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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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♫ ~ 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.

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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.

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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–

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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

Over on my site I posted a new tutorial article called Predatory Publishing and You – A Tragedy in the Making with warning signs and advice to help you avoid intellectual property vultures who circle this business looking for their next victim. Read and share.

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Social Media Suffocation

Everyone’s trying to get out from underneath the crushing annoyance of Twitter, but it’s anyone’s guess whether any of these platforms will emerge as a new market leader in the “time waster that might also be important or ruin your life and reputation forever” competition.

• On Twitter I’m still jimzub.
• On Bluesky I’m jimzub.
• On Hive I’m jimzub.
• On Instagram and Threads I’m jim_zub because someone squatted on jimzub without the underscore and is using my bio but they won’t remove it even when I complain.

Honestly, I don’t think I’ll be able to keep up with the stupidity of it all and, like so many other people, all this has broken many of my habits around social media, especially when these ridiculous platforms can’t deliver the most basic functionality – Show me posts from people I follow in the order it gets posted. That’s all I want.

Media algorithms have become painfully inconsistent in terms of what they show you and when. The solution, oddly enough, seems to be trusty ol’ email. That’s why I like getting back to this newsletter format. Sign up and Zubstack goes right to your inbox. Read or delete it as you’d like, but at least you get to choose instead of systems choosing for you.

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My Summer Reading Pile

(I have all these and more as e-books, but it’s always nicer having the physical version in my hands, so when I saw these available at a good price I snapped them up.)

Robert E. Howard wrote over 300 stories during his 14-year writing career and there’s a lot of non-Conan material you might not be aware of – horror, noir, historical dramas, westerns, and a whole lot more.

I’m currently making my way through Kull: Exile of Atlantis and it’s interesting seeing similarities and differences between the King of Valusia and everyone’s favorite Cimmerian.

Reading for research is quite different from reading for fun but, thankfully, I’m enjoying the majority of it and it’s solid inspiration for future comic stories even if I’m not going to be adapting any of them directly any time soon.

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Appearances

The rest of my summer convention schedule has tightened up:

July 20-23, 2023 San Diego Comic Con
August 3-6, 2023 Gen Con Indy
August 24-27, 2023 Fan Expo Canada
Aug 31-Sept 4, 2023 Dragon Con
Sept 15-17, 2023 Edmonton Expo

More info on my SDCC schedule (booth #, panels, signings) next week.

As always, from the start of July through to the big show is just a blur of tasks that need to get checked off my To-Do List.

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Links and Other Things

• This burger marinade is simple but really good. Had it last week and it’s flavorful.

• Want to check out a time capsule of pop culture from the late 80’s-early 90’s? There’s an archive of Prisoners of Gravity episodes.

• Ian McCaig’s classic expression-drawing tips are always good to add to your reference pool.

Jim

HAPPY CANADA DAY to my fellow Canadians (or anyone looking to celebrate our country and ideals)!

Most Canadians aren’t rah-rah nationalistic and, with all the clichés around us being unassuming and apologetic, it would be easy to just let the holiday roll by without saying anything about what it means to me to be Canadian, but, in short-

Growing up Canadian taught me to collaborate, communicate, and care for others. This country has given me the incredible opportunity to find my place and thrive doing the things I love while taking care of those closest to me.

My grandparents came here seeking a better life for themselves and their children and, with determination and good fortune, they built it, bit by bit. The stability and kindness at the heart of what it means to be Canadian made their better future and mine possible.

Wherever I go and whatever I do, Canada is a crucial part of who I am and my storytelling voice (even if I camouflage telltale “Canadian-isms” enough to vanish amongst Americans when I’m south of the border).

Over the years my writing has focused on a lot of fictional places, but Canada does occasionally pop up in my work, most notably-

CHAMPIONS – The Champions are the young heroes of Marvel and I introduced a new Canadian teen hero named Snowguard to the team back in 2018. It made quite the ripple in Canadian news at the time and her first appearance sold through multiple printings.

