Zubby Newsletter #174: The Gamble That Paid Off

Posted by on September 21, 2026 3 comments
Savage Sword of Conan (2018) #7-9: The Gambler

7 years ago, I was proud to have a Conan solo writing credit in Savage Sword of Conan (2018) #7-9 and thought it would be my last chance to be a Bard for the Barbarian. I never imagined how that story, The Gambler, would start a domino effect that would change my career in such incredible ways.

I’d written Conan twice before, in the Dark Horse Conan-Red Sonja mini-series with Gail Simone and in Avengers: No Road Home with Mark Waid and Al Ewing, but both of those were co-written team-ups and I was itching to show what I could do on my own in the classic Hyborian Age setting.

Editor Mark Basso approved The Gambler and Patch Zircher drew the hell out of it.

Conan is tricked into a gambling hall surrounded by mysterious enemies and his life may be forfeited on the turn of a card. I went for a Weird Tales vibe, hearkening back to the pulp roots of the character.

That story grabbed the attention of Fred Malmberg, the owner of Conan. He really liked that old school feel and so, what I thought would be my last chance instead became an audition for more. They asked me to write a crossover with multiple Robert E. Howard characters, which became Conan: Serpent War.

Conan: Serpent War, my first attempt at a ‘Howardverse.’

I envisioned multiple crossover mini-series over multiple years, a pulp epic that would incorporate as many of Robert E. Howard’s creations as possible, but it ended up being only 4-issues with a teaser at the end showing Kull the Conqueror.

Jason Aaron was writing the flagship monthly Conan series and was known for doing long runs on characters so I thought it could be many years before I might get the chance to write Conan again. Instead, Jason only had 12 issues planned so Marvel was almost immediately looking for a new writer.

I was offered the Conan flagship monthly series and my first issue, Conan the Barbarian #13, came out in February 2020.

After two issues, Marvel halted publishing on almost all their titles due to the pandemic and we were caught in that deep freeze midway through my first story arc. After an 8 month gap, Conan the Barbarian #15 came out in December 2020 and, with the world understandably focused on more important things, we lost most of our sales momentum. I managed to hold on for 9 more issues, but the Marvel series came to an end with Conan the Barbarian #25 in September 2021.

My first two and last two Conan the Barbarian issues at Marvel: 2020 and 2021.

I never had the chance to do any signings or conventions as the series came out during lockdown, leaving me with a weird feeling like it all happened in a dream. Fred Malmberg was sorry I didn’t get to go further and told me to stay in touch.

5 months later in February 2022, Fred told me they were negotiating a creative partnership with Titan Books and looking for pitches to relaunch Conan. It would be a “bake-off” competition with multiple writers. I told my wife I probably wasn’t even going to submit a pitch because there was no way I’d get it. No one would want a new Conan series written by the same guy who just did it and it didn’t sell. She bristled at how quickly I was giving up.

“Well, you’re definitely not getting it with an attitude like that.”

At the same time, Roberto de la Torre reached out to me after I bought a commission piece from him and we started chatting over Facebook Messenger. He’d gained a cult following amongst dedicated Conan fans for his stunning Hyborian Age commissions and had drawn a couple stories for Marvel but hoped to do more. Rob and I started talking about possibly doing a creator-owned series together, essentially doing a Conan-style pastiche.

A few days later, I put together an unusual pitch for Heroic Signatures/Titan: Things I’d learned about Conan and the fanbase, what seemed to be missing, and a plan for the future. It involved an olive branch for lapsed fans and a way for new readers to get on board.

To my absolute surprise, Fred put his chips on me. My pitch was the one they approved. I knew we were starting on our backfoot and had a lot to prove to a fanbase that, at best, thought they knew what my Conan would be like. We needed an undeniable artist to launch the series and Rob was it.

We waited until Free Comic Book Day May 2023 to relaunch. That gave fans time to miss the book, time for research, and time to build a publishing buffer on an ambitious monthly title.

Conan the Barbarian #1 arrived August 2023 and the New Age of High Adventure has been roaring ever since.

