Monthly Archives: April 2026

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