On social media some fans and creators were recently sharing anecdotes about the first issue of Uncanny X-Men they read, especially if it hooked them on the series, and that pulled me into a bit of a nostalgia vortex.

The first X-Men issue I remember reading was quite the head trip-

Uncanny X-Men #141, first part of the legendary “Days of Future Past” story. As far as I remember, my older brother bought it from a used bookstore in Oshawa that sold comics. The issue was released in late 1980, but I think Joe bought it a couple years later because I must have been 7 or 8 years old at the time.

I didn’t even know who this cast of characters were and they were already thrust into an alternate universe post-apocalyptic future where most of them were dead and their very survival was at stake. It was intense, emotional and incredibly compelling, even if I didn’t understand large parts of the story or had any inkling of the character history at the time. It begged to be explored.

My first point of confusion was the guy on the cover with metal claws. I thought he was “Beast” because he had the exact same haircut as the guy on the poster right behind him-

No one in the story called him “Beast”, they called him “Logan”, but that just added to the air of mystery around him. 😉

Anyways, Joe started collecting Uncanny X-Men a few issues later and I started picking up Amazing Spider-Man and G.I.Joe around the same time.

There was an unexpected joy to dropping right into the middle of the narrative instead of an issue #1 to start things off. Reading and collecting became about filling in holes of the past just as much as it was about engaging the new ongoing stories that arrived each month

Having Uncanny X-Men #141 as a starting point meant that Kitty Pryde was central to the X-narrative and everything Jean Grey/Phoenix-related felt like “history”. I had a similar demarcation point in Amazing Spider-Man – Hobgoblin was the current big bad, so anything Green Goblin-related felt “old” in comparison. (Not bad, of course, just old.)

Marvel Tales and Classic X-Men allowed us to dig into the past and fill in gaps in our collection since we couldn’t afford expensive back issues, especially for “key” moments (first appearances, character deaths, things like that).

It felt like rocket riding through a huge interconnected world that extended way behind us while also zipping confidently forward.

Like a lot of comic collectors, over time we’d start to focus on the creators as much as the characters. Who made the books became just as important as the titles we looked for – John Byrne, Michael Golden, Chris Claremont, Roger Stern, John Buscema, Roy Thomas, Marv Wolfman, George Perez, Art Adams, Ann Nocenti, Walt and Louise Simonson, and a slew of others became names we recognized and work we craved because it seemed to stand head and shoulders over others at the time.

And, through it all, the X-Men reigned supreme.

Uncanny X-Men was the best damn soap opera in comics. Claremont and company kept their big cast moving forward with an impressive amount of thoughtful evolution. The team line-up changed constantly. Romances flourished and failed. The month-to-month narrative clipped along with A-plots, B-plots, and occasionally almost completely forgotten C and D-plots that finally popped back up to surprise and delight. One month the team might be in outer space and an issue or two later they could be in the Savage Land, Tokyo, or just playing a game of pick-up baseball in Westchester, New York.

The heroes, villains and supporting cast were deeply flawed and beautifully human. There’s a reason why the series was an absolute sales juggernaut…and it wasn’t because sometimes a character named Juggernaut showed up to break shit.

I don’t think anyone could or should try to put X-Men back in same mold in the here and now, but it’s valuable to re-read those older issues to try and understand why it was so vibrant and how it generated so much loyalty in its readership over so many years.

In an age of endless new #1’s that act as both jumping on and off points, dozens of variant covers every issue, and near-instant digital access to both new comics and almost every issue of the past, it all feels very different. Some things have been gained and other things have been lost and that’s the way life goes, but hearing that prompt of “What was your first X-Men?” brought back a lot of good memories so I thought I’d lean into that a bit here.