Conan the Barbarian (2023) #1-4: Bound in Black Stone

I was promised 12 issues to establish a new baseline for the Conan publishing line and, when we hit multiple printings on #1-4, we negotiated a longer contract to deliver a much larger version of the ‘Howardverse’ plan I had in mind back during Serpent War.

I proposed a 3-year/36-issue plan, and each year would culminate in an event.

When I verbally pitched the bi~ig story, they told me it was too much for 36 issues and wouldn’t have enough room to breath.

“How about 4 years instead?”

Since that would be a 48-issue commitment, I said we might as well round it up to 50 and, thankfully, they agreed.

This week, CONAN: TIDES OF THE TYRANT-KING #1 arrives in stores. It’s the third of four pillar event mini-series that make up the mythic story arc we’ve had in the works for a long, long time.

Conan: Tides of the Tyrant-King #1-4 connected variant covers by Jesús Merino.

Conan the Barbarian has changed the course of my creative career in ways I never could have imagined.

So few people get to write these iconic characters and no one gets a second shot at it after the first time failed. That it happened at all is unreal, and the second chance being a hit is impossible squared.

I got hit by lightning twice and caught it in the bottle on the second strike.

Cimmerian September Delivers Big Adventure


Last week, SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN #16 arrived in stores and the response was strong.

This week, CONAN: TIDES OF THE TYRANT-KING #1 arrives and Thulsa Doom’s evil returns.

Next week, CONAN THE BARBARIAN #35 arrives, continuing our swashbuckling Cursed Shores Beyond story arc.

If you’re not already reading, make sure you get caught up with this year’s FREE COMIC BOOK DAY issue (which is also free online) and see what all the excitement is about.

Awesome Comics Conversation

I spoke to Vince, Tony, and Dan at the Awesome Comics Podcast all about writing Conan the Barbarian, channeling the source material, reigniting the core fanbase, inspiration, and upcoming plans for our “Howardverse.” Give it a listen!

A New D&D Comic Series

As the guy who’s written more D&D comics than anyone else, take my word for it- Dark Horse’s new DUNGEONS & DRAGONS comic series that launches in November starts the adventure strong!

Written by my friends Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, it’s ambitious, fun, and uses both lore and legendary characters with the confidence of a veteran Dungeon Master bursting with inspiration.

Today is the last day you can pre-order the first issue at your local comic retailer, so don’t miss out.

Current + Upcoming Releases

Upcoming Appearances

Oct 8-10, 2026 New York Comic Con New York, NY, USA
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

• A couple weeks ago, I linked to an overview of Nate Simpson‘s comic Nonplayer and the way it lost momentum, so it’s only fair that I should also link to Nate’s personal reply to that video, talking about the work, his career, things he’s learned and hopes for the future.

• Sonny Hurrell‘s recipe for NY Halal Cart-style Chicken and Rice popped up in my feed, I made it and it was absolutely amazing. I can count on one hand the number of times Stacy has finished eating dinner before me and she absolutely wolfed down this dish. I didn’t make the spicy red sauce covered in the video (I swapped in sriracha), but if you’re not down for spiciness just skip that step and you’ll be golden. Highly recommended!

Jim

Savage Sword of Conan #16 Reviews

Posted by on September 21, 2026 1 comment

SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN #16 kicks off the TIDES OF THE TYRANT-KING event with 3 stories that tie into the big story. Working with Nicola Scott, Chris Campana, and Sean Izaakse was amazing. Let’s see what the critics thought-

• Comic Book Clique: 9/10 “Jim Zub brings the same strong Howardian voice to all three of these stories that he does the ongoing Conan series each month…If the intent of this issue was to get readers hyped for the event, I can say that it definitely worked on me”

• Comic Crusaders: 9/10 “Savage Sword should feel like opening a forbidden drawer full of maps, monsters, doomed men, dangerous women, and stories somebody definitely told you not to read before bed. Issue #16 gets that vibe. It is muscular without becoming brainless, reverent toward Howard without becoming trapped by him, and visually varied without losing the magazine’s identity.”

