Colors by João Canola. Letters by Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith.
After a short delay, CONAN THE BARBARIAN #17 arrives in comic shops this week, kicking off a brand new story arc called Twisting Loyalties!
Guest artist Danica Brine steps in for this 2-part tale that rolls our timeline back to Conan’s pirate days with Bêlit, showing the Queen of the Black Coast and Amra at the height of their swashbuckling infamy, a fun caper that will have ramifications for the future. Following in Rob De La Torre and Doug Braitwaite‘s footsteps is a real challenge and I think she did a great job keeping the high quality of the series going strong. That said, Doug will be back illustrating another 2-part story in issues #19 and 20, and more issues are already in production beyond that, so there’s a steady flow of amazing artwork hitting my inbox almost every day. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
After The Stone Makes Its Impact
BATTLE OF THE BLACK STONE concluded last week and I’m thankful that the response from readers and reviewers has been very potent.
Now that our first Conan event mini-series is in the rearview mirror, I spoke to Jared Bird at The Comics Beat all about planning it out, how writing Conan is different from other comics, and big plans for the future. We cover a lot of solid ground here, so check it out!
Lit’s Play – Baldur’s Gate 3
Watch me play Baldur’s Gate 3 while waxing nostalgic about growing up playing Dungeons & Dragons and how tabletop RPGs changed my life. Also watch me rip through the tutorial section of the game too fast to be remotely strategic.
According to the video description I am an “all-around cool guy” which, given that I’m playing a video game and discussing D&D, tells you how far we’ve come from the Satanic Panic. What a world!
Pierogi Production
I was at my childhood home for a couple days and, while I was there, my parents, Stacy, and I busted out a ridiculous amount of pierogis we’ll have on Christmas Eve and through the new year.
If you joined this newsletter late and missed my Grandma’s recipe for Ukrainian-style pierogis, make sure you click through, scroll down, and check it out. If you’ve only had factory-made grocery store-style pierogis you have no idea what you’ve been missing compared to the handmade comfort food I grew up with.
Current + Upcoming Releases
Upcoming Appearances
Comiccompscon24 is happening at the RAID Studio in Toronto on Dec 14th and I’ll be there!
A bunch of local creators are purging the extra copies of comics they have and, from what I can tell, we’re all looking to move a bunch of books for cheap, so if you’re there you could get a ridiculously good deal and get other books signed as well. If you’re in Toronto or driving distance from the city, put it on your calendar.
| Dec 14, 2024 | ComicCompsCon 2024 | Toronto, Ontario, CANADA |
| Mar 20-23, 2025 | Gary Con XVII | Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, USA |
Links and Other Things
• While chatting with a friend about 80’s/90’s anime series we should rewatch, I remembered a martial arts anime called The Dagger of Kamui and thought I’d check to see if it had been released on Blu-Ray. Looks like my timing was good – AnimEigo has a Blu-Ray arriving in June 2025 fans can pre-order on their site.
• Mystic Arts DM has a theory about the 8 Types of Combat in Dungeons & Dragons, and I think it covers some nice tips in terms of varying up things at the table to keep players engaged.
Jim
Conan: Battle of the Black Stone #4 Reviews
Conan: Battle of the Black Stone concludes with intense combat, unexpected turns, and a killer final page reveal! What did critics think of our big finish? Let’s find out (but watch out for SPOILERS if you haven’t read the issue yet) –
• 9 Panel Grid: “I had a lot of fun with this series. This was really quick, really exciting, really action-packed, and I think the star of this has been Jonas Scharf and the colorist…It kicked the doors wide open for Conan to explore the cosmic horror side of his universe.”
• Comic Book Dispatch: 9.8/10 “Jão Canola’s otherworldly fire burns yellow and green, threatening to consume John Kirowan, Soloman Kane, and Brissa like Human torches. The fire tinges the forest orange and fills the background with darkness…When the Black Stone’s power proves too powerful for stalwart warriors to combat, a scholar’s thirst for knowledge and a writer’s imagination prove pivotal in defeating a mind-consuming power.”
• Comic Culture: “I loved it. It was handled so well…So many characters in the group had their moments, which I thought was really good…Well worth it if you’re not already checking it out.”
• Comical Opinions: 10/10 “It’s one thing to start a mini-series on a decent note and finish strong, but it’s another to start strong and end on a phenomenal note….Jim Zub imagines a battle for the ages that requires our heroes to fight, sacrifice, and die to save the world, and Jonas Scharf’s artwork is pulp magnificence.”
• Cool Thunder: 9.8/10 “The conclusion to the Battle of Black Stone is nothing short of spectacular, delivering a thrilling, action-packed narrative that seamlessly weaves together the interconnected stories of its characters.”
• Doc Lail Talks Comics: “If you’ve liked Jim Zub’s run on the main Conan title you’re going to love this four issue mini-series. It’s going to scratch all of the itch for all the different characters in The Howardverse.”
• Evan the Architect: “This was awesome. I really enjoyed this whole mini-series, so I highly recommend it…The way this ends is kind of perfect in tying up this story but also launching into something that’s even more dangerous and more scary for the future.”
• Good Reads: 5/5 “There is nothing but pure payoff here from page one. If you find yourself disappointed by other series having poor or unsatisfying conclusions, look no further than Conan mainline or Black Stone.”
