Monthly Archives: November 2019

BBC News Article on Comic Piracy

Posted by on November 30, 2019 No comments

I know the recent BBC article on comic piracy was intended to be helpful, but it skims so lightly along the subject that the whole thing becomes anecdotal. The fact that I’m “quoted” twice, but just from tweets not an actual conversation with me, makes it even more awkward.

I wasn’t going to say anything about it, but since it’s on the BBC site it’s hitting a more mainstream audience than usual and now I’m getting a swath of messages praising/punching me for it.

The anecdotal nature of the article really annoyed me, but I also realize that it strikes at the heart of why the piracy conversation always goes sideways so fast:

Anecdotes are all we have because the actual help/hindrance of digital piracy is nearly impossible to accurately measure.

There are stats of a sort (page views, torrents, downloads) but we have no way to measure how that translates to sales lost or visibility gained.

Some readers justify why they do it or explain how it helped them and then project that experience across the whole thing. Equally, creators see their own struggles and the shakiness of the system and project those losses on to the whole. Neither is accurate, but neither is completely wrong, either.

I’m not a fool. I don’t think every illegal download is a lost sale. I know it’s complicated and everyone can point to themselves or others as reasonable/justified/worthy customers who pirate stuff for the “right” reasons. The complexity destroys any reasonable discourse.

The fact that it’s digital and a whole other segment can get pedantic and explain that it’s not actually “theft” because it’s a just a copy and nothing was physically stolen muddies the whole thing even more.

Piracy is a diffused mess of disparate data injected with enough anecdotes and frustration that none of us has to change our opinion or behavior.

Everyone sees what they want to see and keeps on screaming.
Which is online discourse in a nutshell right now.

The easy play is to just smile and nod and pretend it’s all good.
“Fuck you, I got mine” feels very 2019-appropriate.

There isn’t much else to say that hasn’t already been said-
Be good to each other.
Be honest with yourself.
Support creative work the best you can.

Thanks for reading (my work, not the social media vortex).

Talking Conan With Issue Zero

Posted by on November 26, 2019 No comments

I spoke to Fearless Fred on the Issue Zero podcast’s latest episode all about Conan the Barbarian. Fred does a great job summarizing the character’s history in prose, film, and comics. Give it a listen:

SyFy Wire Preview of Dungeons & Tombs

Posted by on November 22, 2019 No comments

Josh Weiss spoke to Stacy and I about Dungeons & Tombs, the third D&D Young Adventurer’s Guide, arriving in bookstores everywhere on November 26th. Check it out!

Marvel Zub Comics Arriving in February 2020

Posted by on November 21, 2019 No comments


BLACK PANTHER AND THE AGENTS OF WAKANDA #6
JIM ZUB (W) • SCOT EATON (A) • Cover by DAVID NAKAYAMA
GWEN STACY VARIANT COVER BY TODD NAUCK

An old S.H.I.E.L.D. cache of experimental technology is a ticking time bomb the Agents of Wakanda need to defuse — but only if they get there before DEADPOOL! Time for a rematch between the King of Wakanda and the Merc with a Mouth! And adding more fuel to fire — the return of the Livewires!

32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99


CONAN THE BARBARIAN #13
JIM ZUB (W) • ROGÊ ANTÔNIO (A)
Cover by E.M. GIST
Variant Cover by TONI INFANTE

A NEW ARC BY JIM ZUB & ROGÊ ANTÔNIO
INTO THE CRUCIBLE AS THE MARCH TO KHITAI BEGINS!

Conan has faced many foes since leaving Cimmeria, but the greatest challenge lies ahead! A perfect jumping-on point for new readers as Conan finds himself in a city in the mystical Uttara Kuru, further on the eastern border than the young barbarian has ever traveled. And with the new city comes new dangers! Unfamiliar with the language, Conan inadvertently agrees to be the latest entrant to the Great Crucible. The people of the city support their foreign champion…but what deadly traps does the Crucible hold, and what will Conan sacrifice to overcome his ordeal?

Writer JIM ZUB (SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN, AVENGERS: NO ROAD HOME) and artist ROGÊ ANTÔNIO (CONAN 2099, X-MEN RED) lead Conan on an all-new journey, as we begin a new era for CONAN THE BARBARIAN into undiscovered country!

32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$3.99

MARVEL’S AVENGERS: HULK #1
JIM ZUB (W) • ARIEL OLIVETTI (A) • Cover by STONEHOUSE
VARIANT COVER BY RON LIM
VARIANT COVER BY PYEONG JUN PARK

HULK STARS IN THE SMASHING PREQUEL TO THE UPCOMING VIDEO GAME, MARVEL’S AVENGERS!

