Merry Christmas!

Posted by on December 24, 2022 No comments

Thank you for helping make this year such an amazing one.
Here’s to an epic 2023!

Fandom Sessions Interview

Posted by on December 21, 2022 No comments

I spoke to the crew at the Geek Network as part of their Fandom Sessions podcast interviews all about my recent projects, including Murderworld, Thunderbolts, Conan the Barbarian, and Rick and Morty VS Cthulhu. You can listen to it below, or head to their website for more podcast listening options HERE.

Zub Comics Arriving March 2023

Posted by on December 20, 2022 No comments


MURDERWORLD: GAME OVER #1
Story – Jim Zub and Ray Fawkes
Art – Lorenzo Tammetta
Cover Paco Medina

The grand finale! The big prize! Bodies are piled high and only one person can win it all! Arcade’s darkest game comes to a close and anything can happen…especially if Natasha Romanoff has something to say about it.

Arcade’s circus-style contests have been a punchline in the past, but writers Ray Fawkes (One Soul, Constantine) and Jim Zub (AVENGERS, CONAN THE BARBARIAN) and artist Lorenzo Tammetta are here to put the “murder” back in “Murderworld.” Don’t miss it!
32 PGS./ONE-SHOT/Rated T+ …$3.99

RICK AND MORTY VS CTHULHU #4 (of 4)
Story – Jim Zub
Artist – Troy Little and Leonaro Ito
Cover – Troy Little

It’s R’yleh happening! In the final confrontation of the Smith-Sanchez Lovecraftian horror saga, family turns on family, and the battle for pop culture relevance is waged between Rick and Cthulhu—with devastating stakes. Morty embraces his eldritch identity and finds comfort in the supportive arms of his adoptive old-god father. Summer will mete out divine retribution in the name of Azathoth. Rick has lost ground at home against the Color Out of Space, and must abandon his daughter to fight this evil at its source: Cthulhu.

Rick and Morty Script Sample

Posted by on December 16, 2022 No comments

If you want to check out my script for the first issue of Rick and Morty VS Cthulhu, I posted it up (along with an archive of over 270 other scripts I’ve written) here on my Patreon. Learn how comics are made for the price of a fancy coffee:

Rick and Morty VS Cthulhu #1 – Full Script

Rick and Morty VS Cthulhu #1 Reviews

Posted by on December 14, 2022 No comments

• The Brown Bag: “This opening instalment of a four-part mini-series should easily please fans of both Cartoon Network’s animated sitcom and the Lovecraft-inspired universe – the Cthulhu Mythos.”

• Capes & Tights: “Sometimes comics based on other properties are either straight adaptations or very thinly written and illustrated as a way to make more money on a popular media property. However, Zub and Little have been able to make a story worth reading and the artwork doesn’t skip a beat.”

• Comics Beat: “It’s hard to talk about someone so iconic and beloved, but also terrible. But they pulled it off — from the immensity of the cosmic world, to the fragility of our psychological nature, part one of Rick & Morty vs. Cthulhu will be a good read for fans and anyone who wants to jump in to the property for the first time!”

• Comic Book.com: 8/10 “The series is in keeping with the irreverent tone of the Rick and Morty comics and Lovecraft’s work are treated with both respect and appropriate disdain for Lovecraft himself. If you’re a Rick and Morty fan, you’ll enjoy this comic.”

• Comic Book Club: “The Zub is super smart. He’s a super geek and goes super hard and I’m glad this is no exception…If you love the show you’re gonna love this comic.”

• Comic Town: “The book, the art, it’s just amazing. It looks like you’re reading the animated series…and there’s a plot twist at the end that I did not see coming.”

• The Geekiary: “As a fan of the show, I think that Zub’s narrative had the tone of the long-running animated series down. That gelled well with Troy Little’s illustrations and Leonardo Ito’s colors. In a sense, my mind actually saw the panels play out as a normal Rick and Morty animated episode would. Complete with the proper voice acting.”

• League of Comic Geeks: 9/10 “Lovecraft’s works are both lovingly homaged and brutally eviscerated.”

