Jim Zub's Blog, page 31

Zub at Fan Expo Canada 2022

It’s wonderful to be back at Fan Expo Canada in Toronto on August 25-28, 2022!

I’ll be set up with the Comic Sketch Art team, at Artist Alley TABLE P-237.
In addition to signing at my table, I’ll also be on a panel on Thursday. Here’s my schedule:

THURSDAY August 25, 2022
2:30pm-3:30pm Signing at Artist Alley Table P-237

4:00pm-4:45pm WRITING FOR COMICS – ROOM 701A THEATRE 1
Brian Azzarello (Suicide Squad: Get Joker), Dennis Culver (Justice League Incarnate),
Conor McCreery (The Last Witch), (Heroes of Homeroom C),
Stephanie Phillips (Harley Quinn), Jim Zub (Thunderbolts, Dungeons & Dragons)

6:00pm-8:00pm Signing at Artist Alley Table P-237

FRIDAY August 26, 2022
11:00am-1:00pm Signing at Artist Alley Table P-237
3:00pm-5:00pm Signing at Artist Alley Table P-237

SATURDAY August 27, 2022
11:00am-1:00pm Signing at Artist Alley Table P-237
3:00pm-5:00pm Signing at Artist Alley Table P-237

SUNDAY August 28, 2022
10:00am-12:00pm Signing at Artist Alley Table P-237
2:00pm-4:00pm Signing at Artist Alley Table P-237

Legends of the Multiverse – Go For The Eye

Matt Mercer and I guest starred as Minsc and Boo on the latest Legends of the Multiverse adventure stream for the official Dungeons & Dragons channel. Here’s the episode!

Zub Comics Arriving in November!

SKULLKICKERS SUPER SPECIAL #1
(ONE-SHOT ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL)
Story by Jim Zub
Art and Cover by Edwin Huang, Misty Coats
When the Skullkickers enter the Academy of Serious Sorcery, it’ll take all their wits and steel to defeat warped wizardry, whimsical wands, and wicked witchcraft.

Celebrate 12 years of skull-kicking goodness with a brand-new story of swords and sassery from JIM ZUB (Conan the Barbarian, Dungeons & Dragons) and EDWIN HUANG (Street Fighter)!

In Shops: Nov 09, 2022 SRP: $3.99

MURDERWORLD: AVENGERS #1
Story by JIM ZUB & RAY FAWKES
Line Art by JETHRO MORALES
Cover by PACO MEDINA
Variant Cover by SALVADOR LARROCA
Variant Cover by SKOTTIE YOUNG
Variant Cover by RYAN BROWN

READY. SET. DIE!

• Hundreds are killed every year in an elaborate secret tournament run by a sadistic man with nearly limitless resources at his fingertips.
• It’s not an urban legend. It’s not a myth – MURDERWORLD is real! It’s online, and the gruesome truth has been hidden from everyone except its victims – until NOW.
• Meet Paul Pastor, the extraordinary young documentarian who’s going to expose it all…with some super-powered help. The Black Widow has a personal grudge to settle with Murderworld mastermind Arcade – but can she stop this game before it kills again?

MURDERWORLD is the wildly violent ride you’ve been waiting for. Gut-wrenching twists, unbelievable deaths, the Avengers bloodier than you’ve ever seen them before – the tormented minds of Jim Zub (Conan the Barbarbian, AVENGERS: NO SURRENDER), Ray Fawkes (One Soul, Constantine) and Jethro Morales kick off the must-have miniseries of the year!