If you want a done-in-one Snowguard story that encompasses what the character is all about, check out Champions Annual #1 co-written with Nyla Innuksuk and illustrated by Marcus To, reprinted in the Weird War One trade paperback.

ALPHA FLIGHT: TRUE NORTH – Alpha Flight is Marvel’s Canadian super team, first introduced back in 1979 as antagonists to the X-Men before getting their own series as heroes in 1983. Like a lot of Canadian comic readers, my brother and I collected Alpha Flight and enjoyed seeing places we recognized, even when they were spun out or exaggerated in fictional ways.

Getting the chance to write an Alpha Flight story in 2019 as part of Marvel’s 80th anniversary was an absolute blast. Max Dunbar’s always stellar art elevated a neat little mystery around Snowbird’s origin I wanted to explore and it turned out great.

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More SDCC Exclusives

Colleen Doran illustrated an incredible Conan variant cover that will be on sale at the Titan booth at San Diego Comic-Con. I’ve been a fan of Colleen’s work for ages and it’s an honor having her contribute this piece as part of the new series launch.

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Also, here’s my Diablo IV Barbarian. His name is “Conanza”-

When I showed this screencap online the always amazing Lar DeSouza took that name in a whole different direction–

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Links and Other Things

• The late Jesse Hamm’s breakdown of Alex Toth’s approach to inking is always worth reading and learning from.

• David Finch’s tutorial on using line weights is direct and helpful.

• Here’s a traditional east coast Canadian recipe for you- COD AU GRATIN (or, as the Newfies say it, “Cawd Grawt’n”). I’ve cooked this up several times for Stacy to remind her of home and it’s flavorful comfort food, especially in the colder months. Enjoy!

That should cover things for this week.

Jim

FOC – The Barbaric Cutoff is Here – Join Us!

Final Order Cutoff is the last chance for comic retailers to adjust their order numbers on books heading to print.

So, with that in mind, please allow me to beat the drum here one last time about CONAN THE BARBARIAN #1, arriving in stores on Wednesday, July 26th.

This week is your last chance to pre-order a copy from your favorite comic shop and be guaranteed a copy will be waiting for you.

Our art team (Rob De La Torre, José Villarrubia, Dean White, Richard Starkings and the many incredible artists lending their skill to variant covers) has put together the Hyborian adventure of my dreams, delivering something really special on each and every page. This is one of the highest profile launches of my writing career and it would mean a lot to me if you pre-ordered a copy of #1, added the series to your pull box subscriptions, and/or let other people know that Heroic Signatures and Titan Comics are bringing the goods.

Thank you, as always, for your support!

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Dramatic VS Literal Color

Looking at some recent comics and I notice a lot of cookie cutter color palettes: blue sky, green grass, brown bark, etc. The rendering is okay, but the dramatic impact is lacking.

Even when panels all take place in the same scene under the same lighting conditions, colorists should try to vary things up and improve the storytelling by using dramatic color.

Check this old school example from Uncanny X-Men #275

Pencils by Jim Lee. Inks by Scott Williams. Colors by Glynis Oliver and Joe Rosas. Lettering by Tom Orzechowski.

Notice how the yellow and blue KRUNCH panel stands out even though the palette choice isn’t ‘real’? If that panel was colored like others on the page (with a green T-Rex) it would be way less potent.

Here’s another page from the same issue:

That top panel’s cool color palette pushes it away from us visually and makes it less important than what’s below, creating a ‘fade out’ feel between scenes and locations. If the characters and environment were all rendered using local/true colors it could end up quite busy and readers wouldn’t know where to focus.

Digital tools are convenient, but some colorists seem to think that lots of rendering and realistic lighting = higher quality and that’s not always the case when it comes to successful communication and entertainment, panel by panel and page by page.

On the other hand, here’s an impressive coloring example from All-New X-Men #3:

Pencils by Stuart Immonen. Inks by Wade Grawbadger. Colors by Marte Garcia. Letters by Cory Petit.