Talking Conan

I know this will seem odd, but I’m still talking about Conan the Barbarian. 🙂

Someone filmed the Conan the Barbarian comic panel from San Diego Comic-Con, so you can check that out on Forbidden Planet’s channel:

Current + Upcoming Books

• Murderworld – trade paperback released June 13th.
• Rick and Morty VS Cthulhu – trade paperback released July 18th.
• Conan the Barbarian #1 – released August 2nd.
• D&D Young Adventurer’s Creature Compendium – releases August 22nd.
• Conan the Barbarian #2 – releases August 30th.
• Conan the Barbarian #1 second print – releases August 30th.
• Unbreakable Red Sonja – trade paperback releases September 13th.
• D&D Young Adventurer’s Guide 7: Places & Portals – releases September 19th.

Upcoming Events

• Aug 24-27 – Fan Expo Canada in Toronto, Ontario.
• Aug 31-Sept 4 – Dragon Con in Atlanta, Georgia.
• Sept 15-17 – Edmonton Expo in Edmonton, Alberta.
• Oct 12-15 – New York Comic-Con in New York, NY.

Links and Other Things

Marc Brunet is a former Art Director from Blizzard who goes through a variety of drawing and rendering techniques on his YouTube channel. Like many popular YouTube creators, over time he’s become an exaggerated parody of himself as a way to get more traffic, but if you ignore the twitchy behavior and edits his tutorials are solid and well worth checking out. This new one about rendering skin tone shadows is the same method we used at the UDON Studio on our official Capcom artwork, and a great tool to have in your digital rendering toolbox-

Next week is Fan Expo Canada!
Jim

A bunch of readers signed up for this newsletter at SDCC and Gen Con, so – welcome!

Zubstack is where I keep people up to date with my creative projects (mostly comics and games) and also dig into things on my mind, recipes I’m cooking, games I’m playing, articles I’m enjoying, and more. For my main website, go HERE and, for an archive of past newsletter installments jammed with info and links, go HERE.

Social media is more mercurial and annoying than ever, so being able to go old school internet and reach fine people like yourself directly is really nice. If you don’t want to read the whole thing, that’s fine, but at least you get to choose instead of algorithms choosing for you.

Okay, on we go~

Flights to Gen Con were annoyingly expensive for such a short hop, so Stacy and I decided to drive down to Indianapolis instead (9-ish hours on the road depending on traffic). It was a bit of a throwback to my earliest convention years racking up kilometers and crisscrossing the border at strange hours.

In my previous newsletter I talked about how much has changed for me at shows like Gen Con since I first started attending 20 years ago, but it’s even clearer when you see Darrin’s incredible booth set-up for Howard and I this time-

Conan the Barbarian comics, D&D Young Adventurer’s Guides, the D&D Ultimate Pop-Up Book, D&D comic trade paperbacks, Skullkickers, Wayward, and so much more. There were several times when I was asked which books I worked on and just motioned to my left and said “All of those”, which felt cool but also weird. There’s no way we can stock everything, but even this cross section of my work feels like a heck of a lot.

Gen Con was sold out every day, which also meant Saturday-style crowds every day. I have never seen the exhibit hall so consistently packed, hour after hour. I stepped out for some meetings around meal times and managed to visit friends after the floor closed, but during show hours it honestly felt better to have the table between us and the torrent of people moving through the aisles.

Each morning of the four day show, here’s how it looked before the exhibit hall opened-

Gamers were back in full force, ready to play and buy. Sales soared and a lot of the other exhibitors I spoke to said it was their best year ever. Most of the new books I brought sold out by Saturday and I ran out of Rick and Morty VS D&D sketch covers long before the end of the show as well.

Like at San Diego this year, I tried to slow things down to enjoy richer conversations with old friends or deeper impressions with new people I met. Tons of nostalgia and appreciation, that’s for sure. Lots of chatter about possible future plans as well.

Cromulent Interviews

I know this will surprise you, but I’ve been talking about Conan the Barbarian. Here are a couple interviews shot during San Diego a few weeks ago:

Speaking of Conan-

The reviews for issue #1 are incredibly kind and I posted a teaser of issue #2 on social media that I’ll include below-

Issue #2 keeps the momentum of our first issue going and then some, my friends.
Line artist Rob De La Torre and colorist Dean White deliver a stunner on every page.