• IPauleyxx: “…a love letter to fans of the Barbarian, offering something for newcomers and seasoned readers alike. Its perfect blend of legacy, innovation, and thrilling surprises makes it a must-read for anyone who relishes high-adventure comics.”
• League of the Comic Geeks: “Howard’s heroes bounce off of eachother surprisingly well and Scharf gives the book some incredible action.”
• Mighty Thorngren: “I had such a blast with this book. It was so cool. I have throughly enjoyed this series and I hope that we see the further adventures of all the characters in these books…This kicked as, all four of them together were wonderful and this was a great finale.”
• Pop Culture Philosophers: “This book sets up another big Howard verse thing to come and I am all here for it. I think Jim Zub’s been doing a fantastic job with Conan books.”
• Quest Wise: “It is brilliantly told. It is wonderfully written. I truly believe that if Robert Howard were alive today, he would be proud of Battle of the Black Stone…The writing in this is amazing. The artwork is beautiful. It just flows very well. There are ups and downs and ‘Oh My God’ moments, all in four issues.”
• Stygian Dogs: “Fantastic stuff!…The awesome action and cosmic horror aside, the success of Jim Zub and Jonas Scharf’s event series has been the creative integration of Howard’s pantheon of characters into an exciting experiment of enrichment.”
• Super Hero Hype: “The Battle of the Black Stone comic was an event undreamed of…However, the comic still managed one last surprise for readers in the final chapter with the reveal of the series’ ultimate villain.”
• Sword & Sorcery Book Club: “This is a great issue. I really, really enjoyed it…I think that the series was very good and definitely better than the last time Jim did a Howard-verse crossover.”
• Thinking Critical: “This was a lot of fun. Action-packed, character building…If you’re not reading Conan and everything from Titan Comics, hop on the train, you will not be disappointed. These are truly great legacy characters.”
Zubby Newsletter #91: Fight To The Finish
CONAN: BATTLE OF THE BLACK STONE #4, the final issue of the mini-series, arrives in comic shops TODAY with intense combat, unexpected turns, and a killer final page reveal! Make sure you’re all caught up, then strap yourself in for a wild ride!
I expect spoilers will start leaking out, so if you can read the big finish without those secrets being broken for you ahead of time I highly recommend you do so! Our team put blood, sweat, and a lot more blood into every issue.
Speaking of Black Stone…
Heroic Signatures just announced a 7-inch tall premium action figure based on Roberto De La Torre‘s cover of our Battle of the Black Stone prelude issue and it’s looking amazing.
Holiday Zub Books
If you’re hunting for holiday gifts, don’t forget to add some of these books to your shopping list!
A new era of high adventure awaits and we have 3 new CONAN THE BARBARIAN volumes with soaring sword & sorcery:
Conan Vol. 1: Bound in Black Stone
Conan Vol. 2: Thrice Marked For Death
Conan Vol. 3: The Age Unconquered
The DUNGEONS & DRAGONS YOUNG ADVENTURER’S GUIDE series is available in single hardcover volumes or in two softcover box sets:
D&D Young Adventurer’s Box Set 1 (Vol. 1-4)
D&D Young Adventurer’s Box Set 2 (Vol. 5-8)
Stacy and Andrew, my co-writers on the D&D Young Adventurer’s Guides, also have their own Dungeons & Dragons books out in the market as well:
Dungeons & Dragons: Pocket Expert
Dungeons & Dragons: Puncheons & Flagons
There are lots of other books too. I have an exhaustive trade paperback and hardcover collections list on the BUY page of my website. Different genres, different age ranges, all kinds of stories I’m incredibly proud of.
Current + Upcoming Releases
Upcoming Appearances
Comiccompscon24 is happening at the RAID Studio in Toronto on Dec 14th and I’ll be there!
A bunch of local creators are purging the extra copies of comics they have and, from what I can tell, we’re all looking to move a bunch of books for cheap, so if you’re there you could get a ridiculously good deal and get other books signed as well. If you’re in Toronto or driving distance from the city, put it on your calendar.
Links and Other Things
• Former footballer Danny Earls posted up a picture showing his artistic growth over ten years, changing careers from professional sports to professional comics. I’ve seen that kind of growth with some of the Animation students I’ve taught over the years, and it came with an incredible work ethic and steady feedback from their instructors. I know what kind of focus it takes to do what he’s done and am thrilled for him. Check out more of his work in this interview last year on CBR.
• Matt Rosenberg interviews comic writer Nick Spencer and the period they talk about, when Nick got traction in the business, is close to my own so it’s fascinating to hear his thoughts around that period of the comic industry and how much I agreed with his thoughts and fears at that point in time: Part One and Part Two.
• Watch how an almost century-old Fleischer cartoon gets restored from the original film negative.
• Matttt puts out another banger of a video, this one all about Hayao Miyazaki‘s career and the creation of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.
• Questing Beast talks about styles of tabletop role-playing games, ‘open’ and ‘closed’ games, and a concept he calls TUNIC – Time Until Next Impactful Choice.
• Matt Colville has a summary of key parts of Jon Peterson’s Elusive Shift book and discusses how the strata of tabletop role-playing gamers and their arguments now aren’t so different from back in the 1970’s when the hobby began.
• Putting this Bloodborne moment in the Playstation 30th Anniversary trailer is either gasoline on the Souls fanbase fire or top-notch trolling. Either way, let’s see what 2025 brings…
Jim
Zubby Newsletter #90: A Scourge in the Works
Announced on Tuesday, Conan the Barbarian charges into Free Comic Book Day on May 3rd, 2025 with a special FREE prequel issue for our next mythic storyline – SCOURGE OF THE SERPENT!
