Zubby Newsletter #123: Ready For the World

Posted by Jim Zub on August 12, 2025 Leave a comment (0) Go to comments

I was home for five days after Gen Con, repacked, and then jumped on a plane. Stacy and I are now in Seattle for Worldcon, the oldest sci-fi and fantasy convention (it started in 1939) that is hosted in a different city each year. Worldcon is a very literary/prose-centric show (which makes sense given that it hosts the Hugo Awards) and we’re curious to see how it will compare to comic and tabletop game conventions we usually attend. I don’t have any kind of table presence at the show, I’m just participating in some panels and looking to socialize and network a bit, so it should feel quite different than a “comic con” kind of weekend.

Before that kicks off though, we have a couple days visiting our friends Jim and Andrea north of the city, which is a nice change of pace. Great conversation, good food, and a quick exhale before I dive into 3 more conventions over 3 weeks.

Power and Influence

*Conan the Barbarian #23 cover art by Greg Staples*

Conan the Barbarian #23 arrives at your favorite local comic shop tomorrow – Wednesday, August 13th. We’ve been teasing Thoth-Amon’s influence in earlier issues, but now our Cimmerian hero confronts the Stygian Grand Sorcerer directly and our art team (line artist Fernando Dagnino and colorist Diego Rodriguez) pulls out all the stops for it. I am ecstatic at how it turned out.

No spoilers, but check out this text-free series of panels to get hyped–

Ridiculous, right?! I am so, so fortunate to be working with this crew and extra proud of how this issue turned out. Make sure you snap it up!

Old World Collectible

In the late 1970’s, readers saw this ad in various Marvel Comics, promoting a map poster and gazetteer of the Hyborian Age they could mail away for. I haven’t managed to track down that classic poster yet, but last week a copy of the gazetteer was added to my growing Conan collection.

*A Gazetteer of the Hyborian World of Conan*

This 132-page softcover includes an alphabetical listing of places mentioned or visted across all the original Robert E. Howard Conan and Kull stories, the adjusted versions by L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter, and early comic stories by Roy Thomas. Interesting bit of trivia – the book is credited to “Lee N. Falconer”, but that was a pen name for fantasy author Julian May, who was a huge Robert E. Howard fan and researcher.

I’m sure a digital version would work fine as a general reference, but having the physical book on hand is nice to have as I’m plugging away on new stories. It’s also another reminder of the legacy all this stuff carries.

Talking Scourge of the Serpent with The Comic Source

I spoke to Jace over at The Comic Source all about our Scourge of the Serpent event mini-series that will be slithering its way into your soul this Fall. I also cover info on our big 25th issue and tease what’s coming up in issue #29 and beyond.

Celebrating Dungeons & Dragons at SDCC

I didn’t realize that Penguin Random House recorded the Celebrating Dungeons & Dragons panel I was on at San Diego this year. So many great anecdotes and heartfelt moments here worth sharing. Such a pleasure getting to be a part of this.

Dungeons & Dragons continues its monumental rise in pop culture after 50 years! With more people rolling dice and telling stories every day, come hear from expert Dungeon Masters and Storytellers who share how Dungeons & Dragons has secured its place in society and the tabletop. Anjali Bhimani (Actor, DesiQuest, Critical Role, Dimension 20), Elisa Teague (Game Designer & Writer) Teagan Morrison (Co-Founder, Hero Forge), Jim Zub (Writer, Dungeons & Dragons) and Moderator Ross Thompson.

Fantasy Art For The Ages

Max Dunbar is a dear friend and has been a steady collaborator with me on a bunch of projects over the years, most notably Dungeons & Dragons, Castle Arkham, and Champions. He’s crowdfunding a new artbook of his fantasy art with Zoop, jam-packed with some of the most stunning characters and locations I have ever seen. If you are a sword & sorcery or D&D fan you NEED to get on board and secure yourself a copy!

Current + Upcoming Releases

Conan the Barbarian #22 – released July 9th.

Conan the Barbarian #23 – releases August 13th.

Conan the Barbarian vol. 5: Twisting Loyalties – releases August 20th.

Swords & Larceny – releases September 2nd.

Savage Sword of Conan #10 – releases September 3rd.

Conan the Barbarian vol.1-3 Slipcase Set – releases September 10th.

Predator: Black, White & Blood #3 – releases September 10th.

Conan the Barbarian #24 – releases September 10th.

Conan the Barbarian vol. 1: Bound in Black Stone Deluxe HC – releases September 16th.

Conan: Scourge of the Serpent #1 – releases September 24th.

Conan the Barbarian #25 – releases October 8th.

Conan: Scourge of the Serpent #2 – releases October 29th.

Upcoming Appearances

Aug 13-17, 2025	World Con	Seattle, WA, USA
Aug 21-24, 2025	Fan Expo Canada	Toronto, ON, CANADA
Aug 28-Sep 1, 2025	Dragon Con	Atlanta, GA, USA
Sep 27-28, 2025	Chattanooga Comic Con	Chattanooga, TN, USA
Oct 16-19, 2025	Gamehole Con XII	Madison, WI, USA
Nov 3-14, 2025	D&D in a Castle	Newcastle, UK
Nov 15-16, 2025	Thought Bubble	Harrogate, UK