Zub Tales

Imagine getting to contribute to something amazing, but you find out there’s an unfortunate catch.

Last week I announced I’m part of a new INVADER ZIM comic series launching later this year from BOOM Studios. As I mentioned there, I’m a huge fan of the show and was ecstatic to get the chance to build new stories and contribute a variant cover to this brand new comic…

…But what I didn’t know was that Jhonen Vasquez, the creator of Zim, didn’t know about the new series at all and feels really awkward about new material being built on his team’s hard work without any involvement or communication. I understand how crappy that would feel, even if it’s legally allowed.

Over a decade ago, when I wrote the SAMURAI JACK comic series published by IDW, the “Samurai Jack team” knew it was happening and were directly involved. Character Designer Andy Suriano drew the book and we collaborated closely on stories and visuals, Series Creator Genndy Tartakovsky and Art Director Scott Wills illustrated variant covers, and Jack voice actor Phil LaMarr raved online about how much he enjoyed the comic series. I knew Genndy was probably too busy working on other projects to personally review every script, but we had his blessing and he could give us feedback or veto ideas whenever he wanted.

Working on Samurai Jack was an incredible experience – creatively fulfilling and a huge boost to my career.

When I was approached by BOOM and they asked if I wanted to pitch stories for a new INVADER ZIM comic series, I jumped at the chance. 20 years ago, I literally created a bunch of fan art for the show for fun because I enjoyed it so much.

But this time is different from working on Jack. I was told the “Invader Zim team” would be approving our material, but found out after the fact that it wasn’t Jhonen, Eric Trueheart or anyone originally involved in the show’s production. Approvals have gone through a Paramount licensing team who I’m sure mean well, but also don’t have any personal stake in Zim’s creative vision or future.

And sure, I’ve written stories for DC and Marvel where creators of characters weren’t consulted, but those are also shared superhero universes built by hundreds of contributors. Invader Zim is Jhonen’s ideas and humorous flare with contributions by a tight knit group he curated and approved.

So now I’m in a strange spot. I’m incredibly proud of the work artist Dax Gordine and I have done on this new Invader Zim comic. It’s been put together with lots of love for the source material, but not in a slavish way that just repeats the same gags and doesn’t offer any surprises. Dax’s visual storytelling starts strong and gets snappier each issue. We produced it with what we thought was enthusiastic support from the original team, but that was not the case and now we know. No matter what happens next, I want to be as open and honest about that so there’s no confusion.

BOOM’s editorial team has assured me they’ve reached out to Jhonen and believe this can all get sorted out. I hope that’s true, but if not I’ll need to evaluate what to do next. Whatever happens from here, I deeply appreciate your support and understanding.

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Your Final Chance For Pirate Gold!

FINAL ORDER CUT-OFF for CONAN THE BARBARIAN #33 is TODAY, so make sure you pre-order NOW at your favorite comic shop! We want to show retailers that this new pirate adventure is worth investing in.

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Afterlives of World Building

A couple weeks ago, I was a panelist in the Afterlives of World Building: The Legacy of Robert E. Howard online conference hosted by MacEwan University. The panels and interviews are now all uploaded to the new Dark Man Journal YouTube channel, so you can check them out there.

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Howard’s Writing Room

Speaking of Robert E. Howard, Evan Todd from Stygian Dogs and I chatted in the room where sword & sorcery sprang to life when I was at this year’s Howard Days festival.

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More Shenanigans

I was a guest again on Comic Shenanigans with Adam Chapman. This time, he and I chat up a storm about being “Grim Jim”, Stacy’s writing career, productivity, imposter syndrome, being like Bob Ross, parasocial relationships, the Glass Cannon podcast, livestreaming, collected editions, and more – Give it a listen!

You can also listen to our previous conversations here: Episodes 368, 794, 986, 1022, and 1087.

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Current + Upcoming Releases

• MAD About DC – 2nd printing – released June 3.
• Conan the Barbarian #32 – released June 24.
• Conan the Barbarian #33 – releases July 29.
• Conan the Barbarian #34 – releases August 26.
• Journey to the West: The Beginning – releases September 15.
• Savage Sword of Conan #16 – releases September 16.
• Conan the Barbarian vol. 4-6 Slipcase Set – releases September 16.
• Conan: Tides of the Tyrant-King #1 – releases September 23.
• Savage Sword of Conan vol. 1-3 Slipcase Set – releases September 23.
• Wayward Compendium – releases September 29.
• Conan the Barbarian #35 – releases September 30.

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Upcoming Appearances

Stacy and I are visiting IRELAND for a few days in August and will be signing at Dublin City Comics & Collectibles on Wed, August 19th from 5-7pm! If you live in the area, hope to see you there!

Jul 11, 2026	Dungeon Comics – Signing 1pm-4pm	Oakville, ON, CANADA
Jul 23-26, 2026	San Diego Comic Con	San Diego, CA, USA
Jul 30-Aug 2, 2026	Gen Con – Booth 1349	Indianapolis, IN, USA
Aug 15, 2026	Comics Assemble	Gloucester, England, UK
Aug 19, 2026	Dublin City Comics – Signing 5-7pm	Dublin, IRELAND
Aug 27-30, 2026	Fan Expo Canada	Toronto, ON, CANADA
Oct 15-18, 2026	Gamehole	Madison, WI, USA
Nov 12-15, 2026	D&D Weekend	Lake Sinclair, GA, USA
Jan 14-16, 2027	Philadelphia Area Gaming Expo	Philadelphia, PA, USA

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Other Links

• My friend Lenore Soleil has a new comic crowdfunder for FRANKLY, a gothic fairytale by way of metaphor for disability. I’ve read the first 20+ pages and it’s off to an engaging and atmospheric start.

• Seth Skorkowsy has a new video that covers great ways to get players invested in a TTRPG game. Simple, actionable advice you can immediately use at your own table.

• Witch House Media‘s lastest podcast covers The Phoenix on the Sword, the first Conan the Barbarian story from 1932, with my friend RPG designer Ken Hite.

Jim