32 PGS./ONE-SHOT/Rated T+ $3.99

THUNDERBOLTS #4 (OF 5)
Story by JIM ZUB
Art and Cover by SEAN IZAAKSE
Trading Card Variant Cover by STEFANO CASELLI
• The Thunderbolts were hired to defend New York City from super-heroic threats of any size.
• Even the big ones.
• Especially the big ones.
• Time to go to work…

32 PGS./Rated T+ $3.99

UNBREAKABLE RED SONJA #2
Story by JIM ZUB
Art by GIOVANNI VALLETTA
Cover A by LUCIO PARRILLO

Sonja and her unexpected new companion struggle to stay ahead of unnatural horrors hunting them on the open road but, if they can’t find a way to trust each other, their quest will be lost before it’s barely begun…

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 continues from writer Jim Zub (Conan the Barbarian, Dungeons & Dragons, Avengers) and artist Giovanni Valletta (John Wick, James Bond)!
In Shops: Nov 09, 2022
SRP: $3.99

Making Comics – Old Pitches Never Die

In this new video I explain why I never talk about stories I didn’t have a chance to complete or pitches that didn’t get approved, with a very special current project example pulled from a pitch that was old enough to vote!

Zub at Emerald City Comic Con 2022!

It’s wonderful to be back at Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle, Washington on August 18-21, 2022!

Normally the show is in March, but this time it’s happening in August. This is the first show where I’ll be set up with the Comic Sketch Art team, at Artist Alley TABLE P-01.

In addition to signing at my table, I’ll also be on a slew of different panels throughout the weekend.
Here’s my schedule:

THURSDAY August 18, 2022
11:00am-1:00pm Signing at Artist Alley Table P-01

2:00pm-3:00pm – AA STAGE SCC 618-620
Comics are everywhere and publishers are looking for fresh ideas from a new generation of talent. Listen closely as creators Amy Chu (Red Sonja, Sensational Wonder Woman), Zack Kaplan (Mindset, Metal Society), Jim Krueger (Justice, Earth X), and moderator Jim Zub (Avengers, Dungeons & Dragons) discuss pitching story concepts to publishers and offer advice on climbing to the top of the treacherous submission mountain, along with writing techniques and amusing anecdotes.

3:00pm-4:30pm Signing at Artist Alley Table P-01

FRIDAY August 19, 2022
10:30am-12:30pm Signing at Artist Alley Table P-01

12:45pm-1:45pm – Room SCC 204
Are you a writer or artist? Ever dream of working for Marvel? Do you find yourself thinking, “I could do that…if I knew how!” Well, here’s your chance! Join Associate Editor Danny Khazem alongside special guests Tini Howard (Knights of X), Rod Reis (New Mutants), and Jim Zub (Thunderbolts) to find out the answers on how to get your foot in the door and make your job MARVEL!

2:15pm-3:15pm – Room SCC 3AB
Have you ever wanted to design your own roleplaying game? Create scenarios and worlds for players to immerse themselves in for hours, days, even years? Hear from some of the biggest names in RPG design as they discuss their experiences, the campaigns that shaped them and share tips for budding game designers. Featuring Tracy and Laura Hickman (Skyraiders of Abarax, Curse of Strahd), R.A. Salvatore (The Accursed Tower, Legacy of the Crystal Shard) and Jim Zub (Dungeons & Dragons VS Rick and Morty).

4:00pm-5:00pm Signing at Artist Alley Table P-01

5:15pm-6:15pm – Room SCC 3AB
What happens when the world’s most popular tabletop role-playing game and Adult Swim’s dimension-hopping hit show collide? It’s a combination that shouldn’t work yet somehow does in a pair of bestselling comic mini-series and a wild tabletop RPG adventure box set. Join writer Jim Zub as he discusses the unlikely origins of this offbeat crossover, gives insights into the development of the TTRPG adventure, and offers advice on how you can Rick-Roll your players the next time you game.

SATURDAY August 22, 2022
10:30am-12:30pm Signing at Artist Alley Table P-01

2:00pm-4:00pm Signing at Artist Alley Table P-01

SUNDAY August 21, 2022
10:30am-12:30pm Signing at Artist Alley Table P-01

12:30-1:30pm – AA Stage SCC 618-620
Jim Zub (Conan the Barbarian, Rick and Morty VS Dungeons & Dragons) is back with his fan-favorite con horror stories panel! What’s it like working as a pro in the business on the convention ‘circuit’? Ridiculous, embarrassing, and always entertaining. Some of these stories will make you laugh out loud, some will make you cringe! This panel is recommended for those 16+ due to coarse language.

