This weekend I’ll be exhibiting at Fan Expo Canada, the largest convention in the country!

You can find me set up at Artist Alley Table P34A where I’ll be with Skullkickers and Pathfinder comics galore, along with convention-only goodies like the Gen Con Goblin Pathfinder Variant cover, SDCC Skullkickers Kitten Variant cover and Skullkickers World Map poster.

click for full size image

I’m also moderating a panel all about pitching creator-owned comics:
FRIDAY 3pm ROOM 703
WRITERS UNITE! PITCHING YOUR CREATOR-OWNED COMICS
Creator-owned comics have grabbed the imagination of the comic-reading community all over again and publishers are looking for fresh ideas from a new generation of talent. Listen closely as creators Ed Brisson (Comeback), Ray Fawkes (One Soul), John Layman (Chew) and moderator Jim Zub (Skullkickers) discuss pitching their comic series to publishers and offer advice on how to climb to the top of the treacherous submission mountain along with comic writing techniques and amusing anecdotes.

Got in the door after a 9 and a half hour drive home from Indianapolis, so forgive me if this is brief.

In short, Gen Con 2012 was everything I hoped it would be. Tons of amazing people, fun gaming and record sales at the Tracy Hickman / Schlock Mercenary / Skullkickers booth. We had an absolute blast.

Thank you to Howard Tayler and Tracy Hickman for giving me a space to exhibit at. Your friendship and encouragement made this all possible.

Thank you to the Kokomo Irregulars, Tracy’s incredible staff, for running the booth and creating the most organized and welcoming con space imaginable.

Thank you to Andrew Hackard, Monica Valentinelli and everyone else at Steve Jackson Games for rocking out Munchkin-Skullkickers and promoting it so well at the show.

Thank you to Andrew Huerta, Erik Mona, Lisa Stevens, James Sutter and everyone else at Paizo for making the Pathfinder #1 launch so successful.

And, last but never least, thank you to the many, many Skullkickers, Munchkin and Pathfinder fans who came by to visit, buy books and get stuff signed. The response to all the hard work that’s gone into the new Pathfinder series was overwhelmingly positive. Seeing return customers from last year who were back for another volume of Skullkickers was also a real joy.

The Gen Con crowd is truly our bedrock and I’m incredibly grateful for all the support. Click on the pic below for more photos from the show:

Click here for Gen Con photos

Some times it takes you 5 days to recover from the big show. 🙂

I’m actually feeling pretty good. This might be the first San Diego Comicon where I got home and didn’t instantly come down with a nasty cold/cough. I wanted to post my post-convention thoughts on Tuesday, but a flurry of work and correspondence after the show has kept me very busy. Stacy and I have had our heads down focused on work, work with a bit more work thrown in for good measure.

This is the year where it really felt like I was firmly established as a creator first and foremost. Last year I promoted Skullkickers quite heavily, but there was a muddiness to it as I tried to balance out administrative responsibilities at UDON with writing and promoting my own material. In 2012 that wasn’t a problem – Skullkickers, Makeshift Miracle, Sky Kid, Wonder Momo, Pathfinder… that’s what I was known for at the show. One of the strangest things was having people ask me about UDON as if I didn’t work there, asking me how I knew “those guys” or who to talk to there about submitting work. When I explained that I’ve worked at UDON for the past 9 years and have been a Project Manager at the company since 2004, they were shocked.

That’s the shift – in a year and a half I’ve tilted the needle from administration/management stuff behind the scenes to writer/creator. It’s a good thing and it’s where I want to be. Creating is far more difficult and comes with a whole lot of extra insecurities and stress, but the satisfaction level is much higher too.

I love handling projects at UDON and I love teaching at Seneca. Having creative outlets for my ideas feels like the missing puzzle piece that makes it all work, weirdly enough. It’s proof that I can handle client projects. It’s proof that I have things to teach about storytelling and art. It’s a series of escalating challenges that keeps me pushing my skills so I don’t get complacent.

Anyways, that was my biggest take away from SDCC this year. Sales were pretty good, social stuff was fun, my body ached after 5 days of work and late nights… after 10 years I go in expecting most of that. What changed this time was my perception of what I’m doing there. In the midst of grandiose pop culture chaos I felt like a storyteller and that was pretty cool.

Here we go again, my 10th year at SDCC. A decade ago I had no idea I’d be starting on a new career in comics. When I think about everything that’s changed, both for myself and the industry as a whole, it blows my mind. My fingers are crossed that this is the best year yet.

BOOTH:

I’ll be toggling between two different booths. Edwin and I are set up with Image Comics at Booth #2729 promoting Skullkickers. UDON is set up at #5037 selling comics and art books. Both areas should be hopping. If you can’t find me at one, then I’m at the other or on a panel.

