Zub Tales

It’s nice to be home and enjoy some summertime weather here in Toronto, even if the humidity can be intense at times.

In my studio I’ve been knocking down writing deadlines, working to deliver all my July and August deliverables this month so I won’t have to write much on the road when I start sprinting through five events in six weeks from late July through to the end of August.

Next week sees the release of CONAN THE BARBARIAN #22, the second part of our Nest of Serpents story arc that ties into the Scourge of the Serpent event happening this Fall. With each issue I think Fernando Dagnino‘s already amazing artwork improves, which is really something to see, especially when it’s enhanced by Diego Rodriguez‘s top-notch coloring.

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A Boxing Story This September

Here’s a sneak peek from the SAILOR STEVE COSTIGAN story coming in Savage Sword of Conan #10 (in stores in September, so pre-order now).

Rob De La Torre‘s black & white art is a dream and I’m having the best time channeling Robert E. Howard‘s punchy pulpy narrative style.

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Still a Few Seats Left!

B. Dave Walters gets interviewed at the summer session of D&D in a Castle and, as expected, has some great insights into why this deluxe vacation gaming experience works so well.

I’m Dungeon Mastering a double dose of D&D in a Castle this Fall. My November 3-7 table is SOLD OUT, but there are a few seats left for the November 10-14 campaign, so snap those up if you want a memorable tabletop adventure in a lavish setting, jam-packed with fun and camaraderie.

After DMing at the castle for my first time last year, I wrote an extensive newsletter all about it you can read up on right HERE.

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More Industry Insights at NRI

The second half of my interview with the NRI podcast covers practical advice I’ve learned over years of creating comics and attending conventions, the pitfalls of AI, networking, and more.

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Before We Go

Daniel Meyer at the Before We Go Blog interviewed me about working on Conan the Barbarian – influences, thought processes, and more.

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Current + Upcoming Releases

Conan the Barbarian #21 – released June 11th.

Savage Sword of Conan vol. 2 – released June 17th.

Conan the Barbarian #22 – releases July 9th.

Conan the Barbarian #23 – releases August 13th.

Conan the Barbarian vol. 5: Twisting Loyalties – releases August 20th.

Swords & Larceny – releases September 2nd.

Savage Sword of Conan #10 – releases September 3rd.

Conan the Barbarian vol.1-3 Slipcase Set – releases September 10th.

Conan the Barbarian #24 – releases September 10th.

Conan the Barbarian vol. 1: Bound in Black Stone Deluxe HC – releases September 16th.

Conan: Scourge of the Serpent #1 – releases September 24th.

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Upcoming Appearances

Dragon Con in Atlanta, Georgia has been added to my list to cap off the summer convention season and there are a couple more event announcements in the coming weeks.

Jul 23-27, 2025	San Diego Comic Con	San Diego, CA, USA
Jul 31-Aug 3, 2025	Gen Con Indy – Booth 1349	Indianapolis, IN, USA
Aug 13-17, 2025	World Con	Seattle, WA, USA
Aug 28-Sep 1, 2025	Dragon Con	Atlanta, GA, USA
Sep 27-28, 2025	Chattanooga Comic Con	Chattanooga, TN, USA
Oct 16-19, 2025	Gamehole Con XII	Madison, WI, USA
Nov 3-14, 2025	D&D in a Castle	Castle Lumley, Newcastle, UK

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A Quick Cut To Save Some Money

Adulthood is getting excited about grocery store deals. This boneless pork loin was $2 per pound ($4.41 per kg)! Here’s some Chez Zub’s food and freezer prep-

In my early 20’s, I worked as a butcher’s assistant for a summer, so I already knew how to break down sections of meat, but there are lots of videos online showing how easy it is and the savings can be substantial.

I broke the loin down into:
• dinner cuts for the grill
• thicker cuts for tonkatsu
• cubed meat trimmings for stir fry
• extra fat trimmings I’ll render down to use for cooking

Stacy and I will probably get eight meals out of that $13 worth of meat, and the whole prep process took about 15 minutes.

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Other Links

• My friend Jesse Scoble has a crowdfunding campaign underway for Dead Money, a Western-Horror mini-series with an eclectic cast and some great artwork. I read an advance of the first issue and quite enjoyed it, so check it out.

• Artist Joe Catapano does a solid breakdown of Joe Madureira’s distinct style, discussing the core artistic traits and ways to understand them. Lots of useful information and techniques here.

• Elisabeth Wheatley discusses Conan the Barbarian as a romantic archetype in this short video.

Jim