• Comic Culture: “This is a great foundational book for things to come over in Conan proper…Savage Sword of Conan is one of the best books out right now.”

• Cupcake Comic Reviews: “One of my favorite titles out there…Jim Zub doing what Jim Zub does best, which is staying savage on this book. He’s killing every single issue.”

• The Dragon’s Cache: 9.8/10 “Nicola Scott steeps her epic scenes and heartfelt recollections with shades of gray, lending depth and reality to her art in The Savage Sword of Conan #16.”

• Eternal Crusader: “A strong companion piece to Tides of the Tyrant King…Zub’s Conan can always be more than blood, steel, and pulp spectacle when he decides to dig a little deeper and explore the humanity behind it all.”

• Fanlight Zone: 10/10 “Love it, absolutely love it. Jim Zub doing the best work of his career on this character…It is the combination of great art, great story, great character – It all comes together in one kick-ass package. What more could you want?”

• Gaming Trend: 8/10 “This jumbo-sized issue serves as a perfect prequel to Tides of the Tyrant King, with the trio of stories beautifully showcasing the ongoing machinations of Thulsa Doom while also establishing compelling new characters that promise to play big roles in the miniseries.”

• Gary B The Casual Comic Guy: “This is a A+ issue. There is a lot of greatness here. All the stories are a lot of fun and just as good the second time around reading them. They just really suck you in. And what Jim Zub does is fantastic. “

• Goodreads: 9/10 “This is clearly a setup issue, but it did exactly what it needed to do: delivered some great sword-and-sorcery fun and made me even more excited for what comes next.”

• Kabooooom: 10/10 “Zub’s stories are as engaging as ever and he is well-matched by his artistic collaborators. More than any writer to dabble in the Hyborian Age, Zub goes beyond emulating Howard’s style and truly expands his creations.”

• League of Comic Geeks: 10/10 “I got more than expected. I am a sucker for black and white, especially on newsprint. The two tie in stories were fantastic and I am excited for the new series to begin…Overall, I am adding yet another Conan to my pull list from here on.”

• Major Spoilers: “I really like the black and white art. It is very conducive to this kind of pulp story and an anthology series…Jim Zub’s writing is really great. He understands the characters, the settings. He knows what he wants to do.”

• Old Man Hyborian: “All three stories were penned by Jim Zub and pretty decent, all three of them. You can see how he’s going to set up this new mini-series. The main story arc was drawn by Nicola Scott. Pretty decent art and I really liked that.”

• Pop Culture Philosophers: 8/10 “I love how Jim Zub is not just taking Conan and polishing him off and bringing him fresh and exciting for a new generation of fans and appeasing the older generation of fans, but also putting the spotlight on some of the lesser known characters from the Howardverse.”

• Stygian Dogs: “The more I think about the story, the more I love it. It’s a success from both the writer and the artist…What else can be said? It’s just awesome. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Add in three tremendous pin-ups and an exciting art contest and the issue is an absolute winner. A must read prior to next week’s release of the excellent Conan Tides of the Tyrant King #1.”

Zubby Newsletter #173: Quite Cromulent

Posted by on September 16, 2026 No comments

I drew Conan on a coffee cup at Ottawa Comiccon.

Ottawa Comiccon was a nice time, much more relaxed than the hustle and bustle of Fan Expo Canada, but that’s okay. I saw some family and friends, met a bunch of readers who hadn’t headed south for the big show, and chatted all about story ideas and creative consistency with Stacy as we made the trek to and from our nation’s capital.

We drove home Sunday night to make sure we were ready to start the week on a productive note, busting away on writing deadlines. There’s a lot to get done between now and Canadian Thanksgiving, and my To-Do List will prove critical over the next 3 weeks.

Savage Sword of Conan #16 cover by Joe Jusko.