MERCH:

Our exclusive for the show this year is our Kitten variant cover for Skullkickers #15, which will be available in limited quantities.They’ll be selling for $5 personalized, or $10 signed/raw as an incentive for fans to keep their copy rather than flipping it.

We’ll also have copies of the Skullkickers Map poster, Skullkickers Treasure Trove, sketch variant covers and, of course, regular trade paperbacks on hand.

PANELS:
I’m on a slew of panels this year, 5 in total. Apparently I talk too much. 😛

FRIDAY
4:30-5:30 UDON 2012— Catch up on the latest releases and get the scoop on upcoming projects from the UDON crew, including comic and art book announcements you won’t want to miss! Included will be sneak peek artwork, insight into the recruiting process for new artists, and a chance to win some of the company’s hottest new books. Moderated by Chris Butcher (Toronto Comic Arts Festival, UDON’s director of marketing), with participants Erik Ko (UDON CEO), Jim Zubkavich (UDON Project Manager), Matt Moylan (UDON Managing Editor), and UDON artists Joe Ng (Street Fighter IV) and Omar Dogan (Street Fighter Legends). Room 26AB

SATURDAY
11:00-12:00 Shifty Look— Namco Bandai Games has excavated the darkest corners of its vaults, and now the decrepit husks of games you’ve always loved (or never knew you did) have been brought back to life! Find out what’s next for ShiftyLook from Rob Pereyda (editor-in-chief), then join a spotlight on hit webcomic Bravoman from writer Matt Moylan (Lilformers) and artist Dax “D-Gee” Gordine (Mega Man Tribute). Next, webcomic superstars and Dig Dug 30th Anniversary contributors Scott Kurtz (PvP Online) and Kris Straub (chainsawsuit) make a big announcement fans with any sense of anything won’t want to miss! Finally, legendary voice actor Rob Paulsen (Animaniacs) makes a special appearance with an amazing ShiftyLook announcement that will blow everyone away. This will be the most fun you’ve ever had with ‘80s video games! Room 25ABC

12:00-1:00 Comic-Con How-To: Supercharge Your deviantART Profile Like the Masters— This superstar lineup of comic, manga, and animators all have something in common besides ridiculous amounts of talent: they are all part of the deviantART community. Over the years they have learned a thing or two about getting the most out of the website, and in this panel they will share their tips and tricks on how to get the most out of your deviantART experience. The panelists are Adam Warren (The Dirty Pair, Empowered), Chris Sanders (creator of Lilo & Stitch and How To Train Your Dragon), Dave Elliott (Comic Industry Veteran), Jim Zubkavich (UDON Project Manager), Kevin Eastman (co-creator of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Mark Brooks (Marvel Comics), Yuumei Yan (digital artist, cyber-activist) and panel moderator Angelo Sotira (deviantART CEO). Room 2

7:00-8:00 Writers Unite! Pitching Your Creator-Owned Comics— Creator-owned comics have grabbed the imagination of the comic-reading community all over again and publishers are looking for fresh ideas from a new generation of talent. Listen closely as creators Cullen Bunn (The Sixth Gun), Ray Fawkes (One Soul), Charles Soule (27), and moderator Jim Zub (Skullkickers) discuss pitching their hit comic series to publishers and offer advice on how to climb to the top of the treacherous submission mountain, along with comic writing techniques and amusing anecdotes. Room 23ABC

SUNDAY
2:00-3:00 Kickstarting Your Webcomics Career: Keenspot 2012— Pioneering webcomics publisher Keenspot returns for their insane 12th annual Comic-Con panel to drop some knowledge! Get words of wisdom from the man behind the second most-funded Kickstarter comics project of all time! Learn how a popular Image Comics creator doubled his book sales at cons by giving his comic away for free online! Hear an amazing major announcement about the future of comic books! Creators scheduled to appear include Thomas Fischbach (Twokinds), Jim Zub (Skullkickers), Benny Powell (Wayward Sons), Brion Foulke (Flipside), Jennifer Brazas (Mystic Revolution), David Campiti (Exposure), R. C. Monroe (Out There), Chris Daily (Punch an’ Pie), Charles Soule (27), and Bobby Crosby (Last Blood). Room 4

Yeah, 10 years and this one will be the craziest yet! I hope to see you there. 🙂

On Sunday June 10th I’ll be a guest at the Albany Comic Con in Albany, New York. If you live in upstate New York, you should definitely come down to check out this wonderful one day comic-centric show! I’ll have copies of Skullkickers trades and issues on hand for purchase, along with sketches and autographs.

