This weekend, June 16-18, is AwesomeCon in Washington DC! I haven’t been to the show in three years, so I’m excited to be back to meet readers. I’ll be set up at TABLE O-2 in Artist Alley. Come on by and get your books signed!
In addition, I have a special Samurai Jack panel on Sunday:
Sunday June 18
2:30-3:15pm – Samurai Jack Live Read – ROOM 150
Join Samurai Jack comic writer, Jim Zub, and Samurai Jack voice actor, Phil LaMarr, in a live read of one of the Samurai Jack comics!
This week, Stacy and I will be in Florida for MegaCon Orlando! It’s my first time as a guest at MegaCon and I’m excited to meet readers in a state where I’ve never convention-ed before.
You’ll be able to find me at TABLE 046P in the Main Exhibit Hall. Along with a selection of my creator-owned work, I’m happy to say that I’ll have copies of FIGMENT and FIGMENT 2 available as well! It’s rare that I have these in stock for a show, so if you’re a Disney fan and you’ll be at MegaCon, come on by and get some Disney magic.
In addition to signing at my table, you can find me at these panels over the weekend:
Friday May 26th
11:00 am Marvel’s Picture This! Game Show with Mike McKone, Mike Perkins, Dan Slott, and Jim Zub in ROOM N220G
1:00 pm Creating Disney: Jim Zub, Joe Corroney and Bryan Fyffe in ROOM N220D
Saturday May 27th
11:00 am Marvel’s Fill in the Blank with Slott, Jim Zub, Nick Bradshaw and more in ROOM N220G
Sunday May 28th
4:00 pm Comic Writers Roundtable with Martin Dunn, Frank Tieri, Jim Zub and Franklin in ROOM N210E
It’s time for the Toronto Comic Arts Festival, a wonderful FREE event celebrating comics taking place at the Toronto Reference Library and select satellite locations on May 13th and 14th. I’m part of the big Image Comics 25th Anniversary Celebration crew who will be set up at the Masonic Temple (888 Yonge Street), a 2 minute walk up the road from the Reference Library:
I’ll be set-up at TABLE MT10 alongside Djibril Morissette-Phan, my collaborator on GLITTERBOMB. We’ll be there with plenty of great books…
…and I’ll be on several panels as well:
SATURDAY MAY 13th
12:15pm – The D&D Panel – Dungeons & Dragons!
The infamous tabletop RPG was controversial in the 80s and shunned by the mainstream, but now it’s back and more popular than ever! Join Jim Zub, Koren Shadmi, Ben Marra, Hannah Fisher, Megan Carter, and Tory Woollcott as they discuss what drew them to the gaming table and how D&D has inspired their comic storytelling.
LOCATION: Forest Hill Ballroom, Marriott Bloor-Yorkville
4:00pm – Image 25th: Glitterbomb vs. Monstress—Terrifically Terrifying Comics
Few things are as horrific as real horror! Few things are as felt as true feelings! So how do you convey both of those things in comics? Join the teams behind the terrific and terrifying MONSTRESS (Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda) and GLITTERBOMB (Jim Zub and Djibril Morrissette-Phan) on how they go about imbuing their stories and characters with real emotion, while also scaring your pants off.
LOCATION: Masonic Temple, 888 Yonge St
SUNDAY MAY 14th
12:00pm – Image 25th: Finding a Balance
Day jobs. Everybody’s got one. But how do you go about paying the bills while creating hit creator-owned comics? How do you make sure you have enough creative energy for both? Marjorie Liu, Jim Zub, Ivan Brandon, and Jason Latour are no strangers to balancing projects they do for others and projects the do for themselves. Come and hear how they try to make it work.
LOCATION: Masonic Temple, 888 Yonge St
If you live in the greater Toronto area, you really need to come to TCAF! It’s one of my favorite shows each year, jam-packed with incredible guests from all over the world, tons of stunning art, engaging programming, and so much more.
Another year, another wonderful Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo and I’ll be there! It’s the 12th anniversary of the show and I haven’t missed one yet.
I’ll be set up at TABLE X-10 with a slew of great books, new and old. I’ll be sketching and signing throughout the weekend.
I also have a new pin-up in the annual artbook, Fairy Tales and Monsters. This year I did my take on Puss In Boots.
If you’re in the Calgary area and can make it out to the show, I hope to see you there!
Each year the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo puts together an art book with pin-ups done by artists who will be exhibiting at the show. Proceeds from the art book sales and original art auction go to charity. This year the charity of choice is the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Alberta.