The serpent god’s influence tightens its coils around the Hyborian Age and every other age linked to it. Three stunning supernatural stories will spiral together to answer a chilling question framed in past and present—What is Set’s grand plan for humanity and, now that it has begun, can it be stopped?
Ivan Gil is our interior artist on this FCBD issue (and accompanying event). You may not know Ivan’s name now, but he’s been doing wonderful work in the European graphic novel market and he’s definitely going to turn some heads with the inspired Conan art he’s putting together here. Make sure your local comic retailer is participating in Free Comic Book Day and secure your copy because, just like in 2023 and 2024, I suspect copies of this issue are going to vanish quickly on release day.
The conclusion to Battle of the Black Stone (arriving in stores Dec 4th) completes an epic adventure that began in 2023 with Conan the Barbarian #0. Now we’re ready to move into a new stage of this grand journey.
Obviously there will be a lot more details to come, especially once Battle of the Black Stone #4 is out in the world and readers can start theorizing about plot points revealed there. Until then, all you need to know is that the new Age of High Adventure will keep going strong in 2025 thanks to your support!
Current + Upcoming Releases
Upcoming Appearances
Remember just a few days ago when I said my signing events were all done for the year?
Zdarsky has made me a liar:
Comiccompscon24 is happening at the RAID Studio in Toronto on Dec 14th and I’ll be there!
Bring your other Zub comics to get signed if you want but, more importantly, help me clear out space in my studio by buying a slew of single issues.
Links and Other Things
• Todd Klein has a great blogpost from last year all about comic book logo design. Well worth checking out.
• RPG Developer and writer Matt John talked to the official Conan the Barbarian YouTube channel all about the new Conan: The Hyborian Age TTRPG.
• Here’s a timelapse video of Jonas Scharf pencilling and inking a page from Conan: Battle of the Black Stone #3.
• Spanish YouTube channel Sanctuary of Comics has an extensive interview in English with Jeff Shanks, the Robert E. Howard scholar who writes essays in the back of each new issue of Conan the Barbarian.
• Jared Henderson talks about why everyone stopped reading books, including college students enrolled in english and writing programs. Anecdotal, but it does line up with what I’ve been seeing as well.
Jim
Zubby Newsletter #89: Dice Days in the UK
It’s hard to summarize D&D in a Castle as an experience because it encompasses a lot around this moment of nerd culture as mainstream culture, but also things about myself and why I do what I do.
When I was in high school, tabletop RPGs were both a hobby and a coping mechanism. I didn’t feel comfortable with myself and was unsure of where I fit in socially, but at the gaming table I could be fearless and funny. It was pure escapism and also a way for me to better understand social dynamics and creativity…or, at least, that’s the romanticized version that’s stuck around in my head. I know other people in my gaming group looked at it as just a way to kill some time, have a few laughs and nothing more, and that’s 100% valid too.
In any case, when we’d get the chance to marathon gaming sessions over multiple days, it was extra special. We’d meet up at my friend Chris’ house on a Friday night after school, play through the evening until we literally couldn’t keep our eyes open any more, crash on sleeping bags, wake up the next morning, scarf down breakfast, and then keep gaming as long as we could. It was obsessive, all-encompassing escapism that built incredible memories and deep bonds of camaraderie.
And that, in a nutshell, is kind of what D&D in a Castle felt like, only on a grander scale.
I had a surprisingly intense gaming marathon with a group of strangers and all of us came out the other side with stories and memories that will stick with us. It was engaging, exhausting, and amazing. Utterly ridiculous, but also unexpectedly pure.
D&D in a Castle is a retreat-style vacation with a structure and environment built to push away outside distractions so each group can game up a storm with a Dungeon Master who exemplifies a playstyle they enjoy. The ‘standard’ schedule over four days includes a 2-hour ‘Prelude’ session and six 4-hour play sessions, totaling 26 hours worth of game time with the same group, plus the option for additional one-shot adventures with others, meal-time party games, archery, design panels and discussions, opening and closing ceremonies, and general socializing.
It is a lot.
It’s immersive, indulgent, and expensive, but also a unique opportunity to interact with a focused group of gamers from around the world and experienced DMs who are constantly striving to engage and entertain. The distance you’ve traveled and evocative location you find yourself in seems to unlock an unexpected ‘permission to play’ that can be hard to achieve at home with familiar trappings and distractions galore.
The event had elements of convention gaming, bits of community theater and improv, aspects of summer camp, and the trappings of a Ren Faire on overdrive, but it was also far more than the sum of those parts.
Lumley Castle is a 14th-century castle in northern England that’s been converted into a hotel. During the event our crew had practically full run of the entire place, with multiple meeting spaces converted into dedicated gaming rooms alongside banquet halls, social lounges, and bars for shared time between sessions. When people weren’t playing in their dedicated games, they were chatting about how their sessions were going, or ramping up for their next series of encounters. On site there was also event support staff working to keep everything organized, make sure people knew where they were supposed to be, and provide resources (handouts, miniatures, terrain, lighting, speakers, snacks, and even playing key NPCs if we wanted).
