alex Horley to traditionally oil paint 38 pages of stunning sword & sorcery imagery and I did everything in my power to summon lyrical narration and dialogue to live up to those visuals. It’s a self-contained story about legacy, loss, and survival – poetry amidst pain. It’s one of the best comics I’ve ever worked on and the response from readers and reviewers was top notch.
If the Worldcon membership considers The Nomad worthy of nomination for Best Graphic Story or Comic and Alex Horley for Best Professional Artist, our whole team would be thrilled.
• Speaking of glorious 2D animation, master animator James Baxter has posted up a wonderful tutorial about character walk cycles. Whenever I watch an expert showcase their process like this, I learn a lot even while I’m humbled at the same time.
• Meredith Gran has released PERFECT TIDES: STATION TO STATION, a point-and-click adventure game sequel to PERFECT TIDES, and both are heartfelt coming of age story video games. I first met Meredith way back in my webcomic days and it’s been amazing watching her skills and career flourish over the years.
• Steve Jackson Games has launched a crowfunding campaign for Munchkin 2nd Edition with all new art by my friend John Kovalic. If you’re a tabletop gamer like me you probably already knew about this, but it’s still worth mentioning.
CONAN THE BARBARIAN #31
On sale April 22, 2026
Story: JIM ZUB
Line Art: DOUG BRAITHWAITE
Colors: DIEGO RODRIGUEZ
Cover A: MAHMUD ASRAR
Cover B: DOUG BRAITHWAITE
Cover C: MAX DUNBAR
Cover D: PAOLO PANTALENA
A DEADLY FOE CONTINUES TO HUNT CONAN
A DEADLY NEW FOE hunts Conan the Barbarian, tracking his spirit wherever he travels – a killer with keen blade in hand and teeth from old prey strung ‘round his neck. The cult of the Black Stone WANTS REVENGE against the Cimmerian and the Son of the Tooth is their weapon of choice.
MAD ABOUT DC
On sale April 1st, 2026
Written and Drawn by THE USUAL GANG OF COMIC BOOK CREATORS WHO NEEDED THE EXTRA MONEY
Cover by DAN “MAD ABOUT GLUTEN LABELING BECAUSE IT SHOULD ACTUALLY BE CLEARER OR ELSE WHAT’S THE POINT” PANOSIAN
Variant covers by SIMON BISLEY and CHIP ZDARSKY
Chip Zdarsky is a funny guy. Remember when he made that whole April Fools’ gag comic with rub ‘n’ smell farts? Oh, wait, that was me, DC Comics E-I-C Marie Javins. Chip was the one saying, “I’d turn back if I were you,” but he couldn’t stop me. Editors are a self-destructive lot. Which is why this year, I said, “I give up, you do it, Chip, you are so much funnier and prettier and also better with cats than I am.” And look, he went and did it. Chip demoted himself to “editor.” Chip is turning the DC universe on its ear and bringing you savage mockery of all we hold dear, and he is assisted in this brutal task by Matt Fraction, Gail Simone, Skottie Young, and many, many more. Next year? Back to farts.
Includes MAD favorite Sergio Aragones with “A MAD Look at Comic Book Stores,” “Guy vs. Spy” by Jim Zub and Ramon Perez, and a DC Fold-In by Charles Soule and Ryan Browne. Plus a slew of MAD-style parodies of all DC Comics you hold dear, and some you’ve always hated anyway.
MAD About DC #1 will fulfill your every comic book dream, or at least three or four of them.
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