3:00pm-4:30pm Signing at Artist Alley Table P-01

Black Dice Society at Gen Con 2022

Here’s the captured video of our liveplay on stage at Gen Con 2022!

The cast of The Black Dice Society includes-
Tanya DePass (Rivals of Waterdeep)
Noura Ibrahim (Tides of Wildemount)
Deejay Knight
Mark Meer (Mass Effect)
Saige Ryan (Pixel Circus)
Becca Scott (Dimension 20)
Dungeon Master B. Dave Walters (G4)
and, at this session, special guest Jim Zub (Conan the Barbarian).

MURDERWORLD Begins in November!

Announced today at Marvel.com, I’m the co-writer of MURDERWORLD, a series of connected
one-shot issues taking readers through a tense and deadly thrill ride of a story that co-writer Ray Fawkes and I came up with 18 years ago!

Pitched originally to Marvel Editor-In-Chief Joe Quesada way back in 2004, before I had any professional writing credits at all, it’s surreal and exciting to finally see this story concept coming to fruition after so many years. Ray and I are well established writers now able to deliver on the potential of our original Murderworld idea and can’t wait for readers to see the twisted tale we have planned.

MURDERWORLD: AVENGERS launches in November!

Let the games begin! This November, Marvel’s greatest heroes will confront the full terror of Murderworld in a new saga!

Crafted by writers Jim Zub (CONAN THE BARBARIAN, AVENGERS: NO SURRENDER) and Ray Fawkes (ONE SOUL, CONSTANTINE), this five-part series will plunge readers into the darkest depths of Arcade’s Murderworld, the classic location that’s caused mayhem in the Marvel Universe for decades! Overloaded with gut-wrenching twists, unbelievable deaths, and bloodied and bruised Marvel heroes, this unpredictable story will reveal just how deadly Murderworld truly is and uncover shocking truths behind the countless victims that have found themselves trapped there.

Zub and Fawkes will be joined by a murderer’s row of talented artists throughout the series starting with Jethro Morales. The wildly violent ride will kick off in MURDERWORLD: AVENGERS #1 and then continue in one-shots starring Spider-Man, Wolverine, and Moon Knight before exploding in typical Murderworld fashion in a dramatic finale issue!

“When I first saw Murderworld in an issue of UNCANNY X-MEN, I was fascinated by its colorful corniness mixed with deception and violence,” Zub explained. “Many years ago, Ray and I chatted about a twisted thriller-survival story set in Arcade’s deadly playground and now, starting with MURDERWORLD: AVENGERS, we’re finally getting the chance to unleash it!”

“Murderworld is one of those stealthy, ultra-compelling concepts that always made the Marvel Universe so fascinating to me – the gaudy, family-fun veneer slapped over a deadly threat. When Jim and I were discussing it, ideas to make it more and more frightening and exciting just kept coming to us. I’m thrilled to bring them to readers in all their horrible glory!” Fawkes added.

MURDERWORLD: AVENGERS #1
Written by JIM ZUB & RAY FAWKES
Art by JETHRO MORALES
Cover by PACO MEDINA
On Sale 11/16
READY. SET. DIE!
Hundreds are killed every year in an elaborate secret tournament run by a sadistic man with nearly limitless resources at his fingertips.

It’s not an urban legend. It’s not a myth – MURDERWORLD is real! It’s online, and the gruesome truth has been hidden from everyone except its victims – until NOW.

Meet Paul Pastor, the extraordinary young documentarian who’s going to expose it all…with some super-powered help, starting with the Avengers! In MURDERWORLD: AVENGERS, the Black Widow has a personal grudge to settle with Murderworld mastermind Arcade – but can she stop this game before it kills again?

Who is Boo? | The Miniature Giant Space Hamster

Dungeons & Dragons developer Chris Perkins chats with Todd Kenreck all about the legend of Boo, Miniature Giant Space Hamster, including a callback to D&D Live 2019 with Matt and I-

Zub at Gen Con 2022

At last, it’s time for North America’s largest tabletop, card, and board game show, GEN CON in Indianapolis, Indiana!