When Stacy and I arrived, we were taken aback by how quiet everything was. Almost every group was ‘in-session’ at that point, tackling their last day of play for the first half of the larger event – The late October groups were wrapping up and we had a few days before the early November games began, giving us a chance to prepare for what was to come. As each group finished their campaign, I met the DMs and they were happy to see me (or meet me for the first time) but also clearly quite tired. Right off the bat I could tell that this was going to require a lot more energy and focus than a 3–4-hour tournament-style game at a convention.
On my first day I was quite nervous but hoped to make a strong first impression with my group to reassure them (and myself) that this was going to be a damn good time. Two of the players were ‘Forever DMs’, the people who almost always ran games for their friends, and with that came an added level of expectation. A married couple in my group had been to D&D in a Castle before, so they were more experienced than me in terms of the overall format and could compare my game to the one they’d previously done (and clearly enjoyed, since they came back for more). A big part of the first day was getting past my anxiety about it all, picking up on what each player seemed to enjoy, finding that table rhythm, and then leaning into it to see where it would go.
Four of the players sent me relatively detailed back stories for their characters, while two of them had very little for me to go on at the start. Thankfully, we had that 2-hour Prelude session to talk about expectations and brainstorm additional links between character back stories.
When I spoke to B. Dave Walters, a very experienced DM who has done this castle stuff at least a dozen times, I asked him about motivation – Was it hard to keep players focused for 8 hours of gaming per day? He laughed and told me these players would be some of the most motivated gamers I’d ever meet. They pay a premium to be at the castle playing D&D. It was at the core of their entire trip and they’d want as much playtime as I could handle. I was a bit skeptical at the time, but he was 100% correct. My players were incredibly focused. Out of 26 hours playing together I can barely remember any time that they checked their phones or were distracted beyond quickly grabbing a drink or snack.
(When one of the players let us know he’d be 15 minutes late for the start of one of the sessions, we assumed it was something family or work related and, instead, we discovered that he’d jumped on a Zoom call to NPC a character with his regular gaming group back home – That’s dedication!)
On the first day, the group felt a bit reserved, but it made perfect sense given that we were strangers thrust together. We needed time to warm up to each other. During those first few hours of play I was ‘presenting’ more, laying out the world and setting up expectations in terms of atmosphere, character, and story but, once everyone got comfortable, they really came out of their shells, playing their characters deeply and riffing on each other quite naturally.
By day two of the campaign, there was a surprising shift. Even though we’d only been gaming together for a day, the amount of time at the table super charged our familiarity. We all knew exactly where we’d left off and it was incredibly easy to dive right back in with even more gusto. The in-jokes flew fast and furious and character quirks became a natural part of table talk in a way I’d normally associate with a group that had been playing together for dozens of sessions. We were a team all pushing in the same direction and it felt amazing.
Have you ever been traveling and realized you weren’t tethered to previous expectations? You’re at a coffee shop or bar somewhere far away and suddenly you can talk to a stranger about incredibly personal things with unexpected clarity because you’ve stepped outside your normal life? There were aspects of that at the castle. Conversations out of game were reflective. Conversations in game were dedicated and rich. It really took me aback.
By the end of day two, we’d covered a surprising amount of story and hit a few really dramatic moments. Again, I was surprised at how free we all felt to just go for it. The focused gaming environment, the setting, and a lack of distractions unlocked the kind of theatrical payoffs I rarely get to experience at any gaming table, let alone one with strangers.
On day three, all the pieces we’d built and difficult decisions I’d seeded drove things to a wild climax. Tensions ran high and somehow, right when I was convinced that one character was going to betray the others and bring it all to a tragic finish, things somehow swerved in a direction none of us could have anticipated and the end became impressively poignant.
I could try to explain the twisting plot and triumphant payoffs, combat strategies and in-jokes, but this ramble is already longer than I expected and if you’ve played TTRPGs and bonded with an adventuring party you know that so much of it only makes sense to your group. You literally had to be there. That’s what makes it special.
I’ve thought about “emergent storytelling” a lot – taking a bunch of disparate ideas and dramatic elements and, with focus, flexibility, and a deep dash of luck watching it stitch itself together into something both unexpected and satisfying. Maybe you thought you were spinning a heroic tale and instead it became a tragedy, but when you look at the winding path of moments along the way the hints of the destination were there all along. With this group I cast a bunch of symbols and ideas out into play and the players naturally gravitated toward them, finding ways to weave them into their stories and using them to motivate big decisions. At points it was wild how well it worked and it’s definitely something I need to experiment with more in future games.
Outside of game, I got to know a bunch of the other DMs and support staff as well. We chatted game technique and storytelling, and a lot of personal stuff too. At the start I felt like an outsider, the sword & sorcery comic guy amongst hardcore gamers and professional streamers, but by the end we were all the same – gamers who’d run the gauntlet and survived. 26 hours of game time absolutely buries you in terms of energy spent. Over those four days you are completely ‘on’ – trying to be the most charismatic version of yourself, moving the adventure forward, setting scenes, adjudicating combat and other rolls, picking up on social cues, playing NPCs and doing voices. You’re also checking your game notes, realizing most of your plan no longer applies, throwing it out, and just winging it. Until you’ve done it, it’s hard to explain the odd mix of satisfaction and exhaustion involved.
For players at D&D in a Castle, is it worth the expense?
Clearly a lot of people there think so. I met a bunch of repeat gamers, people who have made this an annual pilgrimage, sometimes booking the exact same DM over and over again because they relished the experience and escape of it all. While we were there a couple got married on the castle grounds and Jason Carl, their DM, officiated the wedding.