Stacy and I are heading to New York next week for BookExpo America, the largest publishing convention in North America. I haven’t been in several years and am greatly looking forward to checking it out and getting a feel for how the industry is changing.

On Wednesday (June 6), from 10:30am to 12:30pm Edwin and I will be signing/sketching Skullkickers comics at the Image Comics table (Booth 3580). If you’re heading to the convention, please come by and say “hi”!

This Tuesday (June 5) I’ll be a guest of Comic Book Club, a live chat show dedicated to comic creators and craft. We’ll be chatting about creator-owned comics, comic writing, marketing, digital outreach and much, much more!

It’s FREE to attend and should be a ton of fun, so if you live in NY you should definitely check it out.

Comic Book Club – Live!
Tuesday, June 5th – 7pm
Tickets: FREE!
Fontana’s
105 Eldridge St.
[Btwn. Grand and Broome St.]

WITH GUEST:
JIM ZUB (Skullkickers)

AND HERE’S THE SCOOP:
– The show is now totally FREE! And it starts a half hour earlier at 7PM!
– We’re at a new location in the LES: Fontana’s, an awesome bar with Buck Hunter, Pool, and lots of frosty bevvies.

PLUS, free comics, and a $25 gift certificate to Midtown Comics! Holy cow!

FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE
COMIC BOOK CLUB INFO PAGE

I attended MCM Expo in London, England last weekend as part of the ShiftyLook crew. It was a fun time filled with great social interactions and beautiful sunny weather.

Every convention has its own feel. Some shows are very pop culture-centric, focusing on TV shows, movies and actors, while other shows are all about comics, or video games, or anime.

MCM Expo had a massive turn out dedicated to anime and cosplay. The ratio of people in costume to those not stunned me. Easily 3/4 of the people at the show were dressed up in some fashion and many of those outfits were elaborate and high quality. I’ve been noticing the intense upswing of cosplay culture at conventions I’ve been going to over the past few years. The passionate exhibition of someone’s love for a character, the recognition from other people at the show turning the cosplayer into a minor celebrity and satisfaction people get from the intense escapism of dressing up has propelled it from a fringe aspect to the very core of convention culture.

The cosplay and anime crowd is young, excited and is more than willing to create their own fun. In a world where people are increasingly disillusioned by advertising-laden ideals and overpowering corporate culture, you can’t help but enjoy watching a huge crowd of young people be so exuberant about characters and stories that inspire them. Even when it’s crowded and crazy there’s a playful joy in it that still surprises me.

Namco-Bandai’s ShiftyLook promotion went pretty well and gained momentum over the course of the weekend. The strongest event was Sunday afternoon’s Dig Dug 30th Anniversary game tournament on the show floor. The crowd steadily grew and cheered as each new contestant attempted to beat the high score set by the ShiftyLook creators.

Outside of the show I had a chance to spend time with Marv Wolfman, the legendary comic creator who’s written hundreds of comics from my youth. Getting to know him and talk about the industry as it was and is now was a thrill. I go through phases where I don’t feel connected at all to the mainstream comic business, so getting perspective from someone who’s freelanced longer than I’ve been alive was enlightening and inspiring.

Hanging out with good friends, signing some books for fans of Street Fighter and Skullkickers, having some traditional English pub fare and chilling out a little bit… MCM was a good show. As May wraps up I’m happy to say that the con season has been incredibly strong so far. With major shows like Book Expo America, San Diego Comicon, PAX and Fan Expo Canada still to come before the summer wraps up, I’m hopeful the positive momentum keeps rolling.

This weekend I’m going to be in London, England as part of Namco-Bandai’s big ShiftyLook celebration at MCM Expo, the UK’s premiere pop culture event. They have a ton of great events planned and I’m really excited about attending the show for the first time.

SATURDAY MAY 26th

2:00-3:00pm STAGE B: I’ll be at the “Meet ShiftyLook Panel”.

4:30-5:30pm COMIC VILLAGE AUTOGRAPH AREA: I’ll be signing, sketching and will have a limited number of Skullkickers and Makeshift Miracle books for sale.

8:00-9:30pm CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL LONDON DOCKLANDS, WEST SUITE: I’ll be a small part of the ShiftyLook Chat Show Spectacular happening in the evening. Doors open at 7pm, so get there early and secure yourself a good spot.

SUNDAY MAY 27

11:30am-12:30pm COMIC VILLAGE AUTOGRAPH AREA: I’ll be signing, sketching and if I have any left I’ll be selling Skullkickers or Makeshift Miracle books here as well.

Beyond those formal event times, I’ll be wandering the show to see what it’s all about and hanging out with friends. It’s going to be fun being back in England. If you’re around, please come by and say “hi”!