In stores today: SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN #16, our Tides of the Tyrant-King tie-in issue and I wrote it all! 64 pages of magazine-sized, black & white bombast, 3 tales ready to pounce with powerful pulpy panels from 3 potent partners:

• Nicola Scott unleashes dark visions of Conan’s past, including a moment readers didn’t realize was happening between the panels of Bound in Black Stone.

• Chris Campana brings his crisp storytelling in a supernatural-sent sequel to the Robert E. Howard cowboy classic The Vultures of Wahpeton.

• Sean Izaakse shows us a wondrous hidden side of Zuleika, the quiet servant girl in Robert E. Howard’s famous weird tale Skull-Face.

Getting to build and deliver another exciting ‘Howardverse’ event with our team is a joy. I’m neck-deep in research reading right now for my late 2027 story outlines and it’s both intimidating and amazing to realize that Conan the Barbarian #45-50 and our fourth event mini-series will bring all these threads together soon.

An excerpt from my intro in Savage Sword of Conan #16.

Watch the Comic Watchers

I spoke to Chad and Matt at Comic Watch all about our Conan: Tides of the Tyrant-King event mini-series, writing different eras of the Cimmerian, procedural characters, pacing out stories and “the promise of the premise”, working with top-notch artists, working on long term storytelling, and more!

Current + Upcoming Releases

Upcoming Appearances

Thrilled to announce that I will be at this year’s New York Comic Con from Thursday to Saturday – set up in Artist Alley, moderating several panels, and making a big new project announcement! I wasn’t sure I was going to be at the show at all, but now I’m there in a big way and it’s going to be packed.

Oct 8-10, 2026 New York Comic Con New York, NY, USA
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

• Andy Belanger and Karl Kerschl have been doing a series of videos titled Falling In Love With Comics Again on their Lethal Comics newsletter and they’re great. Their excitement for classic comics is infectious and it does exactly what the title promises, reminding me why this medium grabbed my attention and has never let go.

Jim

Zubby Newsletter #172: A Milestone Made Manifest

Posted by on September 10, 2026 No comments
The Wayward Compendium has arrived!

The WAYWARD COMPENDIUM arrived in comic shops yesterday and will be available in bookstores everywhere on October 6th.

Finally getting this 904-page brick o’ book in my hands feels wonderful and surreal. All 30 issues, plus an extensive cover gallery and back matter.

Every creative project I work on feels like a time capsule. When I look at them, there’s a rush of memories immediately associated with each one – Where I was when I wrote key sections, nervous excitement when we got the greenlight from a publisher, amazing art, unexpected collaboration, friendships, triumphs and setbacks.

When it comes to Wayward, those feelings are even more visceral. The series was almost five years of concentrated effort right at that tipping point as I was making a name for myself, working closely with Steven, Tamra, Marshall and Zack at every step – inspiration and experimentation, research and travel. From launch to completion, on Wayward I feel like I really came into my own as a writer and the whole team leveled up.

I remember being at San Diego Comicon back in 2015 signing at the Marvel booth. Dan Slott was beside me signing at the same time and, while I was putting my signature on a few Thunderbolts issues, he was signing massive Amazing Spider-Man omnibuses. I imagined what it would feel like to have that much material collected together like that.

This bullet-stopper of a book is a milestone made manifest. It’s who I was from 2014-2018 and a celebration of what’s possible when I put an intense amount of effort into something original, working with great people at every step to create something we can be proud of.

It summons all kinds of great feelings and, honestly? I didn’t realize how much I’d missed that.

All that to say, with 8 years now passed since Wayward wrapped up, I really need to get back into the creator-owned comic space…

Canadians Conquering Conan Panel

Evan Todd from Stygian Dogs has posted up his video from the Canadians Conquering Conan panel at Fan Expo Canada. Mike Rooth, Fred Kennedy, Nick Marinkovich and I chatted all about our experiences working in the Hyborian Age and there’s a nice series of anecdotes and playful jabs throughout.

The Nomad Deluxe

On October 7th, you’ll be able to buy the deluxe hardcover version of THE NOMAD, the epic King Conan story Alex Horley and I put together for the 25th issue of Conan the Barbarian last year. It’s a fully painted 38-page story that celebrates the legacy of Conan – past, present, and future.