Marte’s rendering is more ‘modern’, but he also has an eye for dramatic color choices that effectively move the reader through big moments on the page. It’s wonderful work and I’d like to see even more of that from modern comics over bad lighting effects, repetitive palettes, and an over reliance on texture brushes or photo textures.

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Murder Is More Convenient Than Ever

The collected MURDERWORLD trade paperback arrived in stores last week!

If you missed the five connected one-shot issues Ray Fawkes (Constantine, Batman: Eternal) and I put together with artists Jethro Morales, Farid Karami, Luca Pizzari, Victor Nava, and Lorenzo Tammetta, now you can snag it in one spiffy volume and read our twisted Arcade-centered story from start to finish.

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“Pop-Up” Doesn’t Quite Describe It

An advance copy of the Dungeons & Dragons: Ultimate Pop-Up Book arrived at our place this week and it’s a monster in all the right ways!

Stacy and I came up with the narrative and she wrote all the text. Award-winning paper engineer Matthew Reinhart built each scene and all the moving elements and Claudio Pozas tirelessly illustrated each piece.

The name “Pop-Up” doesn’t really encompass these paper creations. The locations unfurl from the page base, rising up to form incredible buildings and features!

Even more amazing, the page spreads can be folded out beside each other so that all five D&D interactive locations can be laid out simultaneously. When Stacy and I unleashed the full behemoth it took up our entire dining room table!

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Talking Conan…in Portuguese!

Marco Collares and Duda Ferreira from the Conan the Barbarian Forum, a vibrant Portuguese language Conan community, chatted with me about the upcoming CONAN comic relaunch, working with the incredible Rob De La Torre and editor Matt Murray, and much more!

There’s a lot of great information about the new series in this interview so, to make it easier for English language fans to follow along, I put together a series of time-stamped links to my answers you can check out right HERE.

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Classic Character + Classic Artist

The Comics On The Green comic shop has posted an exclusive CONAN THE BARBARIAN #1 variant cover illustrated by legendary artist MARK SCHULTZ (Xenozoic Tales, Conan the Cimmerian)!

Mark’s illustrations of Conan over the years have been incredibly iconic and powerful. I’m blown away that he created a new piece for our series launch (and even included the comic shop owner’s dog in there too 😀 ).

This variant is limited to 500 copies and you can pre-order it HERE.

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More Limited Edition Covers

• Forbidden Planet (in the UK) has a limited edition Conan the Barbarian #1 cover (limited to 500 copies) with Rob De La Torre’s splash art from our Free Comic Book Day issue. In the U.S. it’s being offered by Jetpack comics.

• Since Conan debuts at San Diego Comic Con this year, there’s a limited edition cover with Conan in the San Diego Gaslamp District (limited to 2000 copies) with cover art by Christopher Jones.

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Links and Other Things

• The incredible background art of the classic Looney Tunes animated shorts, especially designer Maurice Noble. As some who worked in background layout for animation, it’s nice to see this part of the artform spotlighted and appreciated:

• Famous comic artists drawing iconic characters. You can learn a lot just by watching how professionals confidently lay down their lines.:

That should cover things this time.
Jim

One of the Greats Has Left the Building

John Romita Sr. passed away yesterday.

He was an absolute legend, with iconic imagery that defined generations. A giant even amongst his peers.

When I close my eyes and imagine Spider-Man, it’s almost always a piece drawn by ‘Jazzy’ John. Thank you for so many great memories, sir.

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Comics Almost Broke Me

Quite a few people in and out of the industry have asked if I’ve read posts from the #ComicsBrokeMe hashtag that’s been trending on Twitter.

Absolutely.

Unfortunately, barring a few extreme cases, a lot of this is not surprising to people who work in comics. I have a few stories of my own, just about everyone in the business does, and have managed to come out the other side with a career, so I have some advice but also need to stress that it’s deeply tempered with Survivor Bias–

A lottery winner telling people to buy lottery tickets is tainted by their good fortune. It’s easy to tell people not to give up on dreams when yours is happening.