The adventure leading to MARVEL’S AVENGERS rages on, with an all-new story leading directly into the events of the highly anticipated video game!

As the incredible HULK, the monstrous alter ego of scientist BRUCE BANNER, he’s done good for the world. But with the virtually uncontrollable, gigantic green rage monster always bubbling under his skin, Banner has teamed up with an inquisitive scientist in an attempt to regulate the beast once and for all. As their experiments go deeper, a catastrophic event may spell the end for more than just Banner’s curse!

Witness crucial incidents and intrigue in the saga tied to the earthshaking events in the MARVEL’S AVENGERS game next year!

32 PGS./ ONE SHOT/Rated T+ …$3.99


BLACK PANTHER AND THE AGENTS OF WAKANDA VOL. 1 TPB
Written by JIM ZUB
Penciled by LAN MEDINA & SCOT EATON
Cover by JORGE MOLINA

Our first line of defense in a world under siege from all sides! From the pages of Jason Aaron’s AVENGERS come the Agents of Wakanda — assembled by the Black Panther to fight the foes that Earth’s Mightiest can’t! Vampires. Aliens. Angry fish kings. T’Challa’s handpicked Agents can handle it all. But as Wakanda makes waves on the world’s map, not everyone is a fan. Now, General Okoye and T’Challa will take Gorilla-Man, Ka-Zar and the Wasp on a global fight for survival! But when a source of dark energy emanates from a small Oklahoma town, is it a super villain…or a savior? What if the greatest threat to Earth…is the moon? And can the squad keep a S.H.I.E.L.D. cache of experimental technology out of Deadpool’s hands?

Collecting BLACK PANTHER AND THE AGENTS OF WAKANDA #1-5.
112 PGS./Rated T …$15.99 ISBN: 978-1-302-92008-1


LEGENDS OF MARVEL: X-MEN TPB
Written by LARRY HAMA, CHRIS CLAREMONT, SAM KIETH, JIM ZUB, JED MacKAY & ED BRISSON
Penciled by SCOT EATON, SALVADOR LARROCA, SAM KIETH, MAX DUNBAR, DJIBRIL MORISSETTE-PHAN, SCOTT HEPBURN & BILL SIENKIEWICZ
Cover by RYAN STEGMAN

Legendary storytellers tell new tales featuring classic heroes! He goes by many names — Logan, Weapon X, Patch — but most just call him the Wolverine! Three savage sagas show exactly why Wolverine is the world’s most dangerous mutant — and the best there is! Brace yourself for blood, blades and brutality — you asked for it, bub! Then, the greatest creators the Great White North has to offer unearth the secret history of Alpha Flight with tales spotlighting the Canadian team’s most iconic lineup! Finally, Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz reunite with the New Mutants for an untold tale from the past! Can the teen team cope with a haywire Warlock and the growing threat of Magik’s inner demon?

Collecting WOLVERINE: EXIT WOUNDS, ALPHA FLIGHT: TRUE NORTH and NEW MUTANTS: WAR CHILDREN.
112 PGS./Rated T+ …$15.99 ISBN: 978-1-302-92194-1

D&D VS Rick and Morty: The RPG Adventure Reviews

Posted by on November 21, 2019 No comments

• Bravo, Bard: “There is plenty here to please any fan of the show, and does well to highlight what makes the show loved by many. As an introductory product it works well; new players will be able to run this adventure with minimal effort, allowing them to focus on the fun new experience it brings. “

• ComicBook.com: “Dungeons & Dragons vs. Rick and Morty is a hoot, and I’d be willing to play again in a heartbeat. Anyone looking to spice things up at the gaming table would do well to seriously consider it.”

• Dice Monkey: ” There’s also just a lot of really weird stuff going on there. For myself, I would probably throw one or two of these rooms into a mad scientist dungeon, or use it as a bizarre level of the Dungeon of the Mad Mage.”

• Dungeons & Donuts: “It’s a suitably meta and sci-fi twist on a D&D adventure that’s sure to please die-hard fans of the show most of all.”

• EN World: “The Rulebook also does an excellent job of explaining how a role-playing game works, better than most. Ignore some of Rick’s ravings about power, and it has solid DMing advice.”

• Gamespot: “This set gives you the tools to start playing in a simplified format before you dive into a major campaign–because D&D has a huge learning curve, this is a nice way to dip your feet into the water.”

• Gaming Gang: 8/10 “Dungeons & Dragons Vs Rick and Morty will sure to please those who dig the Adult Swim show and are looking to give D&D a try. The included adventure is intersting, if a bit lightweight, and contains plenty of nods to the animated series.”