If you think about it as paying for a game of D&D with your friends it seems ludicrously expensive, but if you compare it to other deluxe retreats in far off places with a specialized tour guide or bespoke performance from an entertainer, the cost-vs-value proposition starts to make more sense.
Some people assume that since the price tag is so high the Dungeon Masters are making a ton of money by doing this event. We’re paid pretty well, but the vast majority of that cost actually goes to renting the castle, staff at the hotel, the event crew on hand, equipment, meals and lodgings. There are a lot of moving parts to make this kind of event run properly.
From the outside it’s easy to look at D&D in a Castle and assume it’s a nerdy style-over-substance experience done for social media clout or just rich people blowing money on a game, but that’s not what I saw when I was there. What everyone there seemed to want, and in most cases received, was a feeling of belonging and a dedicated chance to unabashedly do something they enjoy without any intrusion from the outside world. That’s what a good vacation should be.
Would I do it again?
At this moment, I’m honestly not sure.
It was a really special experience, but also all-encompassing in a way that eats up everything around it. After the campaign wrapped up, I spent two days recovering. No joke, I had over 9 hours of sleep on the first night after and 10 hours on the second. If I hadn’t, I would’ve been a zombie walking around Edinburgh for the final leg of our trip. This kind of intensely focused ‘performance’ took a LOT out of me, way more than almost any convention or gaming session I can remember…but I also foolishly scheduled it right after going to Gamehole Con and MCM London back-to-back, so that was on me.
In terms of creative energy and rewards – financial and personal – I’m always trying to figure out the right balance and it’s a constant moving target. Any writing project I take on or event I go to has to be balanced against hours and energy spent. The same goes with research, prep, writing, or promotion – How much is needed and how can I balance it out with my personal time?
Would D&D in a Castle be just as special if I did it 3-4 times per year? Would it be just as exhausting now that I know how it works? I don’t know. By the end of the event, I certainly felt like I belonged and brought something worthy to the experience, but it’s also a lot to dedicate in terms of time and focus, both with prep beforehand and effort spent on location.
Some trips you take, they change you and yet you never go back. Other trips become important because you return again and again. I don’t know which one this is yet.
I’m still wrestling with what shape 2025 is going to take and how things might change in and around the end of my teaching sabbatical next August. Personal desires and pragmatic decisions are swirling around each other and they’re not just mine to make. Stacy and I are constantly talking about the future and what we both need.
Huge thanks to the Castle team for all their support, especially Tara, Justin, and Hopper. You helped me tackle this wild and wonderful event and were always quick to offer a kind word with boundless enthusiasm.
If you have any questions about D&D in a Castle, feel free to ask me in the comments and I’ll answer as best I can.
Current + Upcoming Releases
Upcoming Appearances
For the first time in ages, my appearance calendar is clear. My adventures in the UK were the last of my commitments for 2024. Negotiations are already underway for next year, but I don’t have anything to announce just yet.
Links and Other Things
• The GDC Game Audio Archive is 150 gigs worth of royalty free sound effects you can use for your creative projects.
• My friend Brenda Hickey, artist on My Little Pony and Aggretsuko, has a new graphic novel she’s crowdfunding called Don’t Call Me Sidekick.
• My friend Henry Barajas, writer on Helm Greycastle, has a new noir mini-series he’s crowdfunding called Death to Pachuco.
Jim
Zubby Newsletter #88: Edinburgh Nights
D&D In A Castle wrapped up three days ago, but I still haven’t had time to parse it all. Once I’m home I want to really dig deep into the event, the people involved, and tabletop roleplaying as a whole. My time at the castle drilled deep into my psyche and has got me thinking all kinds of different stuff, but I don’t want to just skip along the top lightly, so that will have to wait.
That said, the castle week left me absolutely exhausted. Our extra day in Newcastle was nice, and I’m thrilled we had a chance to grab dinner with my Conan compatriot Doug Braithwaite and his wife Sue, but they could tell I was pretty wrung out. By the time Stacy and I arrived in Edinburgh (where we’re wrapping up our time here in the UK before heading home), I was too little butter spread over too much bread and crashed hard. Over ten hours sleep the first night and I’m looking at an early turn in tonight as well just to make sure I’m back on my feet and able to enjoy the amazing sights all around us.
Our first day wandering Edinburgh has been a huge success – Amazing weather, engaging historic places, jaw-dropping architecture, and quiet time to just chat and laugh. These are times I cherish with Stacy – The two of us as goofy adventurers, wandering places together and keeping ourselves entertained. Great conversation and fine food.
Have I mentioned that Edinburgh is freaking gorgeous?
It’s almost ridiculous how picture-esque the cobblestone streets and old buildings are. Every corner reveals another stunning view. We expected cold and icy or rainy weather but so far it’s been mild and breezy. Pretty much perfect. Fingers crossed that it stays that way for the rest of the week while we’re here.
Buffer…What Buffer?
I busted my butt to make sure I was ahead on all my writing deadlines before we started this UK trip, a solid buffer to keep the work at bay for a while, but the end is in sight. Emails are beginning to creep in and I know I’ll only have a day or so to recover from jet lag before I need to really start cranking away on scripts and outlines again, knocking down new writing targets before U.S. Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
I’m a bit shocked how quickly 2024 seems to be slipping away. I want to hold it even tighter, keeping the best parts close to my heart while banishing all the terrible things going on right now that I can’t control. At this moment I’m thankful for the distractions of the past few weeks (Gamehole Con, MCM Expo London, D&D In A Castle, Edinburgh) and am trying to brace myself for a rocky return to reality.