Tracy and Laura Hickman (Dragonlance, Ravenloft), Howard Tayler (Shlock Mercenary, Writing Excuses), Sandra Tayler (Hold On To Your Horses), Stacy King (D&D Young Adventurer’s Guides) and I will be set-up together at BOOTH 1849 in the main exhibit hall, ready to sign for readers.

We also have two spiffy new RPG books: Skullkickers: Caster Bastards and the Great Grotesque and X-treme Dungeon Mastery 2nd Edition!

If you’re headed to Gen Con, it would be great to see you there! It’s one of my favorite shows each year. Getting the chance to promote my comic work and also dig into the latest and greatest the gaming industry has to offer is a wonderful opportunity.

In addition to being at our space on the show floor, I’ll be doing a live play and panel as well:

THURSDAY, AUGUST 4th
1:00-4:30pm – Black Dice Society Live at Gen Con – ICC : 101-103
The cast of The Black Dice Society includes Tanya DePass (Rivals of Waterdeep), Noura Ibrahim (Tides of Wildemount), Deejay Knight, Mark Meer (Mass Effect), Saige Ryan (Pixel Circus), Becca Scott (Dimension 20), Dungeon Master B. Dave Walters (G4) and, at this session, special guest Jim Zub (Conan the Barbarian).

FRIDAY, AUGUST 5th
3:00-4:00pm – Tabletop to the Page: Comics and Games – Crowne Plaza : Haymarket A
Tabletop gaming and comics are a natural pairing, and it’s no wonder that many tabletop games have made the jump to comics–and vice versa. Game designers, comics creators, and more come together for this panel to discuss adapting TTRPGs for comics; creating board games and RPGs based on comics; and finding audiences and funding for these projects in different ways, including crowdfunding.

Zub Now Represented by Comic Sketch Art for Events

Short Version: I’m thrilled to announce that the crew at Comic Sketch Art will be handling my upcoming appearances that haven’t already been booked for 2022 and 2023. If you work for a convention or store and want me to attend your event, please reach out to them or drop me a line and I can put you in touch with them to work out details.

Long Version: I’ve been going to comic conventions as a professional now for twenty years. Just looking at that typed out in front of me, it feels utterly strange. With well over two hundred shows under my belt at this point I’ve run the gamut of events, from store signings and small book festivals to some of the largest pop culture gatherings in the world.

Attending conventions has been an incredible boon to my personal life and creative career, as both a fan and professional. That said, it’s also been a tremendous amount of stress on top of juggling my writing deadlines and teaching day job. Every show has its own set of logistics that need to be worked out – travel, lodgings, shipping, scheduling, set up and tear down – and dealing with all that takes time and energy away from other things, especially creative things.

Part of me really enjoyed intrepidly heading forth each new trip, hauling my banner and other stuff to each show, doing it all myself or traveling with Stacy and having the two of us figure out each challenge as a team. But again, it’s a ton of work, especially now.

Here in 2022, as soon as we returned to the con circuit, I could feel the difference.
Two years away and things had changed.

My time is being squeezed more than ever. The number of meetings and meet ups happening off the show floor have increased and, honestly, I’m not getting any younger, so hauling everything and doing set up every time just doesn’t feel as fun or satisfying as it used to. The mileage is literally starting to catch up with me.

On top of that, conventions are more corporate than ever before. In the face of celebrity-driven mega-events and so many companies throwing their weight around, it feels good to have a group like CSA advocating for the creators they represent, leveraging our skills and credits to get better placement, promotion, and compensation as part of the ongoing convention business. I know that’s not something a lot of other creators talk about, but I’m always pretty open about my experiences, both creative and financial. Time, money, and hassle all factor into this decision.

I want to do more events, see more people (friends and fans alike), and experience more places without wearing myself down to the nub and working with CSA looks like it’ll enable all that and more. The fact that they’re also repping a bunch of my friends and we’ll get to spend more time together on the road is just icing on the cake. With so many exciting projects on the horizon and now extra resources in place to handle coordination on events, I’m even more pumped for the future.

Thanks, as always, for your support. Getting to write stories for a living is a gift and I never want to take any of this for granted.