I genuinely think it’s one of the best stories I’ve worked on and am honored that Titan decided to put together this lavish oversized version that includes a bunch of extra back matter and a new introduction I wrote.

Current + Upcoming Releases

Upcoming Appearances

Sep 11-13, 2026 Ottawa Comicon Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA
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 creator-owned comic pal Kurtis Wiebe has put together a crowdfunding campaign to bring back the Rat Queens Board Game that went off the rails years ago when the game publisher didn’t uphold their end of things and manufacture or ship the games fans had paid for. Kurtis and his team have the rights back and are looking to finally make the game a reality and also send each backer of the original campaign a set for free. I hope they’re able to make it happen for their many fans.

• Randall Messman has a video all about the importance of physical media compared to digital files and the cloud. It’s a solid rundown of why collections and ownership feel so different and detached in the here and now and how to get a bit of that magic back.

• Dave Baker has a bunch of interesting pop culture retrospective videos on his YouTube Channel Mystery Treehouse and his latest, all about Nate Simpson’s comic Nonplayer, is a compelling discussion about ambition, art, commerce and perfectionism. Nonplayer came out around the same time as the second arc of Skullkickers and I distinctly remember being amazed by the work and then wondering what happened next, so this video was both informative and a bit heartbreaking.

Jim

Zub at Ottawa Comiccon 2026

Posted by on September 7, 2026 No comments

This week I’m in our nation’s capital for Ottawa Comiccon, Sept 11-13, 2026!
I’m a special guest and will be set up with Comic Sketch Art at

TABLE 2819

Looking forward to seeing friends and fans there!

Zubby Newsletter #171: Great Expo-tations

Posted by on August 31, 2026 No comments
Young Conan and King Conan paired sketch covers from Fan Expo Canada 2026.

Fan Expo Canada signaled the end of summer convention season and it was another good one. Tons of people came by to see me and, since it was the hometown show, every 10-15 minutes I’d see old friends from high school or college, longtime readers or gaming pals.

Sometimes a cluster at my table would combine cohorts – a student from ten years ago met my high school friends or a podcaster was suddenly talking to a guy I went to college with who left animation to be a stay-at-home Dad.

If I was signing books for someone else I’d hear them chatting about me and felt like I was eavesdropping on my own reputation:

“Oh yeah, Jim’s been doing this forever.”

“I met him at a goth club in the 90’s.”

“He was my professor back in…oh damn, 2013!”

“I wish he’d do more Marvel stuff.”

And, as expected, there was lots of Conan the Barbarian, which was amazing. People waiting to get stuff signed sharing their excitement with other Conan fans, talking about how they collected the comics when they were young or never read any Conan before this, and this run is awesome. It was incredibly heartwarming.

A friend dropped off a bag of old Conan paperbacks as a gift.
A former student bought their kid their first comic.
A college buddy told me about their new D&D campaign.

That’s what Fan Expo in Toronto is for me – A constant swirl of nostlgia and engagement, four days of intense interaction before Autumn. Now I’m catching up on emails and back on my To-Do List.

The Tides of September

Titan Comics has released their official trailer for our Fall event mini-series – CONAN: TIDES OF THE TYRANT-KING! As you can see, the art looks amazing and we’re setting up another epic adventure.

Talking to Gaming Trend

I chatted with the crew at Gaming Trend all about writing crossovers, collaborating with artists, eldritch horror, different genres, creating memories with every creative project and more. Make sure you check it out.

Double Axe Handle Smash

The team at Double Axe Handle Smash covers more than wrestling, so make sure you check out the interview we did about growing up as a comic reader and collector, the progression of my professional career, writing a comic script, collaboration, Dungeons & Dragons, the original Conan the Barbarian movie, working on the Conan comics, Robert E. Howard stories, breaking into comics, and more!

Biff Bam Pop


Just before Fan Expo I put together a text interview with Biff Bam Pop all about the convention circuit, rereleasing Wayward in our new Compendium, gaming, Tides of the Tyrant-King and more.