Current + Upcoming Releases
Upcoming Appearances
My signing with Doug Braithwaite on Wednesday here in Edinburgh will probably be my last signing of the year, so if you’re in the area, don’t miss it!
| Nov 13, 2024 | Forbidden Planet: International | Edinburgh, Scotland |
Links and Other Things
• After the U.S. election a lot of comic book professionals are migrating over to Bluesky as their Twitter substitute. I’m still tweeting for now, but am also set up on Bluesky, so feel free to add me there if you’re making the move.
• Speaking of social media, Big Think has a short piece on ‘How social media sabotages your brain’s friendship mechanism‘ that seems prescient right now.
Wishing all of you all the best in these interesting times…
Jim
Conan: Battle of the Black Stone #3 Reviews
Conan: Battle of the Black Stone #3 arrived in stores this week. What did critics think of our penultimate issue? Let’s find out-
• 9 Panel Grid: “It’s really cool. I really like what Jim Zub is doing here…It’s a worthwhile trip to be taking and a really fun book.”
• Comic Culture: “I love the pacing in this series. We have a lot of characters, we have very high stakes, and things just keep getting more stressful because the ranks get smaller and smaller…It’s everything you can want and more!”
• Comical Opinions: 8.8/10 “A super solid issue that starts at a leisurely pace, but picks up steam for a hammer-blow of an ending…Jonas Scharf brings the heat in an issue filled with lush jungle landscapes, striking figure work, fantastic use of dramatic shadows to present an air of dread in broad daylight, and gritty action.”
• Cool Thunder: 9.4/10 “The art by Jonas Scharf is nothing short of mesmerizing. Scharf’s detailed, atmospheric visuals perfectly capture the dark, tense atmosphere of the story, with each panel drawing you deeper into the narrative. His depiction of the black stone beast, lurking in the shadows and picking off Conan’s companions, is particularly haunting, making the stakes feel more visceral.”
• DC Patrol: “This comic is phenomenal. I really love the colors and the art style…This is is probably the best one yet.”
• Good Reads: 5/5 “Epic, jam-packed with action and swirling with weird mystery…Battle of the Black Stone is really building up steam. The fire is stoked and ready to burst in a fireball of kaleidoscopic miasma.”
• Mighty Thorngren: “This is such a good story – well written, beautifully illustrated, tons of action but still giving us moments of character build up and emotional drama and pathos. It’s wonderful!”
• Pop Culture Philosophers: “I was really surprised at how quick everything was moving in issue two and even more surprised how quick everything is moving in issue three! I’m just going to tell you this – ‘No One Is Safe’…Really cool stuff.”
• Stygian Dogs: “Jim Zub, Jonas Scharf, and Jao Canola continue to reward readers with something distinct from the monthly series, marked by its own unique style and panel flow. It’s not a Conan comic, it’s a Howard comic and that’s a great thing for fans and the author’s legacy.”
• Sword & Sorcery Book Club: “This issue is great…I think the writing is great, and Jonas Scharf’s artwork is awesome and Jao Canola does a really great job here.”
• Thinking Critical: “I highly recommend this one. It’s a fun read.”
Zubby Newsletter #87: Castle Days
Stacy and I have been in England for ten days so far and, as expected, it’s been a swirl of activity. London MCM Expo was really fun with readers bringing comics from the past decade or more to get signed. There was lots of chatter about the latest issue of Conan, and a great panel about the Cimmerian as well.
A work day at the Titan Books office, a wonderful visit with dear friends in Nottingham, a couple comic shop signings, a cramped train ride to Newcastle and, finally, our arrival at Lumley for Halloween fun, Dungeon Master University, and D&D in a Castle.
When Stacy and I started dating, she wanted to impress me by sewing “any costume you want”. 17 years later and the Sorceror Supreme is still ready to unleash a few incantations:
When I first wore this costume I had to dust my temples with powder to get gray sideburns and now I really should be darkening the top of my hair. Oh well~
(Some day I’d like to make my mark on Marvel’s Master of the Mystic Arts but, as I covered in a recent blogpost, those things aren’t under my control so I’ll just carry on with other projects and see what the future brings.)
The D&D in a Castle crew have been incredible so far. It took me a couple day to find my “sea legs” around the twisting geography of the castle and the way the schedule and meals work, but now it’s starting to feel…I wouldn’t say “normal”, but definitely more confident in any case.
This is the first time the Castle crew have run their Dungeon Master University programming, using the transitional days between major game sessions as a way for the DMs to advise eachother around playstyle and technique, which is really interesting, especially given the wide range of people in attendance. I was asked to deliver the key note speech to kick things off last night and it felt great to see that the message I had around how far tabletop RPGs have come and the importance of spending time together at the table was so well received, especially while looking out at a crowd that included respected colleagues, dear friends, and the love of my life.
Being right in the middle of the castle event as I type this, it’s honestly quite hard for me to accurately summarize it. Everyone is incredibly welcoming and excited about gaming, and the environment and resources here are absolutely surreal. I feel like even after it’s done I’ll need a couple weeks to process it all.