• The Outerhaven: “As I’m reading the dialogue panels, I can just hear the characters in my head squabbling as if they were on TV! It definitely helped with the immersion but what can I say? This is Rick and Morty through and through.”

• The Pullbox: 9/10 “Little brings an unconventional, cartoony style into this world of mayhem and mischief, and nails the look of the show. His spin on the character designs fits perfectly, no small thing with a property as loved as this one, where trying to ‘make it your own’ could bring a fan backlash of epic proportions.”

• We Have issues: “I want to see where this goes, because it’s absolutely ridiculous and I loved it.”

Talking Creativity at the Corner of Story and Game

Posted by on December 1, 2022 No comments

I chatted with Gerald at The Corner of Story and Game podcast all about my writing career, productivity, growing up as a gamer, comics and more. Give it a listen:

Feng Shui’s ‘Buy In’ Simplicity

Posted by on November 28, 2022 No comments


Ran a session of FENG SHUI last week.

It’s one of my favorite tabletop roleplaying games because it encourages combat that’s rich and imaginative instead of roleplay colliding with cold-hard tactical rules.

It also has a simple and effective conceit around “Character Buy In” that more games should use.

Getting a group of disparate characters together to start an adventure or campaign can be such a hassle.
Finding the in-game logic behind how the group forms and stays together while each has their individual back stories and goals can eat up a lot of Game Master time and brain space.

Feng Shui elegantly puts the onus back on players with a character melodramatic hook and buy in:
• You tell the GM and player cast why you’re here.
• You tell us why you stick around after the adventure.

Bring a bit of your own fuel and we’ll build a roaring fire and keep it going.
It’s so simple and should be the standard for most TTRPGs.

Feng Shui builds this way of thinking right into the rules and character creation. That makes it intrinsic to how the game feels:
Do not passively wait to be entertained.
You have to bring some energy to this interactive thing we’re building together.

This Buy-In quality (along with Feng Shui‘s ultra-competent starting characters) also works well for building a campaign where don’t you know who is going to be able to make it to play each session.

• You tell us where you’ve been between appearances and why you’re back now.

Running an ongoing game is tough with current schedules. We’re all dealing with deadlines and other responsibilities. Having a fun mission-based game where the cast can change on a dime and it still works is a really good fit right now.

Whoever can make it for the next game, you’ve been recruited by ‘the Agency’ for a new mission. Your particular skills will directly come into play tonight or, if your concept seems at odds with the goal, we’ll find a fun action movie-corny way to incorporate it anyway.

You can be a ‘main character’ advancing personal plot lines almost every session or a ‘special guest star’ dropping in with flare to spice things up.

We’ve got a seat for you and it’s going to be a good time.

Murderworld: Avengers Reviews

Posted by on November 18, 2022 No comments

What did reviewers think of the opening salvo of our Murderworld story? Read on and find out…

• AIPT: 8/10 “If you were ever interested in Arcade’s awful game and how it functions, give Murderworld: Avengers a shot. You’ll respect the story and its done-in-one arc, even if it’s dark and tragic.”

• AR Comics:“This first issue had no business being this good…This was so much better than I thought this was going to be…An action-packed awesome first issue.”

• Blerd Without Fear:“I like the fact that Jim Zub was able to come with a way to take the Squid Game formula and upgrade it in a very Marvel way. I think it’s really cool.”

• But Why Tho: 9/10 “Murderworld: Avengers is a surprising, unrelenting killing spree. It is jaw-dropping in its bravery, unleashing death on a devastating scale on ordinary people. The slow pace sucks you in before displaying the carnage in front of you.”

• Caped Joel: 9/10 “I love how topical it is, bringing in some of the best elements of Fortnite, Squid Game, and everything else in the big Battle Royale trend that we seem to be riding right now. I love its critiquing of internet and YouTube culture, and I appreciate it even more because, well, I am a YouTuber and content creator so this stuff was always going to strike a chord with me.”

• Chillmonger: “I recommend getting this comic just so you can go on the ride!”