Verse DB


The comic database website VerseDB put together a spotlight on my comic career, covering old and new projects aplenty. We chatted about what has changed over the decades in terms of commercial and creator-owned comics, focusing on your passions, things I learned in animation, and more!

Current + Upcoming Releases

Upcoming Appearances

Sep 11-13, 2026 Ottawa Comicon Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA
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

• Sam Hart has a crowdfunding campaign going for 10 Lost Days, his original graphic novel about magical events that took place in the gap between adoption of the Gregoran calendar. I met Sam in Gloucester a couple weeks ago and we chatted about how this all came together for him. It’s a really neat story idea and the artwork looks sharp.

• Monolith is gearing up for their next Conan board game and TTRPG crowdfunding campaign and have released a trailer you can check out here – Conan: Tales of Tortage and Zamora.

• My friend (and collaborator on the D&D Young Adventurer’s Guides) Andrew Wheeler has a new D&D book arriving in November, A Feast for a Tenday: A Baldur’s Gate Cookbook. He had an advance copy of the book with him at Fan Expo, so I was able to flip through and check it out. The production values look amazing and it’s definitely worth pre-ordering for the D&D/BG3 fan in your life.

Jim

Conan the Barbarian #34 Reviews

Posted by on August 31, 2026 No comments

Part 2 of our Cursed Shores Beyond story arc arrived in stores last week. What did reviewers think?

• Comic Culture: “I had such a good time with this. We say that for every single issue of Jim Zub’s Conan run…Fernando Dagnino is the artist on this one and it’s beautiful stuff. He does fantastic work on here.”

• Comic Patrol: “What’s the one book I would keep if I had to drop everything? It’s Conan…I couldn’t sing its praises high enough.”

• Comical Opinions: 10/10 “Fernando Dagnino is firing on all cylinders with beautifully rendered junglescapes, terrifying monsters, cinematic swordfights, and a fantastic sense of drama…Jim Zub’s tale of woe is as good as it gets, and the art team’s delivery is dead center perfect.”

• Cupcakes Comic Reviews: “Fernando Daginono’s artwork is sublime. Like all the artists on this book, they’ve all been awesome…And again, Jim can do no wrong.”

• Fanlight Zone: 10/10 “It’s almost a broken record at this point to tell you guys how amazing this book is every single month. Just some of the best comic work on the shelves…It’s right up there with some of the best work on this character. I can’t recommend it enough.”

• Gaming Trend: 9/10 “The distinct environment remains a breath of fresh air for long-time readers of the series, and the supporting cast continue to be just as captivating as the titular Cimmerian. With a healthy dose of fast-paced action and an unexpected twist at the end, Conan the Barbarian #34 is a great time from cover to cover.”

• Gary B the Casual Comic Guy: “The coloring in these last two issues by Diego Rodriguez has been absolutely stunning. The coloring just really brought me into this story. Everything is clear, everything’s concise, but there are layers to the coloring that really draw it out.”

• League of Comic Geeks: 10/10 “This arc is pure sword-and-sorcery adventure, and that final reveal immediately made me desperate for the next issue. An absolute blast from beginning to end!”

• Old Man Hyborian: “Overall, a pretty solid issue. Buy it, read it, and enjoy it.”

• Pop Culture Philosophers: “Dagnino is such a great artist. Really great stuff. There’s dinosaurs on this island eating people, the figure work is amazing…Jim Zub is the best Conan writer of my lifetime.”

• Sci-Fi Pulse: 9.6/10 “Fernando Dagnino does a great job with the artwork in this story. A particular highlight is the attack by the carnivorous reptiles seeking to make a meal of our heroes…A solid second issue that builds nicely on the story established in last month’s opener.”

• Stygian Dogs: “It’s a fun second part of this four issue arc. It establishes the mystery of the island and the various threats there on, and it gives clear momentum for the next stage of the adventure.”

• Thinking Critical: “Pick of the Week…This was a blast to read from beginning to end. Great dialogue, pacing, terrific art and lettering as well.”

