7 years ago, I was proud to have a Conan solo writing credit in Savage Sword of Conan (2018) #7-9 and thought it would be my last chance to be a Bard for the Barbarian. I never imagined how that story, The Gambler, would start a domino effect that would change my career in such incredible ways.

I’d written Conan twice before, in the Dark Horse Conan-Red Sonja mini-series with Gail Simone and in Avengers: No Road Home with Mark Waid and Al Ewing, but both of those were co-written team-ups and I was itching to show what I could do on my own in the classic Hyborian Age setting.

Editor Mark Basso approved The Gambler and Patch Zircher drew the hell out of it.

Conan is tricked into a gambling hall surrounded by mysterious enemies and his life may be forfeited on the turn of a card. I went for a Weird Tales vibe, hearkening back to the pulp roots of the character.

That story grabbed the attention of Fred Malmberg, the owner of Conan. He really liked that old school feel and so, what I thought would be my last chance instead became an audition for more. They asked me to write a crossover with multiple Robert E. Howard characters, which became Conan: Serpent War.

I envisioned multiple crossover mini-series over multiple years, a pulp epic that would incorporate as many of Robert E. Howard’s creations as possible, but it ended up being only 4-issues with a teaser at the end showing Kull the Conqueror.

Jason Aaron was writing the flagship monthly Conan series and was known for doing long runs on characters so I thought it could be many years before I might get the chance to write Conan again. Instead, Jason only had 12 issues planned so Marvel was almost immediately looking for a new writer.

I was offered the Conan flagship monthly series and my first issue, Conan the Barbarian #13, came out in February 2020.

After two issues, Marvel halted publishing on almost all their titles due to the pandemic and we were caught in that deep freeze midway through my first story arc. After an 8 month gap, Conan the Barbarian #15 came out in December 2020 and, with the world understandably focused on more important things, we lost most of our sales momentum. I managed to hold on for 9 more issues, but the Marvel series came to an end with Conan the Barbarian #25 in September 2021.

I never had the chance to do any signings or conventions as the series came out during lockdown, leaving me with a weird feeling like it all happened in a dream. Fred Malmberg was sorry I didn’t get to go further and told me to stay in touch.

5 months later in February 2022, Fred told me they were negotiating a creative partnership with Titan Books and looking for pitches to relaunch Conan. It would be a “bake-off” competition with multiple writers. I told my wife I probably wasn’t even going to submit a pitch because there was no way I’d get it. No one would want a new Conan series written by the same guy who just did it and it didn’t sell. She bristled at how quickly I was giving up.

“Well, you’re definitely not getting it with an attitude like that.”

At the same time, Roberto de la Torre reached out to me after I bought a commission piece from him and we started chatting over Facebook Messenger. He’d gained a cult following amongst dedicated Conan fans for his stunning Hyborian Age commissions and had drawn a couple stories for Marvel but hoped to do more. Rob and I started talking about possibly doing a creator-owned series together, essentially doing a Conan-style pastiche.

A few days later, I put together an unusual pitch for Heroic Signatures/Titan: Things I’d learned about Conan and the fanbase, what seemed to be missing, and a plan for the future. It involved an olive branch for lapsed fans and a way for new readers to get on board.

To my absolute surprise, Fred put his chips on me. My pitch was the one they approved. I knew we were starting on our backfoot and had a lot to prove to a fanbase that, at best, thought they knew what my Conan would be like. We needed an undeniable artist to launch the series and Rob was it.

We waited until Free Comic Book Day May 2023 to relaunch. That gave fans time to miss the book, time for research, and time to build a publishing buffer on an ambitious monthly title.

Conan the Barbarian #1 arrived August 2023 and the New Age of High Adventure has been roaring ever since.

I was promised 12 issues to establish a new baseline for the Conan publishing line and, when we hit multiple printings on #1-4, we negotiated a longer contract to deliver a much larger version of the ‘Howardverse’ plan I had in mind back during Serpent War.

I proposed a 3-year/36-issue plan, and each year would culminate in an event.

When I verbally pitched the bi~ig story, they told me it was too much for 36 issues and wouldn’t have enough room to breath.