Given how fast issue #1 blew off store shelves, make sure you get your pre-order in for our second slashing attack.

Current + Upcoming Books

• Murderworld – trade paperback released June 13th.
• Rick and Morty VS Cthulhu – trade paperback released July 18th.
• Conan the Barbarian #1 – released August 2nd.
• D&D Young Adventurer’s Creature Compendium – releases August 22nd.
• Conan the Barbarian #2 – releases August 30th.
• Unbreakable Red Sonja – trade paperback releases September 13th.
• D&D Young Adventurer’s Guide 7: Places & Portals – releases September 19th.

Upcoming Events

• Aug 24-27 – Fan Expo Canada in Toronto, Ontario.
• Aug 31-Sept 4 – Dragon Con in Atlanta, Georgia.
• Sept 15-17 – Edmonton Expo in Edmonton, Alberta.
• Oct 12-15 – New York Comic-Con in New York, NY.

Links and Other Things

Here’s a quick list of games I picked up at Gen Con, in case you’re interested-

• Berlin: The Wicked City
• Car Wars 6th Edition
• Dungeons of Drakkenheim
• Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game
• Mutants in the Now
• Pendragon Starter Set
• Scout
• Tiger & Dragon
• Wiz-War: Kill Them With Fire 9th Edition

My schedule for the rest of the summer is intense, but I look forward to digging into these when things calm down.

That should cover it for this week.
Jim

Well…that was one hell of a week.

We launched CONAN THE BARBARIAN #1 at San Diego Comic-Con ahead of our in-store release date (which shifted from July 26th to August 2nd due to a shipping delay out of our control) and the response has been absolutely electric.

• Advance reviews are strong. Damn strong.

• It’s the best selling Titan Comic ever and one of the strongest sellers in comics of the past few years, especially for a Mature Readers non-Marvel/DC book.

• The first printing has blown out at the distributor level before release even with a large overprint, necessitating a second print before copies even hit the shelves of your favorite local retailer.

Readers and retailers are buzzing right now and it feels really, really good. The hard work we’ve put into this is coming through on the final printed page and all of us on the team are damn proud.

Sales do not equate quality, but I felt like we put forth a strong mission statement with our Free Comic Book Day issue #0. We hoped that both new and lapsed fans would show their support…and they have in a huge way. Thank you!

I’m Not Even Supposed to Be Here

On Sunday morning at SDCC we had a Conan the Barbarian panel and it was packed, which is extra-wild given that it was on the last day of the big show and, by every right, people should have been exhausted. I mentioned something there I want to echo here as far and wide as possible-

This kind of thing doesn’t happen. People don’t get second chances on titles like this, especially if your first attempt wasn’t considered a big commercial success.

Taking over the flagship Conan series in early 2020 was an absolute dream come true, but none of us could have possibly known how things would actually roll out with the world at large. We released part 1 of a 4 part story (called Into the Crucible) in February 2020 and almost immediately received a ‘pencils down’ pandemic order that meant part 2 didn’t arrive in stores until 7 months later. After we came back, momentum was understandably spent and we were fighting to stay alive until things wrapped up on that incarnation of the series in September 2021.

Given everything I know about publishing and promotion, it would have made complete sense for Heroic Signatures to hire a brand new writer for their big relaunch at Titan. The unwavering faith that Fred Malmberg and the rest of the Heroic team has shown in my vision for Conan and my desire for long term myth-making in the Hyborean Age, honestly, it blows my mind.

Conan the Barbarian is the Superman of sword & sorcery. He’s the icon that built an entire genre with a 90+ year legacy of excitement and adventure. He brings out the best from creators because he deserves the best. I was honored to be part of this legend before, and am even more honored now.