Zub at Fan Expo Canada 2026

Posted by on August 26, 2026 No comments

This week is Canada’s biggest pop culture convention, Fan Expo Canada, August 27-30, 2026.
I’m a special guest and will be set up in the Comic Sketch Art section of Artist Alley at

SOUTH HALL CREATOR TABLE CP67

Since this is my local show, I’ll have quite a few Conan the Barbarian back issues and variant covers so, if you’re on the hunt, feel free to reach out and hopefully I can fill in gaps in your collection and sign them at the same time.

In addition to being at my table throughout the show, I’m also part of a Conan spotlight panel on Sunday:

SUNDAY, August 30, 2026
12:15pm-1:00pm – CANADIANS CONQUERING CONAN! in Room 705 – Stage
Join Jim Zub, Nick Marinkovich, Fred Kennedy and Mike Rooth for a discussion of Conan’s enduring appeal, the current Robert E. Howard revival, and the outsized role that Canadian creators have played in bringing the Hyborian Age to readers around the world. Moderated by Evan Todd from Stygian Dogs.

Zubby Newsletter #170: Little Meetings and Milestones

Posted by on August 24, 2026 No comments
At the famous Guinness Storehouse.

England and Ireland were great. We were on the road for seven days and only had two days of work at the events we lined up, so there was a bit of downtime to relax and explore, which was nice.

In Gloucester, I met Jesus Merino in person for the first time. He’s a legendary artist and we’re currently working together on the CONAN: TIDES OF THE TYRANT-KING mini-series that starts next month, so it was wonderful getting to spend a bit of time and chat about our work on the Cimmerian.

Our dear friends the Trowers family made the trek down from Nottingham to see us and after the event we went out with them for dinner.

Dublin was a lot of fun too. It was our first time in Ireland outside the airport but we didn’t want to overextend ourselves so soon after the SDCC-Gen Con Gauntlet so we kept things simple, staying in the city and hitting up tourist spots: The Guinness Storehouse, Trinity College, museums and galleries, Grafton Street and pubs aplenty. I know there’s a lot more to Ireland than Dublin and next time we visit we want to check out more of the country, but for this short stint it was nice staying in one spot.

Voice artist Jeff Hays happened to be visiting Ireland at the same time, so he invited us to high tea with some of his crew, and that was excellent. Great conversation, wonderful food, and lots of anecdotes around fandom. Comic artist (and former footballer) Danny Earls took us out for breakfast and we chatted about his incredible artistic growth. Comic writer Gary Moloney met up with Stacy and I for dinner after our signing at Dublin City Comics and we talked about the current state of publishing.

The next thing we knew, we were on the flight back home. Jet lag and a pesky cough took me out for a couple days after we returned, but now I’m on the mend and diving back into writing as I race to hit deadlines before Fan Expo Canada, the biggest convention in the country happening this week in Toronto. (And yes, I’ll be at the show in the South Hall at Artist Alley Table CP67).

Conan the Barbarian #34 wraparound cover painting by Esad Ribic.

CONAN THE BARBARIAN #34 is in stores this week! This issue continues our twisted pirate tale with mystery and action galore.

It’s also a career milestone for me. Up until now, my longest unbroken comic runs have been on my creator-owned series: Skullkickers (34 issues) and Wayward (30 issues), but with this issue Conan the Barbarian (#0-34, 35 issues) is now my longest unbroken run and there’s many more still to come!

(In terms of overall Conan writing, if you add together every regular issue, mini-series, anthology or special I’ve written, I’m up to 78 Conan-centric issues and counting.)

Current + Upcoming Releases

Upcoming Appearances

Aug 27-30, 2026 Fan Expo Canada Toronto, ON, CANADA
Sep 11-13, 2026 Ottawa Comicon Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA
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 friend Jason Bogath is in need, juggling intense healthcare-related debts through no fault of his own. Please give this a read, then help and share if you can.