• Comic Book.com: 8/10 “Murderworld: Avengers #1 winds up being one of the most pleasant surprises of the week in comics, and I look forward to seeing where this particular tale goes from here.”

• Comic Book Club: “The reason why they make it work is – Arcade is a fun character, Murderworld is fun, the twist they find by the end there is fun and, as usual, it’s well executed.”

• Comic Book Corner: “This is a great, great book. Anything that has Murderworld attached to it for the next few months, you’re going to want to check it out…Go to your shop. Pick it up. It’s absolutely phenomenal.”

• Comic Book Resources: “…the storytelling pivots in a surprising direction just when the reader presumes the outcome is a foregone conclusion. In fact, Murderworld: Avengers pulls out all the shocks and stops and lives up to its nefarious name, as it delivers more jaw-dropping moments than Squid Game.”

• Comic Book University: “This was a really good story. Can’t wait to see what happens next. The art was fantastic. I really loved this first issue.”

• Comic-Watch: 8.5/10 “The enjoyment here is found in watching contestants drop like flies in wonderfully violent ways and getting caught up in how Paul is managing to survive the contest. It’s also fun watching Arcade in full bloom, able to shine as the crazy killer he’s always billed as but rarely gets to be.”

• Cranky Comic Review: “I’m a sucker for Murder-Deathtrap books…I dug the ending. The ending was good enough to put it high on the list.”

• Geek’d-Out: “I’ve been a fan of Jim Zub’s Marvel work for a while and his script with co-writer Ray Fawkes is snappy fun, while artist Jethro Morales matches the tone perfectly, especially with Matt Milla’s candy-coated colors befitting that of a carnival-like theme park. If you’re someone who prefers small, self-contained storylines, then you can’t go wrong with this one.”

• Infinity Flux Comics: “This book is Teen+, but I would still be a little cautious because this is deceivingly adult with the amount of violence and shocking moments…It goes from one surprise to another surprise that’s just crazy.”

• League of Comic Geeks: “This book is essentially just Murderworld used to its full potential, none of that plot armor from being a superhero, just purely Murderworld as it should be, and that’s the draw, that’s exactly why it’s so good.”

• Monkeys Fighting Robots: 9/10 “Murderworld Avengers #1 offers readers a good script from Zub and Fawkes with a story that makes us believe no one is safe. The art elegantly brings to life the beautiful chaos that is Murderworld. There may not be a more exciting book on the shelves this week.”

• Next issue: “This is a really, really fun comic…It has some fun twists and turns and once you think you’re safe, then it comes at you even harder!”

• Pop Culture Philosophers: “I loved this book. I thought it was great…It takes unexpected turns and twists and then it has an ending and I’m like ‘whaa~aat?!’ I really liked this book.”

• Pros and Cons: “This was a pleasant surprise…It moves at a really fast clip. Call me dark and it is a bit horror-tinged for the superhero world, but I thought it was a blast! I strongly recommend this.”

• Theron Reads Comics: “Zub and Fawkes at last give Arcade the chance to do what every fan of the character always wants: kill, kill, and kill some more. Paired with Morales’s art and Milla’s expressive colors, this is a win.”

• We Have Issues: “Very cool story. Very cool concept. I really enjoyed it.”

Zub Comics Arriving February 2023

Posted by on November 18, 2022 No comments


MURDERWORLD: MOON KNIGHT #1
Story- Jim Zub & Ray Fawkes
Art- Luca Pizzari
Cover- Paco Medina
• Under the harsh light of the moon there is no escape, and with only a handful of contestants left, anything can happen!
• Murderworld is a life-or-death game of treachery and tragedy brought to you by Jim Zub (Conan the Barbarian, Avengers: No Surrender), Ray Fawkes (One Soul, Constantine) and, illustrated by Luca Pizzari!
• Arcade and his schemes have been a punchline in the past, but this contest is no joke. Each issue ups the ante, and this penultimate chapter has some of the biggest twists yet. Don’t miss it!
32 PGS./ONE-SHOT/Rated T+ …$3.99


