Arriving in May…
SKULLKICKERS #27
story: JIM ZUB
art: EDWIN HUANG & MISTY COATS
cover: JAMES GHIO
MAY 28 / 32 PAGES / FC / T / $3.50
“A DOZEN COUSINS AND A CRUMPLED CROWN,” Part Three
Not a new #1 – not a reboot – not a paradigm-shifting crossover event… and yet, still totally worth picking up and reading, we promise!
“SKULLKICKERS is one of the smartest comics out there.” – Newsarama
I’m a guest on the latest Guys With Pencils.
We talk up a storm about breaking into the business, animation, comics, storytelling, and finding your groove in the creative working world. Lots of good stuff. Give it a listen.
Li’l Sonja, the one-shot comic story of a young Red Sonja written for younger readers, came out on Wednesday. Here’s what critics thought of it…
• Comics Bulletin: 5/5 “The character Li’l Sonja is cute, and fun, and feisty, and at the same time, like her older model, strong, independent, and smart.”
• Unleash The Fanboy: 5/5 ” she may be cute but she is still pretty bad ass”
• What’cha Reading?: 5/5 “Li’l Sonja is adorable and yet every bit the bad ass her more grown-up counterpart is, but yet child-friendly enough that I can hand this book over to my younger/tween comic fans”
• Fandom Post: B+ “Li’l Sonja is plucky, courageous, and clever, and the quality of the art and writing are straightforward enough for children to enjoy, and cute enough for adults as well.”
• Comic Book Therapy: 7/10 “Zub writes a cute and fast-paced story. It’s a witty yarn that gives us a very different version of the character we know and love.”
When I was 15 years old my brother introduced me to anime.
I’d grown up watching shows like Star Blazers and Robotech but didn’t know much about the original source material behind them. Joe was attending the University of Waterloo and gravitated towards the anime club that had formed there. When he came home to visit he brought a slew of fan-subtitled animation filled to the brim with stories and characters like I’d never seen before. I was hooked.
In the years that followed I collected fan-subs and original Japanese manga, helped run an anime club, ordered anime stock for a local comic shop, edited anime music videos and sent them to conventions, created an anime lending library at my college residence, and started a fan page for one of my favorite manga creators.
When I went to school for animation I met Omar Dogan and we broke bread over our shared love of Japanese art and culture. I knew deep down that I’d never be able to work in the Japanese animation industry and I kept my focus solidly centered on the North American market. I hoped to work at Disney, or Pixar, or Blizzard.
8 years later, after lots of freelancing/life ups and downs, I joined the UDON studio and, over the next 10 years, had the chance to work with both Japanese and North American clients on an incredible variety of different projects.
If my 15 year old self could only have known…
Yesterday in Tokyo, Bandai-Namco held a special event to unveil a new generation of Wonder Momo with a new anime mini-series and video game sequel to the original 1987 adventure game.
The story for the anime and game are adapted from the Wonder Momo comic strip I wrote that’s been running on Bandai-Namco’s portal site ShiftyLook for the past two years. Erik Ko (head of UDON) and I came up with the concepts, characters, and plot and then I scripted the comic, illustrated beautifully by, you guessed it, Omar Dogan.
Everything has kind of come full circle. It feels totally surreal.
Read the online comic for free
Pre-order the book
Keep an eye on the new Momo website
Samurai Jack #4 arrived in comic shops last Wednesday, so let’s see what critics thought of it…
• IGN:8.5/10 “We may not have the cartoon series, but we have a pretty awesome comic series to warm our hearts.”
• Comic Vine: “If you’ve been enjoying the book, there’s pretty much no reason why you won’t enjoy this one as well.”
• The Outhousers: “Andy Suriano’s character design work for secondary characters is exceptionally strong; the lithe, graceful bodies of the musket-knights counteracts their brutish nature, while the queen’s beauty contrasts the villagers’ homeliness.”
• Comic Book Therapy: “Samurai Jack is a thoroughly enjoyable series that pays a lot of respect to everything that came before it.”
• Rock! Shock! Pop!: “This is all very much in keeping with the spirit of the show, finding that interesting balance of honor, mysticism, action and humor.”
• Shadowhawk’s Shade:9.5/10 “Another stellar issue from Jim, Andy, Josh and Shawn. I really hope that these guys all stick together on this series for a good long while.”
• Multiversity: “Those of you that are or were fans of the character – this should be on your pull list already. Rectify that, if it’s not.”
Josie Campbell at Comic Book Resources interviewed me about the Suicide Squad: Amanda Waller One-Shot story I have coming out in March. Click on through and give it a read.
I was interviewed by Geeked Out Nation all about Samurai Jack, writing comics, and more. Click on through to give it a read.
Arriving in April…
SKULLKICKERS #26
story: JIM ZUB
art: EDWIN HUANG & MISTY COATS
cover: JAMES GHIO
APRIL 23 / 32 PAGES / FC / T / $3.50
“A DOZEN COUSINS AND A CRUMPLED CROWN,” Part Two
In this special issue (they’re all special, but whatever): The HISTORY of DWARVES (The ‘Short’ Version). Pre-order yours today.
Arriving in April…
While Gail Simone’s Red Sonja series is scorching hot, Dynamite is presenting a Red Sonja one-shot done as a manga style book! In April of 2014, Red Sonja and Cub will be offered, written by Jim Zub (Pathfinder), drawn by Jonathan Lau, with a cover by Jeffery “Chamba” Cruz! This oversized issue will be available in April from Dynamite Entertainment in comic stores and digital.
In Red Sonja and Cub, blood will rain down upon the snowy ground as the She-Devil With A Sword battles her way across the Asiatic lands of Khitai. In a land of complex family loyalties and death before dishonor, will sharpened steel and the muscle to wield it be enough?
“Getting the chance to write a samurai-style story of savage combat and sacrifice with Red Sonja, one of the heavyweight characters of fantasy, is a real thrill,” says Red Sonja and Cub writer Jim Zub. “I’m stoked for people to see the big action-big emotion ride Jonathan and I are putting together for this.”
Red Sonja and Cub will be solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors’ February Previews catalog, the premiere source of merchandise for the comic book specialty market, and slated for release on April 2nd, 2014. Comic book fans are encouraged to reserve copies of Red Sonja and Cub with their local comic book retailers. Red Sonja and Cub will also be available for individual customer purchase through digital platforms courtesy of Comixology, iVerse, and Dark Horse Digital.
Comic Book Resources
The Beat
Bleeding Cool
Arriving in April…
Samurai Jack #7
Jim Zub (w) • Brittney Williams (a) • Andy Suriano (c)
Samurai Jacqueline and the Scotswoman fight giants and wee folk alike as they struggle to free themselves from the gender-bending curse of the leprechauns. Cartoon Network’s hit animated series continues at IDW!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
“If you miss Jack and his samurai ways, go pick this up. If you never watched the show, buy the book anyway because it’s just plain fun.” –Reading Pictures
Samurai Jack #7—Subscription Variant
Jim Zub (w) • Brittney Williams (a) • Agnes Garbowska (c)
For subscription customers only… enlist at your local comic shop! A variant cover by Agnes Garbowska!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
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