A creative career isn’t as random as the lottery, but luck plays a part, so take everything I say with that in mind.

• Treat others the way you want to be treated. Heck, be better than that if you can.

Kindness, patience, and clarity won’t always be reflected back your way, but it does matter and will benefit you far more over the long haul compared to diva behavior, anger, or greed.

Being kind, patient and clear does not mean you should take bad gigs for substandard pay. Part of that clarity has to include understanding what your time and effort is worth.

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• When you’re starting out and unproven, the effort VS pay equation will be badly out of whack, especially when you’re competing directly with so many other hopeful freelancers willing to work for less than what they should.

With that in mind, having a day job and starting slow is not something to be ashamed of. Your chances of success increase the longer you keep creating and having stable income is a big, big part of how you can keep at it.

Putting all your chips (effort, health, financial well-being) down on a career filled with so much uncertainty is a bad idea. I know it’s frustrating because you want things to happen as quickly as possible, but the risks outweigh the rewards.

Trust me – Slow but steady is far better.

I’ve watched quite a few creators rocket past me (and, of course, felt a flash of jealousy in the moment) only to see them quickly crash because they risked too much, burned themselves out, or treated others like shit and it caught up with them.

Your future in a creative field will almost certainly be built over time with occasional bursts forward. It does not come down to one roll of the dice, one opportunity, or one failure. If you treat it that way, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

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• There have been quite a few times where I felt my comic writing career might come to an end.

Opportunities drying up. Editors not responding to messages.

You can’t control those things. All you can control is your response to it and build safety nets to carry on despite it.

There are times when you need to push yourself and deliver under duress, but you can’t sprint all the time. You are the only one who can properly gauge your limits and communicate them accordingly.

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• Having stable income outside of comic freelance work means I’ve been juggling two careers for a long time. That can be tough at times and absolutely leads to some late nights working, but it also means I am never cornered into terrible gigs or contracts that would screw me over.

I am very, very fortunate in that way and I know that, but I also made distinct choices in terms of work and savings to maximize my options and bolster my ability to keep creating over the long haul. Contrary to the romanticized version you may have internalized, being a starving artist sucks. Desperation leads to terrible decisions, stupid working hours, and long term career damage far more often than it turns into success.

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• Underlying all of this are also extremes in terms of skill and quality levels.

A lot of people who aren’t professional quality cannot see the gap they still need to clear to be viable.

A lot of very skilled people undervalue their abilities.

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• Being a skilled writer or artist doesn’t mean you’re a strong negotiator, good communicator, capable self-promoter, intelligent with your finances, or well organized. In fact, the more focus you have on creative refinement, the more those other areas tend to suffer

If a person or company offers terms you don’t like, figure out your threshold and when the pay/opportunity isn’t worth the effort.

If a person or company offers an opportunity too good to be true, it probably is and that means they can also take it away in an instant. Plan accordingly.

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• Companies aren’t loyal. People can be.

Pay attention to good people you work with. Cultivate great working relationships. Celebrate successes. Commiserate over setbacks.

Be patient. Be kind. Be careful.

Build up your work, bit by bit. Slow and steady.

Hope for the best, but plan for the worst.

Comics almost broke me a few times over the years, but I’m not done yet.

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The Shadow-Spider Returns!

Back in 2018, Sean Izaakse and I convinced the Powers That Be at Marvel to let us take the Champions to Weirdworld and, in the process, redesign each team member with a sword & sorcery-themed variant.

Champions #25 kicked off the storyline and it was a ton of fun.

Last week, Insomniac Games announced a Collector’s Edition of their upcoming Spider-Man 2 PS5 game and, lo and behold, our Miles Shadow-Spider outfit is one of the feature costumes. It looks so great!

If you want to read our Champions-fantasy tale with Shadow-Spider and friends, it was reprinted in the Champions: Weird War One trade paperback.