“How about 4 years instead?”

Since that would be a 48-issue commitment, I said we might as well round it up to 50 and, thankfully, they agreed.

This week, CONAN: TIDES OF THE TYRANT-KING #1 arrives in stores. It’s the third of four pillar event mini-series that make up the mythic story arc we’ve had in the works for a long, long time.

Conan the Barbarian has changed the course of my creative career in ways I never could have imagined.

So few people get to write these iconic characters and no one gets a second shot at it after the first time failed. That it happened at all is unreal, and the second chance being a hit is impossible squared.

I got hit by lightning twice and caught it in the bottle on the second strike.

Cimmerian September Delivers Big Adventure

Last week, SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN #16 arrived in stores and the response was strong.

This week, CONAN: TIDES OF THE TYRANT-KING #1 arrives and Thulsa Doom’s evil returns.

Next week, CONAN THE BARBARIAN #35 arrives, continuing our swashbuckling Cursed Shores Beyond story arc.

If you’re not already reading, make sure you get caught up with this year’s FREE COMIC BOOK DAY issue (which is also free online) and see what all the excitement is about.

Awesome Comics Conversation

I spoke to Vince, Tony, and Dan at the Awesome Comics Podcast all about writing Conan the Barbarian, channeling the source material, reigniting the core fanbase, inspiration, and upcoming plans for our “Howardverse.” Give it a listen!

A New D&D Comic Series

As the guy who’s written more D&D comics than anyone else, take my word for it- Dark Horse’s new DUNGEONS & DRAGONS comic series that launches in November starts the adventure strong!

Written by my friends Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, it’s ambitious, fun, and uses both lore and legendary characters with the confidence of a veteran Dungeon Master bursting with inspiration.

Today is the last day you can pre-order the first issue at your local comic retailer, so don’t miss out.

Current + Upcoming Releases

• Conan the Barbarian #34 – released August 26.
• Wayward Compendium – released September 9.
• Savage Sword of Conan #16 – released September 16.
• Conan: Tides of the Tyrant-King #1 – releases September 23.
• Conan the Barbarian #35 – releases September 30.
• Conan: Tides of the Tyrant-King #2 – releases October 21.
• Savage Sword of Conan vol. 1-3 Slipcase Set – releases October 27.
• Journey to the West: The Beginning – releases October 27.
• Conan the Barbarian #36 – releases October 28.
• Conan the Barbarian vol. 4-6 Slipcase Set – releases November 17.
• Conan: Tides of the Tyrant-King #3 – releases November 18.
• Conan the Barbarian #37 – releases November 24.

Upcoming Appearances

Other Links

• A couple weeks ago, I linked to an overview of Nate Simpson‘s comic Nonplayer and the way it lost momentum, so it’s only fair that I should also link to Nate’s personal reply to that video, talking about the work, his career, things he’s learned and hopes for the future.

• Sonny Hurrell‘s recipe for NY Halal Cart-style Chicken and Rice popped up in my feed, I made it and it was absolutely amazing. I can count on one hand the number of times Stacy has finished eating dinner before me and she absolutely wolfed down this dish. I didn’t make the spicy red sauce covered in the video (I swapped in sriracha), but if you’re not down for spiciness just skip that step and you’ll be golden. Highly recommended!

Jim

It’s a bit of a mad sprint of productivity and packing today as I wrap up a script and then finish getting ready for my flight tomorrow morning to Texas for the Howard Days 40th anniversary, two days of discussion and celebration of the father of sword & sorcery’s legacy in the exact place where Conan the Barbarian‘s tales were first written. I attended the festival for the first time back in 2024 and you can read how that went HERE.

As with any convention or signing, I’m a mix of nervous and excited. Last time I attended it had been less than a year since our big relaunch at Titan and now it’s the third year of big swings and stories I’m really proud of, so I’m curious how all that’s been received by the intensely passionate fanbase who attend this event. I guess I’m about to find out.

I’ll arrive in Cross Plains late afternoon Thursday and be there through Saturday night. Looking forward to seeing friends and meeting new people coming in for the big anniversary gathering.