The theme of this year’s art book was ‘Fairy Tales and Classic Monsters’, so I decided to illustrate my version of Puss In Boots. Here’s how it progressed from concept to final:
STEP 1-Sloppy Gesture: This is where I’m just playing around with shapes, trying to find a really basic pose and silhouette that will work for my initial idea – Puss swinging in with a swashbuckling flare. It’s sloppy and loose and doesn’t look like much, but that’s how it starts.
STEP 2-Initial Sketch: From there I sketch right over top, building in the form and attitude of the character, trying to keep a sense of energy while also adding a bit of volume and consistency. Still pretty rough, but at least now we can tell what it is and see some potential.
STEP 3- Refinement: Fading back my previous digital layers, I take another attack on it, refining my choices and adding details. I wanted to add a bit more of a sense of ‘drag’ on his clothing and pushed the expression a bit more.
STEP 4- Final Lines: With the gesture and structure defined, I’m ready to finalize the line work with a tight digital ink layer. While I’m working away on this I try to balance the structure and gesture and add thick to thin lines or gaps to help visually separate areas and add a bit of extra weight to the final look.
STEP 5- Flat Colors: This is where I work out the base palette of colors for the piece. These flats also become easy to select areas when I’m rendering the illustration. I also added a simple pattern behind Puss to give the background a bit of texture.
STEP 6- Final: Shadows, highlights, and all around rendering is added along with my signature to finish it off. Our courageous swashbuckling feline is ready for adventure!
If you’re heading to the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo you’ll be able to pick up your own copy of the 2017 Artbook and I’ll be thrilled to sign a copy for you.
From the Facebook Event page:
Comic creator (and Oshawa native) Jim Zub will be at Comic Alley Toys to help celebrate the store re-opening on SATURDAY APRIL 15th from 1 to 4pm!
Jim will have copies of some of his comics on hand for purchase and will be signing and sketching. Come on down to the store to meet Jim and browse Comic Alley’s wares!
Jim has worked for almost every major comic publisher in North America, including Marvel, DC, Image, IDW, Dark Horse, Dynamite, and UDON on titles including Avengers, Thunderbolts, Dungeons & Dragons, Legends of the Dark Knight, Samurai Jack and Street Fighter as well as his own creator-owned titles Wayward, Skullkickers, and Glitterbomb.
I’ll be set up at Toronto Comicon happening March 17-19 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
You’ll be able to find me at ARTIST ALLEY TABLE P28.
I’ll have many of my books available, including brand new ones like Glitterbomb Vol. 1 and Wayward Vol. 4, as well as variant covers, sketch covers, and a whole lot more.
In addition to being at my table, I’ll be on a couple panels over the weekend too:
Saturday March 18
4:00pm Chapterhouse Comics Panel – ROOM 803
Sunday March 19
1:00pm Writing Comics – ROOM 803
Emerald City Comicon celebrates their 15th anniversary and once again I’ll be there as a guest premiering new books and meeting readers! Look for me at TABLE V-3 on the 6th floor Artist Alley level. Stacy and I be there promoting my creator-owned comics, with Wayward, Glitterbomb, and Skullkickers, and signing Thunderbolts, Samurai Jack, Dungeons & Dragons and a whole lot more!
Glitterbomb Vol.1 Red Carpet and Wayward Vol.4: Threads and Portents both arrive in stores this week and I’m eager to sign copies. There’s also be a limited edition convention exclusive version of Glitterbomb Vol. 1 available with stunning cover art by Eisner-nominated creator Ray Fawkes (One Soul, Intersect).
Collaborators of mine you can find at the show:
Edwin Huang (artist on Skullkickers) TABLE V-6
Gail Simone (co-writer on Conan-Red Sonja) TABLE B-8
Max Dunbar (artist on Dungeons & Dragons) TABLE V-5
Ray Fawkes (cover artist on Glitterbomb limited edition) TABLE J-4
Zack Davisson (Wayward lore essays) TABLE V-2B
If you’re at ECCC this year I hope to see you there!