Even though the calendar has been packed, there have been a few little moments to take a breath and be thankful for the journey – A peaceful walk in the rain, a home-cooked meal in Nottingham, a quiet corner of the castle for some introspection – This is my last event for 2024 and approximately the halfway point of my sabbatical. Whatever comes next, it’s good to mentally mark things that are good in the here and now.
Forbidden Planet TV
Andrew Sumner and I recorded an interview when I visited the Titan Books office last Monday. It’s a vibrant chat about Conan the Barbarian, Battle of the Black Stone and fun future plans.
Getting to meet the staff at Titan in person and chat about the future was an absolute pleasure. The team is so enthusiastic about how well things are going boith in terms of reader response and sales, and it’s full steam ahead.
Faithful
When I put together the proposal for Frozen Faith, our fourth story arc on Conan the Barbarian, I knew it conceptually it could work, but felt a clutch of fear around whether or not we could pull off a story about stark survival and belief with our barbaric hero and, thankfully, it looks like we stuck the landing. I received a lot of enthusiastic messages around our ‘Hidden World’ epilogue issue and the fanbase seems to have received it well, even as we carefully extended concepts in and around the original canon Frost-Giant’s Daughter story that forms its core.
Back on the Street
As shown in ads in the back of Street Fighter Masters: Lily, I’ll be returning to Capcom’s incredible fighting game world to write a one-shot for fan favorite character Elena in Spring of 2025. Writing the Street Fighter Legends: Ibuki mini-series back in 2011 was a real highlight early in my comic writing career and getting to come back to contribute to one of the other Street Fighter III characters is a real pleasure.
Look for more info on this project in the new year!
Hyborian Surprise
Rob De La Torre and I have a really short comic in this week’s issue of Savage Sword of Conan #5. Getting to collaborate with Rob, even just on this 2-pager, was a delight. He’s wrapping up production on his black & white feature story written by Roy Thomas and then we’ll be teaming up again and I can’t wait.
Current + Upcoming Releases
Upcoming Appearances
| Nov 4-8, 2024 | D&D In a Castle | Newcastle, UK |
| Nov 13, 2024 | Forbidden Planet: International | Edinburgh, Scotland |
No other links this time out. I’ve got to get back to my game prep. My players arrive tomorrow and, over the next four days, I’ll be running 26 hours of Dungeons & Dragons for them while also doing interviews and B-roll for a documentary being filmed here at the castle at the same time. Wish me luck!
Jim
Conan the Barbarian #16 Reviews
It’s the end of Frozen Faith, our fourth story arc. As young Conan struggles with where he’s meant to be and what he believes, what did the critics think? Read on and find out…
• 9 Panel Grid: “Doug Braithwaite’s artwork is just stunning. It is so good, especially for this part of the storyline…I love the way this opens up the doors to the mysteries and magic of the Hyborian Age.”
• Comic Culture: “This has been a spectacular read and the art has been really killer as well.”
• Comical Opinions: 9.5/10 “Brimming with fantastic art from Doug Braithwaite and deeply inspired ideas from Jim Zub, this series has yet to miss the mark.”
• Comics Unbagged: “Whatever kind of story you want to tell you can tell it with Conan in it. You can even, if you’re as brave as Jim Zub, tell a story about a man having a crisis of faith…If you’re a fan of Conan and haven’t been checking out this series, I highly recommend it.”
• Cool Thunder: 10/10 “Conan the Barbarian continues to stand out as one of the premier titles on the comic book shelves today. Zub’s compelling storytelling combined with breathtaking artistry makes this series an absolute must-read.”
• Doc Lail: “This is some of the best Conan stuff I’ve ever read…If you know who Conan is, you’re going to love this book.”
• Eternal Crusader: 9/10 “I found it fascinating to see how Zub skillfully wove various elements together in this adaptation while preserving the essence of Howard’s original story. More than just a mere retelling, it offers a deeper narrative that touches upon aspects of human existence and its significance, such as youthful rebellion against one’s parents and the search for meaning in life…It is undoubtably great and stands without fear of comparison to its predecessors.
• Father and Son Comics: “A really good read, fantastic art, and a book I look forward to each and every month…I can’t recommend it enough.”
• Good Reads: 5/5 “With this issue we have a poignant, reverent look into the Conan’s origin, his perception of powers beyond the natural world, and an emotionally stirring resolution to this chapter of his life, while bravely looking forward to the next.”
• League of Comic Geeks: 5/5 “We see young conan struggle and question the existence of god and by Crom this whole issue was beautifully structured. Doug did a great job this entire arc and I’m excited for this title’s future.”
• Mighty Thorngren: “What a way to finish the story. Just a beautiful message and a gorgeous illustration…a wonderful end I cannot wait to reread.”
• Old Nerd Reviews WY: “In other tellings of this story, you don’t get to see the fallout, you don’t get to see Conan having those moments of humanity and vulnerability like you do in this book and I think that adds so much to the character…I cannot suggest it enough.”
• Pop Culture Philosophers: “It really explores Conan’s thoughts on religion, on theology, on God, on faith, and it works! It’s so grounded, it’s so real and so unlike what we would typically associate with Conan but at the same time exactly what we would associate with Conan.”