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Links and Other Things

• Nathan Price did a deep dive review of Conan the Barbarian #0, analyzing the story structure, art, and broader themes. It’s nice and a bit humbling when someone really delves into your hard work like this.

• CBR has an exclusive look at our Conan the Barbarian #3 covers.

• Tom Brevoort’s latest newsletter here on Substack includes a ‘Welcome to Comics’ letter given to new freelance writers coming from other writing fields. Most of the advice in there is relatively obvious to experienced creators but if you’re just starting out it covers a lot of the basics quite well.

• Forgotten Realms creator Ed Greenwood has his own YouTube channel.

That should cover it for this time.
Jim

Good news, everyone. Today is Clean Air Day in Canada. Meanwhile, wildfire smoke from the Great White North chokes the northeast-

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Third Time’s The Charm

Tomorrow I’m flying to New Brunswick for East Coast Comic Expo, June 9th and 10th. This appearance has been a looong time coming.

Back in the olden days of 2018, I was announced as a guest for ECCE, but a Marvel summit (the one where our team planned out Avengers: No Road Home) fell on that same weekend so I had to back out.

In 2019, I was announced as a guest again, but D&D Live: The Descent fell on that same weekend and I had to be there for crazy Dungeons & Dragons stuff.

2020 to 2022…well, you know…

Which brings us to now – 2023! Finally, after five years, I’m heading to Moncton and am really looking forward to seeing friends and fans on the east coast.

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Good Listening!

Over on the Graymalkin Lane podcast, we talk about the strange history of Sapphire Styx and how she became a pivotal player in my plans for Betsy Braddock back in the MYSTERY IN MADRIPOOR mini-series from 2018.

Give it a listen here: https://redcircle.com/shows/graymalkin-lane-the-podcast

I’m also guest on the latest episode of the mighty CROMCAST, chatting up a storm about the CONAN THE BARBARIAN comic relaunch, Canadian whiskey, the Hyborian Age, sword & sorcery, TTRPGs, and more!

Give it a listen here: https://thecromcast.blogspot.com/2023/05/season-18-episode-9-conan-in-comics.html

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CONAN #1: Final Order Cut-Off Cover

Speaking of Conan-

The legendary Jae Lee illustrated a special CONAN THE BARBARIAN #1 cover just released as we soar toward our July 3rd Final Order Cutoff, the last day readers and retailers can pre-order the first issue

Mind-blowing stuff, as expected. I’m honored to have so many cool covers on this book.

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Elden Things

My pals over at UDON just released pics of the incredible translated Elden Ring artbooks they’re releasing in September (volume 1 and 2), including a limited edition foil slipcase edition. Daaaamn pretty. I am sorely tempted to add them to my collection.

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Links and Other Things

The Iron Sheik passed away today at age 81. His words of wisdom stay with me always-

Okay, that’ll cover it this time. Have a good week.
Jim

On Sunday afternoon, I stared at my laptop in genuine shock as it showed me I lost over five hours of writing work.

I was so stressed I gave myself a headache.

I re-opened my script file and it was from the day before.

Back-ups on my user profile roaming data were the day before.

Google Drive on the cloud was also the day before.

I checked and rechecked Word’s autosave folders and nothing was current. Absolutely maddening.

I imagined trying to explain to my editor and the art team that “my computer ate my homework” and how full of shit they’d think I was.

I tried to stay calm and methodically check every spot, but none of it was up to date. It was all from the day before and I was spinning in circles.

Finally, at my wit’s end I vent to Stacy. I’m so damn angry and don’t know how this happened.

Cool as can be, she says “Check OneDrive.”

“I don’t use OneDrive.”

“Check anyways.”

Wouldn’t you know it? Word switched the damn file over to OneDrive and didn’t save anything to my local machine.

I got the current file back, re-saved it to Google Drive and then emailed a copy to myself as a failsafe so I could stop my brain from whirling.

