I’m one of the people Ethan Gilsdof spoke to in a New York Times article about the unexpected surge of interest in Dungeons & Dragons. The article briskly covers a lot of ground in explaining the game’s appeal in our increasingly busy and interconnected world. Give it a read!
As revealed on the latest episode of the Marvel Pull List with Ryan Penagos and Tucker Markus, starting in February 2020 I’m the new ongoing writer of CONAN THE BARBARIAN!
Writing Conan again in Avengers: No Road Home was a blast, putting together Conan The Gambler and Serpent War was an unexpected thrill, and all of it has led to this, the chance to build all new ongoing stories of one of the most famous characters in sword & sorcery literature. It’s an absolute creative bucket list item for me, and I can’t believe all this has taken place over one year.
Rogê Antônio‘s line art is going to knock people out. It has a strong visual tie to the incredible work Masmud Asrar has been doing on the core title this year, but also manages to carve out its own distinct look. E.M. Gist‘s covers are classic pulp fantasy fare with all the grit and earthiness I could hope for. It’s a heck of a creative line up and I’m doing everything I can to live up to their top notch storytelling skills. Deep thanks to Mark Basso and C.B. Cebulski for this incredible opportunity and Jason Aaron for setting a high bar on the issues preceding mine.
My first issue is issue #13, the beginning of a new arc called Into the Crucible and here’s an advance look at the cover and solicitation for the first issue:
CONAN THE BARBARIAN #13
Written by JIM ZUB
Art by ROGÊ ANTÔNIO
Cover by E.M. GIST
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!
If you’ve ever enjoyed my comic work, especially my fantasy writing, I’m asking you to please consider pre-ordering issue #13 at your local comic shop – it would mean the world to me and the rest of the team. Then, get ready in February for Sword & Sorcery Splendor in the Mighty Marvel Manner!
I spoke to Stu and John from the Vintage RPG Podcast all about the D&D Young Adventurer’s Guides. It’s an in-depth run down on the development of these books, the thought process behind them, and my nostalgia for Dungeons & Dragons. Give it a listen!
I spoke to Josh Weiss at Marvel all about the upcoming Iron Man one-shot that’s a prequel to the upcoming Marvel’s Avengers video game. Get a sneak peek at where Tony Stark is at when the game begins and the Marvel Gamerverse being developed by the team at Crystal Dynamics. Read more here!
I spoke to Marco and Tariq at the Page One Podcast all about writing for comics, breaking into the industry, collaborating with artists and some differences between comic writing and traditional prose.
Even with my gravely voice (from post-New York Comic Con) it’s an in-depth interview and I like how it turned out. Give it a listen below or on their site:
November is NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) where many writers kick their creativity into gear and try to write a novel in 30 days.
If you’re a comic writer who wants to join in, since word count doesn’t apply the same way for comics, I recommend a page scripting goal:
Comic scripting isn’t as codified as a screenplay, but if you want some tips on how comic writing is different from other mediums and a script format I find works well, you can check out these posts here on my site:
Comic Writing Part 1 – Brainstorming
Comic Writing Part 2 – Pacing
Comic Writing Part 3 – Page Planning
Comic Writing Part 4 – Scripting
Comic Writing Part 5 – Dialogue
Comic Writing Part 6 – Action
Having a schedule and clear goal can be a helpful way to get motivated and do that thing you’ve wanted to for some time. It’s a bit of pressure, but the kind you choose to take on to push yourself into a new creative space. Build your skills and grow.
Even if you don’t meet the overall page count, it could help you build momentum and put ideas down that you’ve had floating around for a while.
Personal creative projects can be tough to prioritize in our busy lives. This is a way to build in a schedule and make things happen.
Share this post with others and let’s make comics!
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