• Artist Liam Sharp has a portfolio and calendar of his iconic Conan the Barbarian artwork and you can order it via crowdfunding here.

• Michel Gagné‘s SAGA OF REX is a hand-animated feature film he’s been working on for 14 years and the trailer is finally here! I backed Michel’s original 4-min short way back in 2012 and am so thrilled to finally see this feature version come to life.

Jim

Zubby Newsletter #169: Signature Technique

Posted by on August 13, 2026 No comments
A panel from Conan the Barbarian #34, with art by Fernando Dagnino and Diego Rodriguez.

Stacy and I are finishing packing for our upcoming week-long jaunt to England and Ireland after a week of recovery from SDCC/Gen Con con crud and a sprint of writing deadlines. On the calendar it looked like more than enough time between events but now, in the midst of it, it’s been a bit crunchy.

Still, we’re England-bound and excited to explore some new places.

• This Saturday, August 15th I’m at COMICS ASSEMBLE in Gloucester, England from 10am-5pm.
• On Wednesday, August 19th Stacy and I are signing at DUBLIN CITY COMICS in Dublin, Ireland from 5-7pm.

If you can make it to either event, I look forward to seeing you there!

Beyond trip recuperation and trip prep, it’s been relatively quiet. Research reading and writing aplenty. Avoiding the scorching heat or torrential rains that have been hitting our area through late summer.

Making Stuff Less Than Mint

My current signature, which I finally got comfortable with after much trial and error.

Autographing books is frosting on the cake that is getting to write these stories and collaborate with amazing people in this business. It’s nice to be able to personalize something for a reader and acknowledge their enjoyment of the work that went into the book. As Stacy’s writing career gets more traction, she’s been figuring out her signature and, watching her go through that process reminded me how long it took before I felt comfortable signing my work and that I’ve internalized some key pieces of autographing advice I received many years ago.

“Advice? Just sign your name, dude.”
Would you believe there’s more to it than that? Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Make sure your autograph is not the same signature you use for legal documents. You don’t want that legal signature floating around everywhere.

• It sounds egotistical, but practice your signature ahead of time on scrap paper so you don’t have to figure it out in front of other people when the pressure is on.

• Practice printing short punchy messages with Sharpie markers (black and metallics) and paint markers so you’re comfortable using them. The last thing you want to do is wreck someone’s book.

• Make sure your autograph is somewhat legible so that, if there are multiple signatures, people can quickly identify yours.

• If you can do your signature quickly without having to lift the pen multiple times, you’ll be able to sign much, much faster and won’t mess up your wrist if you need to sign a LOT all at once.

The most signatures I’ve done in one shot was probably Free Comic Book Day 2023 at Third Eye Comics. I signed well over a thousand Conan the Barbarian #0’s and dozens of other issues and trade paperbacks that day. It’s the only time I’ve ever finished a signing session with wrist pain and I was extremely thankful my signature was quick and legible.

Current + Upcoming Releases

  • Conan the Barbarian #33 – released 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

I didn’t have any September shows on my schedule, but just added Ottawa Comicon to the mix. It’s been way too long since I was in our nation’s capital and I’m looking forward to seeing readers, friends and family there!

Aug 15, 2026 Comics Assemble Gloucester, England, UK
Aug 19, 2026 Dublin City Comics – Signing 5-7pm Dublin, IRELAND
Aug 27-30, 2026 Fan Expo Canada Toronto, ON, CANADA
Sep 11-13, 2026 Ottawa Comicon Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA
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 friends Deborah Ann Woll and the Dungeon Dudes have launched their crowdfunding campaign for the second season of the Tales From Woodcreek TTRPG liveplay narrative.

• The title of this video seemed click-baity, but writer Jed Herne‘s advice on naming fantasy characters is actually quite solid and useful. Worthwhile for anyone in writing or gaming who is coming up with fictional character names.

• Speaking of advice, my friend Justin Jordan (writer of Luther Strode and other top notch comics) has started his own YouTube channel called Death Or Comics that’s filled with advice on developing and pitching comics in the traditional publishing market.

Jim