Crisis averted. Sanity returned. Deadline met. *whew*

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Blood Will Flow

The Diamond Previews catalogue ran an interview with me about the CONAN THE BARBARIAN relaunch coming in July. I know I’m beating the drum like crazy here in my newsletter, but only because I’m so pumped for this launch.

Anyways, this summarizes our mission on the series and how easy it is to jump in-

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Productivity, Quantity, and Quantity

In late 2013 I put together a blogpost discussing productivity that included a dorky bar chart showcasing how many comic pages I wrote each year from 2009-2013. A few weeks ago I decided to look at how my career and priorities have changed and what I’ve learned in the nine years since then.

Planning for the future is good, but looking back at the past with extra clarity is nice too.

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Rule Breakers and Reprobates

Stacy and I don’t get a chance to watch much TV, but Ted Lasso has been a staple for us since it launched in 2020. As I mentioned in the past, that “screwed up characters doing their best with their heart on their sleeves” approach was a big inspiration for the Thunderbolts relaunch I wrote last year. It’s been a joy watching the characters and their dramatic turns play out on the screen.

Season 3 has been bumpy in terms of character development, pacing, and payoffs, but episode 11, Mom City, was a real high point for both this season and the series as a whole.

Coach Beard has been a character I haven’t been crazy about during the show’s run. Brendan Hunt is a compelling and capable actor, but Beard has always felt like the “weird wingman”, inscrutable and unflappable, both conservative and hedonistic without much rhyme or reason.

I didn’t understand why he had a laced-down work attitude that seemed rooted in logic but also ride-or-die backed up every strange decision Ted made. I didn’t understand his unbreakable loyalty for Ted mixed with the addictive and confrontational approach he had with other characters in the cast.

And then, in one amazing scene that seems to break all the rules by having a character flat-out tell us their past mistakes and current motivation, Beard became fully formed with way more depth than I imagined. It was so damn good that it rippled backward and made a bunch of key scenes from previous episodes far better, enriching the show on every level. I don’t know if the writers planned Beard’s back story like this from the start, and honestly it doesn’t matter, because it was just a knockout.

I have problems with some of the meandering plotlines and exaggerated characterization this season and worry whether or not the team can stick the landing in the final episode but, whatever happens, this piece was wonderful and left a real emotional mark on both of us.

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Eisner Voting

The timeline for Eisner Award voting is quite tight and far more people in the comic industry are eligible to vote than many of them realize.

Voter registration ends on Friday, JUNE 2nd. The vote deadline is Friday, JUNE 9th.

Eligible voters include:

• Comic/graphic novel/webcomic creators (writers, artists, pencilers, inkers, letterers, or colorists)
• Comic/graphic novel publishers or editors
• Comic historians or educators
• Graphic novel librarians
• Owners or managers of comic retail specialty stores

Click here to head to the registration form.

If you’re qualified to vote in the Eisners and put a vote in for Moon Knight: Black, White, and Blood #3  for “Best Single Issue/One Shot”, I’d really appreciate it.

Last year, Rick and Morty VS Dungeons & Dragons Deluxe Edition was nominated for “Best Graphic Album-Reprint” and it was a lot of fun being at the ceremony, but the lion’s share of that was due to Sarah Rockwell’s wonderful design work on the book, so having my name front and center on the nomination felt a bit awkward. This year’s nomination is more focused on the comic itself – the story and art – so I’m even more excited.

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Links and Other Things

Over his lunch break, Richard Friend raves about Rob De La Torre’s artwork, including some thoughtful analysis of why Rob’s work looks so damn good. It’s far more than just the classic artists who influence him.

Comrade Bullski has a great Tweet thread that covers the tumultuous publishing history of Conan the Barbarian in prose.

Matthew Colville has a sharp rundown on how a Dungeon Master can enjoy prepping for a D&D session.

That should cover it for this week.
Jim

Our trip to the UK was a ton of fun, but it’s time to get back to business as summer projects and convention season ramps up in a big way-

Marvel’s Art of Storytelling

After San Diego Comic Con last year, I spent two days at the Proko art studio recording material for a secret project with Stan Prokopenko and his amazing team. This week that project was finally announced – Marvel The Art of Storytelling! This digital course goes through how comics are made, from story concept and writing through to design, finished line art, colors, lettering, and cover illustration.