I’ll also be signing throughout the event. No charge, but donations encouraged, with all proceeds going to the Howard House fund underway to help with repairs. Same goes for items I’ll be donating to the silent auction.

No ticket is required to attend the festivities, so if you’re in Texas and able to make the trek, consider coming out to Cross Plains to celebrate with us or, if you’re closer to Dallas, come to my signing at Madness Games & Comics happening this Sunday from 11:30am-3pm.

Laudator Temporis Acti

Reading online posts that go on about how “my generation is the best because we persevered through [moment in time], had [pop culture things], didn’t fall for [current trendy pitfall] and life was better because [random item] only cost [cheap compared to now]!” always makes my eyes roll, especially when it’s about my generation.

Even more painful are the “my generation learned how to work hard because we didn’t have [current technology] or parents who [do current parental thing] and weren’t coddled with [respectful current social norm]!” posts.

Congrats, you’ve discovered nostalgia.

It doesn’t make you unique or your cohort some awe-inspiring generation better than all others.

Truly, the time you grew up in was the most special, you main character of your own story you. What an incredible coincidence.

Notice that every generation before or after you posts the exact same shit.

Nostalgia and remarking on how things have changed is fine (and can even be useful and important), just have enough clarity to realize it’s rooted in your personal experience, not a universal truth.

The big reason life felt simpler or more difficult is because you were a kid. You probably had more free time and less responsibilities. You were starting to self actualize and went through puberty.

It’s your story and it matters deeply to you, so you want it to matter to everyone else too.

As immensely fucked up right now is for adults, kids growing up in the midst of this will tell future generations it was the best time because now (the future) sucks compared to their youth.

I am thankful I grew up pre-social media and didn’t have to start my career in this current market, but that’s fortunate timing not generational superiority.

Script to Page

I’ve added even more FREE material to my Patreon page, including scripts for all the Conan Free Comic Book Day issues so you can see what I wrote and how that was interpreted by artists Jonas Scharf, Ivan Gil, and Jesus Merino over the past three years.

If you want access to well over 300 story pitches, scripts, and other resources in my Patreon archive, you can join for less than the price of a fancy coffee.

Survival in the Exiled Lands

My fourth liveplay session of Conan Exiles Enhanced was a relatively relaxed affair, rebuilding my resources and equipment after getting my butt kicked the week before. I answered some questions about writing and bantered with people who watched live.

Current + Upcoming Releases

• Conan: Tides of the Tyrant-King Prelude – released May 2.
• Manga Classics: Journey to the West Prelude – released May 2.
• Savage Sword of Conan #14 – released May 6.
• Conan the Barbarian Vol. 7: The Conquering Crown TPB – releases May 20.
• Conan the Barbarian #31 – released May 27.
• Conan: Scourge of the Serpent TPB – released May 27.
• Savage Sword of Conan Vol. 4 TPB – released May 27.
• Stranger Things VS Dungeons & Dragons HC – released May 27.
• MAD About DC – 2nd printing – released June 3.
• Conan the Barbarian #32 – releases June 24.
• Conan the Barbarian #33 – releases July 29.

Upcoming Appearances

The D&D Weekend I’m Dungeon Mastering on November 12-15 in Georgia was sold out, but one of the players had to drop, so a single ticket is now available. If you want to play in a whirlwind 24-hour campaign over 3-days, get on board!

Other Links

• David Brothers‘ short video essay about growing up playing video games and what he learned about defeat and persistence playing Sekiro really struck a chord with me. David’s a skilled comic writer and always brings thought and care into his observations about pop culture.

• Baffler has posted a series of essays from professional writers who have struggled to make a living through their writing, even after finding some success. The messy and awkward highs and lows of a creative career are on full display here and worth reading, even when they make you wince.

• Rabbit Hole has a surprisingly deep dive into where Lorem Ipsum came from, the ‘nonsense’ latin that designers use to drop temporary text into place before they have actual text ready for a page. It’s far more interesting than you might expect.