• Geek Dad: ” I think the theme and execution of the Dungeons & Dragons vs Rick and Morty set are exquisite. The set stays true to the themes, humor, and characters of the show, highlighting some of the most meme-worthy moments in the show’s history. While I wouldn’t play this set with kids under 16, I think it’s a roaring good time to play with adults.”

• Geek Tyrant: “If you enjoy Rick and Morty and want to try D&D, or you want to try to get your friends into D&D, D&D vs Rick and Morty is a great tool to help with that. Heck, even if you already play and like Rick and Morty, this would be a fantastic dungeon crawl to run and I’m sure you and your friends would never forget.”

• Geek Wire: “The Lost Dungeon of Rickedness is an adventure made just like Gygax used to do it, with constant action, harsh punishments for stupidity, rewards for creative problem-solving, and most crucially, no rhyme or reason to it at all.”

• IGN: “it’s clear that the team behind this crossover is incredibly invested in striking a great balance between paying homage to and reverently adapting the source material while also making the adventure accessible to new players”

• io9: “it was great to take a break from the norm and embrace the silly, stupid fun of Dungeons & Dragons. In the world of Rick and Morty, anything is possible…everything is encouraging.”

• The Gamer: “DMs will be easily able to bring out the more bizarre, Rick-infused properties of the dungeon to get genuine laughs and gasps from players. In some ways, the dungeons is designed to prey upon the expectations of veteran adventurers.”

• Nerdvana: “In true Rick and Morty fashion, both the rulebook and adventure encourage you to throw out the material presented when convenient or necessary, making it your own in an appropriately subversive Rickth Edition.”

• Tribality: “I think it would be a ton of fun to run for players looking for a silly dungeon, especially as a break from a serious campaign. If you are a fan of the show or comic and want to run a Rick & Morty mini-campaign, then this box set is worth the price.”

D&D Young Adventurer’s on Forbes

Posted by on November 19, 2019 No comments

Rob Wieland has put together a nice write-up on The D&D Young Adventurer’s Guides and praises the way the series brings new players into the gaming hobby.

“Here’s a big secret; these books are also great for new adult players. Taking in all the lore and the rules of Dungeons & Dragons all at once can be intimidating for people new to the game. By breaking that info into small, digest sized books, having these at the table full of new players keeps them engaged while making characters.”

Vintage RPG Interview – Part 2

Posted by on November 19, 2019 No comments

Here’s the second part of the audio interview I did with Stu and John from the Vintage RPG Podcast, this time about Dungeons & Dragons comics and the crazy Rick and Morty crossover in comics and the new RPG Adventure box set. Give it a listen!

(If you missed Part 1, you can listen to it HERE.)

Seattle Times Talks D&D VS Rick and Morty

Posted by on November 19, 2019 No comments

The Seattle Times covered the launch event in Seattle for Dungeons & Dragons VS Rick and Morty. I chat about working on the crazy crossover and the experience of gaming live. Check it out.

Dragon Talk – Nov 2019

Posted by on November 18, 2019 No comments

When i visuted the Wizards of the Coast offices I was a guest on Dragon Talk with Shelley Mazzanoble and Greg Tito. We chat about all things Rick and Morty VS D&D, including the new RPG set arriving in stores this week. Check it out!

Black Panther and the Agents of Wakanda #3 Reviews

Posted by on November 18, 2019 No comments

• Adventures in Poor Taste: 7.5/10 “Although the roster is ever-expanding and evolving, it is nice to see each member have a brief moment to shine throughout the issue.”

• Black Nerd Problems: 8.5/10 “This book is just all-around enjoyable and Medina’s art is on point. In a comic book world dominated by A-list heroes, it’s great that more obscure characters can get some love from talented creators.”

• Chillmonger: 9/10 “continues to thoughtfully manage this newly assembled cast of Marvel heroes. As a fan of Champions, I say that this series is Champions with a grown-up Instagram filter.”

• ComicBook.com: 8/10 “Once again Jim Zub’s comedic banter between teammates is the standout, with Okoye and Mockbird’s interactions being particularly funny.”

• Comic Book University: “This is a really incredible story that has a whole bunch of really cool things I want to talk about.”

• Comic-Watch: 9.4/10 “Artist Lan Medina isn’t a household name yet, but he should be, and I believe he will be soon. He’s consistently awesome, knows his stuff when it comes to visual storytelling, and is just simply, great.”

• Screen Rant: “Jim Zub escalates the conflict at speed, moving from some classic horror tropes to sheer, Jack-Kirby-esque cosmic chaos.”

• Super Powered Fancast: 9.4/10 “Lan Medina captures both characters, backgrounds and tech perfectly. All of the details in the art are fantastic and the action is brilliant in its scale and design.”