Even before that video shoot, we built an extensive curriculum, structuring a workflow and series of assignments to give both newcomers and skilled artists lessons and clear objectives to improve their comic storytelling skills and broaden their understanding of the production pipeline.

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Here’s a rundown of the major sections and which comic pros are involved:

Jim Zub – Storytelling and Story Structure
Ryan Benjamin – Penciling
Mark Morales – Inking
Mike Hawthorne – Basics of Cinematography and Perspective
Aaron Conley – Page and Panel composition
Alitha Martinez – Poses, Acting, and Performance
Sanford Greene – Character Design, Team Design, and Action
Daniel Warren Johnson – Environments
Matt Wilson – Coloring for Comics
Erik Gist – Comic Covers

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I’m excited to see a new generation of comic creators dive into the program and learn from our experience. The first lesson drops July 12th, and if pre-order you save 20%.

Check out the trailer below-

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My Fantasy Influences

People on social media have been sharing “Four fantasy books or series that had the biggest influence on you” and it’s been good fodder for discussion.

There are others, of course, but the four listed below are a bi~ig part of my fantasy DNA. When I write sword & sorcery I lean into the feeling these series evoked in me as a young reader-

• The CONAN series by Robert E. Howard showed me “low fantasy” – grit and violence in a world full of unknowable and dangerous magic with gods and devils who use mankind as tools in their cosmic machinations or ignore them altogether as kingdoms rise and fall.

With each new story I get to write in the Hyborian Age, I dig back into the source material trying to capture that same excitement and intensity.

• The FAFHRD AND THE GREY MOUSER series by Fritz Leiber delivered a similar “magic beyond understanding” bent, but the warrior and thief duo had their own flair for troublemaking and problem solving that stuck with me.

Skullkickers, the sword & sorcery series that helped propel my writing career, plays with the same kind of adventuring duo who somehow triumph against foes way beyond them in scope and power and that’s definitely by design.

• The DRAGONLANCE series by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman is high fantasy in the Tolkien/Lord of the Rings vein, but it arrived at the perfect time for me when I was young – a new epic trilogy that made Dungeons & Dragons ‘real’ – bringing the abstraction of game rules and encounters to life with memorable characters and lots of heart.

Although my Legends of Baldur’s Gate heroes aren’t involved in the same kind of world-shattering threats as the Heroes of the Lance, I’m always looking to channel the warmth and comradery Tracy and Margaret brought to their adventuring party.

• The FIGHTING FANTASY series by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone clicked for me, with its choose-your-own-adventure structure and TTRPG-centric combat, but DEATHTRAP DUNGEON towers above the rest. A labyrinth full of ingenious traps and its competitive gladiatorial spectacle drove my imagination into overdrive.

My first Conan the Barbarian story arc, called “Into the Crucible”, is an homage to Deathtrap, plunging our favorite Cimmerian into a similar lethal tournament with the added challenge that he’s also in a foreign country where he doesn’t speak the local language.

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A Freakish Discussion

I spoke to Jed Keith at Freaksugar in-depth about my work on the Conan the Barbarian relaunch, over 2000 words covering my previous Hyborian Age writing, how the new series came about, and more. Check it out.

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Links and Other Things

• I’ve been checking out episodes of the Cromcast, a podcast dedicated to Conan and other pulp adventure stories and in a few weeks I’ll be a guest on the show. It’s fascinating listening to early episodes where the hosts are just starting to dig into the original Conan prose stories with very little knowledge of the lore and compare that to more current ones after 18 seasons worth of episodes analyzing these classic tales and joking around with each other.
• Last week I made Pasta alla Zozzona, an obscure pasta sauce that combines elements and flavors from 4 different classic pasta dishes, and it turned out great!
  

Okay, that should cover it this time.
Jim