I hope my friends and fans in the LGBTQ+ community had a great start to Pride Month!
Jim

Huge thanks to everyone who reached out with birthday well wishes after last week’s newsletter. It’s a weird feeling hitting one of those milestone numbers that society perceives as getting old and still just feeling like me, but I guess that’s the trick of it all. It was nice hearing from so many old friends and fans.

This week finally sees the release of CONAN THE BARBARIAN #31, the climax of our 3-part story centered on the new assassin called ‘The Son of the Tooth’. When I came up with the concept for this confrontation, I pitched it to editor Chris Butera in pretty simple terms-

“If manga can have fight scenes that stretch on for 100+ pages, we should be able to do a 22-page wall-to-wall fight issue of Conan.”

And he excitedly agreed, so get ready for a knockdown, drag-out, mano a mano battle of brutality between our supernaturally-charged killer and the world’s most famous sword & sorcery hero. Artist Doug Braithwaite and colorist Diego Rodriguez delivered another stunner that is viscerally violent right up to the finish line.

You obviously want to see how this sequence plays out, don’t you?

Head to your favorite comic shop this week and find out!

Catching Up in Collection

As if that wasn’t enough excitement, this week also sees the release of our CONAN: SCOURGE OF THE SERPENT and SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN vol. 4 trade paperbacks. Couple that with last week’s release of CONAN THE BARBARIAN vol. 7: THE CONQUERING CROWN and you are set for sword & sorcery in the month of May, my friends.

Fun fact: This is my first volume 7 of any series I’ve written. Previous runs have all capped out at volume 6 or less.

Feels good, and there’s a lot more to come in the Hyborian Age. Huge thanks to the whole creative team and the crews at Heroic Signatures and Titan Comics. It’s an honor to be part of this team.

Conan is Running Out of Time

I had an amazing time chatting with Shawn Curley over on the official Conan the Barbarian YouTube channel all about the past, present, and future of our Conan publishing plans. Lots of anecdotes that cover planning and production, working with our team, and how exciting it is to have all this momentum while our third year of publishing roars onward.

I also put together a 1-minute sneak peek from the interview you can check out HERE.

Talk, Talk, Talk!

Lots of interviews popping up online last week.

Draw Your Weapons at Gen Con!

Last week also saw the announcement that I’ll be one of the special guest stars for DRAW YOUR WEAPONS Live at Gen Con in August, alongside wonderful gamer nerdlebrities Alicia Marie, Anjali Bhimani, and Jason Charles Miller with Game Master Josh Knapp! Want to get a feel for what it’s all about? Watch the trailer for the series HERE.

Current + Upcoming Releases

• MAD About DC – released Apr 1.
• Skullkickers: Compact Attack Edition Vol. 3 – released Apr 21.
• Conan: Tides of the Tyrant-King Prelude – released May 2.
• Manga Classics: Journey to the West Prelude – released May 2.
• Savage Sword of Conan #14 – released May 6.
• Conan the Barbarian Vol. 7: The Conquering Crown TPB – releases May 20.
• Conan the Barbarian #31 – releases May 27.
• Conan: Scourge of the Serpent TPB – released May 27.
• Savage Sword of Conan Vol. 4 TPB – releases May 27.
• Stranger Things VS Dungeons & Dragons HC – releases May 27.
• MAD About DC – 2nd printing – releases June 2.
• Conan the Barbarian #32 – releases June 17.
• Conan the Barbarian #33 – releases July 29.

Upcoming Appearances

Other Links

• Stacy and I have been thoroughly enjoying watching the new Witch Hat Atelier anime based on the incredible manga by Kamome Shirahama (who some of my longtime fans may remember from the incredible variant cover she illustrated for Wayward way back when). Bug Films have posted by a behind the scenes piece on their animation production for the series and it’s well worth checking out.

• Artist Hardy Fowler‘s rundown on memorable landmarks for drawing the face is both focused and helpful. I like the way he goes through the process with easy to remember visual examples to make sure they stick in your mind for future use.

• Want to save money on buying chicken at the grocery store? Learn how to break down the whole bird quick and easy with this process video from TriggTube. It’s a skill I learned when I worked as an assistant butcher at a grocery story back in college and I’m glad I did. The technique is easier than you think and really useful.

Have a great week!

Jim