• SciFi Pulse: 9.6/10 “Doug Braithwaite continues to do some great work on this book…A nicely done story that looks at what kind of things can make the strongest of us question our faith as well as our own minds. “
• Stygian Dogs: “In the end, Conan’s belief is fortified and we’re shown the importance of making one’s own way in life and what it means to believe in a god that cares not and does not intervene in the affairs of man. The bookends of this arc are a wonderful meditation on the nature of belief, with a final message to drink deep and live life to its fullest, without fear. It’s fantastic.”
• Super Hero Hype: 5/5 “Those who would dismiss Conan as dumb muscle would do well to give Conan the Barbarian #16 a try…It is sure to please fans of the character and may even make fans of some skeptics.”
• Sword & Sorcery Book Club: “This is an arc that will speak to the younger men who are picking up the series…It’s awesome. I really loved it. I thought it was a great, great issue.”
• Thinking Critical: “This issue does a great job establishing what Conan believes in and his struggle with faith growing up…one of the best issues of Conan and a strong recommend.”
Zubby Newsletter #86: Lots To Show
Stacy and I arrived in London yesterday on our 14th wedding anniversary, and spent the day wandering the city before perusing the National Portrait Gallery. Even with a bit of jet lag slowing us down in the evening, we had a wonderful time and are excited for adventures ahead of us here in the UK.
A quick reminder that I’m in London all weekend for MCM Expo, set up at Artist Alley table A-04 and hosting a Conan panel on Sunday, then heading to Nottingham, Newcastle, and eventually Edinburgh.
The press release went out on Friday to Animation Magazine and is circulating elsewhere now-
Copernicus and Baboon Animation continue development on an animated SKULLKICKERS series, and have signed Man Of Action‘s JOE KELLY (Deadpool, Ben-10, Big Hero Six) to act as our showrunner!
This has been in the works for a while and I’m thrilled to finally make it public. Having Joe’s expertise as both a phenomenal comic writer and skilled animation developer gives us a big leg-up in a crowded market and it’s been such a pleasure chatting with him about the series and storytelling as a whole.
These media development deals are slow-moving, especially compared to the rapid fire release schedule of monthly comics, but things are progressing, bit by bit. Everyone involved is passionate about the material and ready to rumble when the time is right.
What Do You Believe?
On the official Conan the Barbarian YouTube channel, artist Doug Braithwaite and I discuss Frozen Faith with host Shawn Curley – How the story grew from our collaboration, what it means to the Conan canon, gods, mortals and more.
By Crom, check it out, and pick up Conan the Barbarian #16, the coda issue for this story arc, in stores now. I am incredibly proud of this issue.
Ideas Don’t Bleed – Part 2
Matt Rosenberg, Ethan Parker, and I had a wonderful discussion on the Ideas Don’t Bleed podcast and, I know this will shock some of you, but we barely talk about Conan the Barbarian at all.
Here in Part 2 we talk about why I’m not drawing my own graphic novels, talent VS skill, my making comics blogposts, emailing comic professionals, learning how comics are made, comic coloring, comic creative teams, strange editor interactions, giving critiques, and more!
If you missed Part 1, here it is.
20 Influential Films
Over on BlueSky there’s a fun meme where people are posting 20 movies that have greatly influenced you, one a day for 20 days, no explanations, no reviews, just posters.
Here are the films I put up, in no particular order:
The Secret of NIMH (1982)
Lupin III: Castle Cagliostro (1979)
The Princess Bride (1987)
Big Trouble In Little China (1986)
The Thing (1982)
Akira (1988)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
The Iron Giant (1999)
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
When Harry Met Sally (1989)
Army of Darkness (1992)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
Dead Poet’s Society (1989)
Star Wars (1977)
The Muppet Movie (1979)
Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)
The Last Unicorn (1982)
Labyrinth (1986)
Superman (1978)
Conan the Barbarian (1982)
No surprise that the majority of them came out in the 1980’s as I was growing up, that magic and adventure plays a big part, and that almost half are animated or Muppet-y.
Way back in my first newsletter I discussed commonalities in stories that appeal to me and many of the films above embody those key elements.
Perfect Sunday
Writer Cavan Scott asked me for the ingredients that would make up my ‘Perfect Sunday’, relaxing with great food and good company. Click on through to check it out.
Current + Upcoming Releases
Upcoming Appearances
| Oct 25-27, 2024 | MCM Expo: London | London, England, UK |
| Oct 29, 2024 | Forbidden Planet International | Nottingham, England, UK |
| Nov 1, 2024 | Forbidden Planet Superstore | Newcastle, UK |
| Nov 4-8, 2024 | D&D In a Castle | Newcastle, UK |
| Nov 13, 2024 | Forbidden Planet: International | Edinburgh, Scotland |
Links and Other Things
• Matttt posts another banger of a comic video, this one all about the development and legacy of Scott Pilgrim, and it includes a short interview with my friend, series creator Bryan Lee O’Malley. Everyone in the Toronto comics scene in that period remembers the meteoric rise of the series, and it’s neat seeing those moments again in a more historical context.
• Goodman Games has a blogpost from a couple years ago discussing Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, two sword & sorcery characters who heavily influenced Skullkickers.
• Daniel Best has a newsletter that covers the strange legal cases around Robert Crumb’s infamous ‘Keep On Truckin” artwork. His posts about the legal side of comics are interesting if you want a peek behind the curtain of the business.
• Ethan Gilsdorf has a great little article about Dungeon & Dragons’ 50th anniversary, how the game is changing and how it’s stayed the same. I share many of his same sentiments.
Jim
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