Beyond my table, you’ll be able to find me at a few panels/events over the weekend:
Friday March 3rd
1:30-1:45pm – Jim Zub Talks Dungeons & Dragons
The fantasy franchise has come to comics courtesy of writer Jim Zub, who will be gracing the Live Stage to discuss his series D&D: Frost Giant’s Fury. ECCC Live Stage – Level 4 Skybridge Lobby
1:30-2:30pm – Marvel: Breaking Into Comics the Marvel Way
Are you a writer or artist? Ever dream of working for Marvel? Do you find yourself thinking, “I could do that…if I knew how!” Well, here’s your chance! Join artists Sanford Greene (Power Man & Iron Fist), Khary Randolph (Mosaic) and other Mighty Marvel Guests to find out the answers on how to get your foot in the door and begin your career at the House of Ideas! ROOM TCC 303
Saturday March 4th
10:55-11:10am – Coast to Coast Comicon Livestream
2:45-3:45pm – Marvel: Next Big Thing
The Marvel U has been shaken up more than ever in the past year- but as always there’s still plenty of action and intrigue to come! Join some of Marvel’s top talent including Charles Soule (Daredevil), Mark Waid (Avengers), and other Mighty Marvel Guests to talk about the latest ground-shaking events and what’s in store for 2017! ROOM TCC 303
5:30-6:30pm – Convention Horror Stories, an ECCC Tradition
Join Katie Cook (My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic) and Jim Zub (Thunderbolts) for their fan-favorite con horror stories panel! What’s it like working as a pro in the business on the convention ‘circuit’? Ridiculous, embarrassing, always entertaining. Some stories will make you laugh out loud, some will make you cringe! This panel is recommended for those 16+ due to coarse language. ROOM TCC 304
Sunday March 5th
12:00pm-1:00pm- Folklore In Comics
From Baba Yaga to Yokai to King Arthur to the Sluagh, folklore provides fertile ground for modern comics. Join folklorists and comic creators Jim Zub (Wayward), Colin Lorimer (The Hunt), Kel McDonald (Misfits of Avalon), Brandon Seifert (Witch Doctor), and Zack Davisson (Kitaro) to talk about the unique crossroads created when ancient meets modern. ROOM TCC 303
I was on four panels at New York Comic Con this year and three out of those four were summarized online by comic journalists at the event. Read on to get a sense of what we covered if you weren’t able to make it:
October is here and that means it’s time for New York Comic Con! Once again I’ll be set up in Artist Alley and look forward to seeing friends and meeting readers. In addition, several of my collaborators will be at the show, so you’ll be able to get multiple signatures on some of my books!
TABLE S-03 = Edwin Huang (Artist on Skullkickers)
TABLE S-04 = Jim Zub
TABLE S-05 = Djibril Morissette-Phan (Artist/Co-Creator on Glitterbomb)
On top of the table set-up, you’ll also be able to find me on several panels over the weekend:
THURSDAY Oct 6
11:00am – 12:00pm Writers Unite: Writing and Pitching Comic Stories – ROOM 1A18
Comics have grabbed the imagination of the pop culture-loving public all over again and publishers are looking for fresh ideas from a new generation of talent. Listen closely as Charles Soule (Daredevil, Death of Wolverine) and Jim Zub (Thunderbolts, Wayward) discuss writing comics and pitching their work to publishers, along with comic writing techniques and amusing anecdotes.
FRIDAY Oct 7
12:15pm – 1:15pm Marvel NOW: Divided We Stand – ROOM 1A24
With the effects of Civil War II being felt across the Marvel Universe, how will our heroes pick up the pieces and move on? Learn about the landscape of Marvel Universe in this exciting panel showcasing the most exciting new series and stories launching in the aftermath of Civil War II! PLUS – Get the inside scoop on some of Marvel’s biggest break-out hits such as Squirrel Girl and Moon Girl! Panelists include Ryan North (The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl), Greg Pak (Totally Awesome Hulk), Amy Reeder (Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur), David F. Walker (Occupy Avengers), Jim Zub (Thunderbolts), and other Mighty Marvel Guests!
SATURDAY Oct 8
11:00am – 12:00pm Let’s Make a Villain – ROOM 1B03
Creating great villains is essential for making great stories, whether you love their every appearance or just love to hate them. Award nominated duo Comfort and Adam, joined by Jim Zub and Dirk Manning lead this seminar in two parts: first, you’ll learn what makes great villains in both writing and in art. Then, Comfort & Adam will invite the audience to participate in creating a new villain which will be designed and drawn live.
SUNDAY Oct 9
12:00pm – 1:00pm Image Comics: Spectacle – ROOM 1A24
What is it that excites you about comics, that makes Wednesday the best day of the week? Whether it’s the idea of seeing a new world through someone else’s eyes or getting a look at reality from another angle, we’ve got you covered. Our Panelists, including Jim Zub & Djibril Morissette-Phan (Glitterbomb) and Brendan Fletcher, Cameron Stewart, & Babs Tarr (MotorCrush), know what you want and aim to please.
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