Issue #1 sales and great reviews matter, of course. Launching with as much visibility and momentum as possible gives us a clear mandate and opens up all kinds of other opportunities – BUT – a big flashy opening is not as important as a strong ongoing readership. Speculators stashing away variant covers is part of the comic business and I’ve made my peace with that, but my goal is that people read and love this series because it’s damn good and high quality, month after month. I want issues #12, 13, 14 and beyond to be just as good and even more exciting. Is that possible? I don’t know, but I’m going to work like hell and find out.

Savage Sword is Back – in Bold Black & White!

Also announced during our Conan panel at SDCC – Savage Sword of Conan returns in 2024 to celebrate its 50th anniversary. It’s back in its original oversized black & white format along with a murderer’s row of talented creators, classic and new, ready to contribute unfettered fantasy fury on the page.

Confirmed creators include John Arcudi, Frank Tieri, Patch Zircher, Howard Chaykin, Rafael Kayanan, Cary Nord, Rebeca Puebla, Dan Panosian, Richard Pace, Gerardo Zaffino, and me!

Richard Pace is illustrating a brutally tragic tale I’ve had rolling around in the back of my mind for years and, even at this early stage, it’s looking stellar.

Conan editor Matt Murray has spearheaded Savage Sword’s return (while keeping the flagship monthly Conan book charging forward) and none of this would have happened without his bottomless energy and tireless toil.

If you never read the original Savage Sword of Conan magazine (reprinted in wonderful omnibus editions that are going back to print this Fall), just know that it was the series that hooked a ton of fans with visceral artwork and bombastic storytelling.

That’s a Whole Lotta Conan, Jim…

I know! It’s the launch so everything’s pretty nutso.

• I spoke to Tim Cundle at Mass Movement all about sword & sorcery storytelling. It was a really fun interview that covers a lot of my thoughts around working on big commercial characters and continuity.

• I spoke to Will Salmon at Newsarama about what makes the new Conan series click and mysteries of Robert E. Howard’s mythic Black Stone.

• I spoke to Jed Keith at Freaksugar about the unexpected winding path that led to this new Conan series.

• Matt Murray and I spoke to Collier Jennings at AIPT all about our big plans for the relaunch.

♫ ~ Slow Down, You Move Too Fast ~ ♫

Despite the fervor of this whirlwind Conanza, I made a real point this year at the big show to slow down at key points and have better conversations.

If you’ve never been to San Diego Comic-Con, it may not make sense but, seriously, it’s easy to get caught up in the chaos of 150,000+ people going pop culture crazy and forget to enjoy who is there and why you like this stuff in the first place. You see people you know and care about, but your schedule is packed so you just wave or high-five as you move past and, by the time the show’s over, you realize you didn’t get a chance to really connect with anyone.

So, this year, I promised myself I’d do it differently. Conversations were more focused and meaningful. Compliments were free-flowing. Smiles were easy to find. Photos were frequent.

Reconnecting, celebrating, waxing nostalgic.

Look at us. Still here. Still making stuff and having fun.

So great to see you. Things are busy but it’s okay, take a deep breath, we’ve got this.

We’re veterans of these Comic-Conquests.

There was a lot to celebrate this year, but I also hope a bit of the zen I summoned here carries over to future shows as well…especially with the unstoppable swirl that is Gen Con coming up next week!

Jim

Next week is Comic-Con: International (aka. San Diego Comic-Con, aka. SDCC), the massive pop culture convention that always feels like a milestone and a millstone at the same time.

My first SDCC was 2002, a weird and wonderful trip where I flung myself out into the unknown to promote my fledgling webcomic and learn more about the industry. It all happened thanks to Scott McCloud’s encouragement and help from a few other online creators along with a plane ticket bought by my Dad because my brother told him if I didn’t take this unique opportunity I’d regret it for the rest of my life.

He was right. That trip changed so much.

For the very first time, creators whose work I’d seen and enjoyed became real people I could interact with and learn from in person. It was amazing, inspiring, and a bit scary.

More than 20 years and almost 200 conventions later, I’m still making stories, meeting people, and finding inspiration when I travel to these shows.