RICK AND MORTY VS CTHULHU #3 (of 4)
Story- Jim Zub
Art- Troy Little, Leonardo Ito
Cover- Troy Little
Pnakotus, the glittering, triumphant city of the Yith, is populated by the greatest minds of all time, including some rude new guy who won’t get with the program. Who wouldn’t want to spend eternity in this idyllic, definitely-not-hiding-anything intellectual utopia?
In Shops: Feb 15, 2023
SRP: 3.99

THUNDERBOLTS: BACK ON TARGET – TPB
Story- Jim Zub
Art- Sean Izaakse, Netho Diaz
Cover- David Nakayama
Redeeming justice, like lightning!

Super-powered crooks take hostages in Staten Island? A dimensional rift tears open in Chinatown? Monsters running amok at the Met? Call in the Thunder! New York City’s finest are here to save the day: Hawkeye, Spectrum, America Chavez, Power Man, Persuasion and the all-new cyber-soldier called Gutsen Glory! You know ’em, you love ’em: They’re the Thunderbolts!

In the aftermath of DEVIL’S REIGN, the Big Apple has big problems, and it’s up to a new group of Thunderbolts to turn things around. But when Clint Barton is tasked with heading up this squad, the first opponent he’s going to have to face…is himself.

Collecting THUNDERBOLTS (2022) #1-5.
120 PGS./Rated T+ …$17.99
ISBN: 978-1-302-94711-8
Trim size: 6-5/8 x 10-3/16


UNBREAKABLE RED SONJA #5 (of 5)
Story- Jim Zub
Art- Giovanni Valletta
Cover- Lucio Parrillo
Past, present and potent futures collide and a sacrifice will be paid in blood! Is Red Sonja truly unbreakable or is this her final stand?

As we head toward 2023, the 50th anniversary of the She-Devil With a Sword, Dynamite’s newest sweeping story of sword & sorcery high adventure comes to a climactic conclusion from writer Jim Zub (Conan the Barbarian, Dungeons & Dragons, Avengers) and artist Giovanni Valletta (John Wick, James Bond)!
In Shops: Feb 22, 2023
SRP: 3.99

Conan Free Comic Book Day Issue Arrives May 6th, 2023

Posted by on November 18, 2022 No comments


(November 15, 2022) – Global publisher Titan Comics and entertainment studio Heroic Signatures are delighted to reveal that the newest Conan the Barbarian comics will be debuting as part of Free Comic Book Day in 2023!

This FCBD edition of Conan the Barbarian (available at comic book retailers on May 6, 2023) kicks off the brand-new ongoing comic, beginning July 2023. Conan the Barbarian will be written by acclaimed and long-time Conan comic book scribe Jim Zub (Thunderbolts, Uncanny Avengers), and will feature the stunning art of Roberto De La Torre (King-Size Conan, Iron Man: Director of S.H.I.E.L.D) and colorist José Villarrubia (Promethea, Sweet Tooth, Cuba: My Revolution).

Readers will experience the legendary Conan like never before in this comic shop exclusive primer. On the eve of his first major battle, young Conan of Cimmeria pictures a life beyond the borders of his homeland and yearns for a life undreamt of in his small village. Visions of future allies and unspeakable evils he will eventually encounter throughout his fabled career fill his mind as he takes his first fateful steps toward a life of great adventure in the Hyborian Age!

Writer Jim Zub says, “My life was shaped by sword & sorcery stories, especially the work of Robert E. Howard. Every chance I’ve had to contribute to the Hyborian Age has been a gift and this one, relaunching Conan the Barbarian with Heroic Signatures and Titan Comics with modern masters Rob De La Torre and José Villarrubia collaborating on epic artwork, is the biggest and best present I could imagine.

On Free Comic Book Day we’ll give readers and retailers a first look at a young Conan in the legendary Battle at Venarium as he decides to set forth and find the wider world and then, in summer 2023, we’ll fully unleash epic high adventure in an age undreamed of. It’s going to be big, bold and bloody and I can’t wait for all of you to see it.”