Zubby Newsletter #154: Deer Friends

Posted by Jim Zub on April 20, 2026 Leave a comment (2) Go to 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

Avengers: No Surrender/No Road Home Omnibus – released Mar 10.
Skullkickers: Compact Attack Edition Vol. 2 – released Mar 17.
Conan the Barbarian #30 – released Mar 25.
Mad About DC – released Apr 1.
Skullkickers: Compact Attack Edition Vol. 3 – releases Apr 21.
Conan: Tides of the Tyrant-King Prelude – releases May 2.
Manga Classics: Journey to the West Prelude – releases May 2.
Savage Sword of Conan #14 – releases May 6.
Conan: Scourge of the Serpent TPB – releases May 6.
Conan the Barbarian Vol. 7: The Conquering Crown TPB – releases May 20.
Conan the Barbarian #31 – releases May 27.
Savage Sword of Conan Vol. 4 TPB – releases May 27.

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

2 Comments.

Abhi April 23, 2026 at 12:32 am

Just finished the Conquering Crown arc, Dagnino and Rodriguez art and storytelling in the final pages of #28 was excellent.

Keep em coming.

Reply
Jim Zub April 23, 2026 at 1:10 pm

Thanks so much for the high praise and support!

Reply