Even though I’ve been to conventions all over the world, San Diego has a mystique all its own. Comics, movies, prose, toys, and games all smash together for a week of celebration and surprises. It’s a business and a joy with lots of potential work and money swiftly swimming alongside an obsessive need to see and be seen in this business. The more you go, the more ‘normal’ it all seems, but deep down you know it’s something special and you’re still a big ol’ goobery fan just as much as you’re a working professional.

And yet, despite all the spectacle, when I look back, the photos that anchor me year after year are the ones I take with friends. So many incredible people I’ve met and grown close to because we share these convention experiences and love what we do.

Last year, Troy Little was the best damn roommate I could have asked for. Getting to hang out with him and do the whirlwind of events and parties made it feel like no time at all had passed even though convention season went into stasis for almost three years. It was a fun return to form as I tried to reabsorb all the best parts of the San Diego experience without letting the negativity creep in.

Negativity? Absolutely.

SDCC is an emotional roller coaster and, no matter how hard you try to resist, there are inevitable moments where you get worn out or beaten down by it all. Even though I’m incredibly excited about everything on tap for this year, I’m also aware that there will be times where I feel absolutely out of place, unwanted, and ignored in and amongst the sheer chaos of it all. You want to be acknowledged and accepted by your peers. You want to celebrate each victory and forget each failure. You want to make headway with new creative projects and chart exciting plans for the year to come. San Diego is a Gauntlet in every sense of the word. It tests your resolve, it punishes your hubris, and it makes you feel very small…

…And yet…

…And yet every single time I go (18 times as of this year) I end up having these moments, these ridiculously wonderful moments I never could have planned for, moments that remind why I do this at all. Sometimes they’re big weird celebrity interactions, other times they’re intimate conversations with peers or newcomers, but either way they’re the kind of thing that wouldn’t have happened anywhere else. I cherish those moments even more than I dread the exhaustion and fear of rejection that will inevitably be part of it as well.

If you’ll be in San Diego this time and you see me, please say “Hi” and let’s take a photo, so that years later I can get wistful about how young and amazing we looked way back when.

Zub at SDCC 2023!

Over on my site is a post I’m keeping up-to-date with signing times and panels, so please check there for info on where I’ll be each day. That way I’m not sending out a one-time email with times or places that may change.

The show floor is too big to fit the whole map here in my newsletter. Go to my site for the full-size SDCC Hall A-G honker. Just remember – Artist Alley Table GG-18.

The CONAN THE BARBARIAN launch happening at the show is big in a way I don’t know if I’ve fully come to grips with. There are four show exclusive variant covers for this first issue, including an extra-special one I’ll have for sale at my Comic Sketch Art table in Artist Alley (GG-18) illustrated by the legendary Dan Panosian. There are also signings every day, interviews, and panels. It’s a bit nuts.

We announced the Conan creative team last year at SDCC and this year at the same time we launch the first issue. I can’t believe how fast these 12 months have gone.

I know I sound like a broken record at this point, but I’m incredibly proud of our whole creative team and honored at the great response so far for the series. If the plans we have for the next two years (and more) go forward, it’s going to be an absolutely wild and wonderful ride.

Obviously, if you’re at the show, I encourage you to pick up a copy of our first issue (one week ahead of the in-store release) so I can make it less than mint with my signature and then you can read it and tell me if we did right by our favorite Cimmerian.

The Art of Storytelling Begins!

The first lesson for Marvel’s The Art of Storytelling online course is now out in the wild and next week I’ll be with the Proko + Marvel crew promoting it at SDCC. Stan Prokopenko covers major aspects of the course and its structure here in this new introductory video–

Links and Other Stuff

• Comrade Bullski has a great tweet thread on the changing geography of the Hyborian Age.

• Watch Rob De La Torre sketch in Procreate:

• Toronto is getting a Lego-themed pop-up burger restaurant in October?

Okay, that should cover it for now. Wish me luck at the big show!

Jim