Jim Zub's Blog, page 32

Batman: Urban Legends #20 Arrives in October!

Announced on Friday – My first DC Comics project since 2014!

Max Dunbar and I team up on an Elseworlds-style story in BATMAN: URBAN LEGENDS #20!
CASTLE ARKHAM is Batman as a creature killer on the twisted Gothic-Victorian streets of Arkham!

Lots more details to come.

BATMAN URBAN LEGENDS #20
(W) Various (A) Various (CA) Max Dunbar
Written by Jim Zub, Joey Esposito, Chris Burnham, and Nadia Shammas
Art by Max Dunbar, Sergio Acuna, Chris Burnham, and Jahnoy Lindsay

Jim Zub and Max Dunbar take us to the world of Batman, monster hunter!

What is the Murder Club and how are they going to rock Batman’s world forever in the start of a four-part epic by Joey Esposito and Sergio Acuña?

Chris Burnham’s epic Alfred saga draws to a close!

And Nadia Shammas and Jahnoy Lindsay craft a deadly parenting short story starring Batman and Talia al Ghul battling for the soul of their son, Damian.

In-Store: 10/11/2022

CONAN THE BARBARIAN is Back – May 2023!

When I co-wrote the Conan-Red Sonja mini-series back in 2015, I put my all into it because I thought that would be my one and only chance to write the original sword & sorcery legend.

When I co-wrote Conan in Avengers: No Road Home, I wrote it like it was my last chance.

When I wrote Conan: The Gambler in Savage Sword of Conan, I wrote it like it was my last chance.

When I wrote Conan: Serpent War, I wrote it like it was my last chance.

When I took over Conan the Barbarian at Marvel, again, I gave it my all and wrote it like it was my last chance.

(You’re noticing a pattern here.)

Now, as announced at the SDCC Conan panel, I’m the flagship writer on Titan’s new CONAN THE BARBARIAN series with a Free Comic Book Day story and first issue arriving May 2023.

I’m still giving it everything I’ve got. Get ready for something special.

Announcement art by Rob de La Torre.

Unbreakable Red Sonja Launches in October!

Red Sonja is Unbreakable!
Sword & Sorcery Fan-Fave Jim Zub
Leads Into 50th Anniversary

July 18, Mt. Laurel, NJ: Red Sonja has been invincible, immortal, and through it all she is Unbreakable! Dynamite invites fans to check out her new flagship title launching this October, helmed by Hyborian legend Jim Zub.

“I grew up on a steady supply of sword & sorcery novels, comics, and games in my youth and they indelibly imprinted on my mind in ways that inform all my work,” said writer Jim Zub. “I’m absolutely pumped to bring that to Red Sonja. This time I have more room to explore what drives her and the depths she’ll go to overcome threats wildly stacked against her.”

The She-Devil With a Sword soars toward her huge 50th anniversary in 2023. To lead fans into the big celebration, Dynamite is proud to present a sweeping story of high adventure to join the canon. Acclaimed writer Jim Zub returns to write the character, but for the first time with full focus and an extended take. This series follows his previous collaborations on the beloved Conan/Red Sonja crossover with Gail Simone and Dan Panosian, and the one-shot special Red Sonja and Cub. This project also follows a revered tenure on Conan the Barbarian, the final run in Marvel’s return to that character. Across the fantasy genre, Zub has also contributed to Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and Samurai Jack as well as writing many other top superhero titles.

Zub is joined for the series by Giovanni Valletta, known for his artistry on titles like John Wick and James Bond. Now he’ll be bringing his eye for vicious and thrilling action to the Hyrkanian Heroine for a perfect match. Other celebrated artists will contribute to the series through jaw-dropping cover art. Red Sonja luminary Lucio Parrillo paints another masterpiece. Superstar David Finch returns to show us why he’s a fan favorite. Judy Jong, one of the biggest rising stars in the industry, brings her skills to bear. And Zub’s Conan/Red Sonja compatriot Dan Panosian is spotlighted with an incentive variant. They’re all joined by Celina, Giuseppe Matteoni, and cosplayer Augusta Moore.

In this new adventure, Red Sonja carries a hazy memory lurking just out of reach. As she seeks to solve the mystery of this strange vision, it will unlock a journey of forbidden magic and searing steel. Moments from Sonja’s past, present, and even the future collide in a quest unlike any other our scarlet-haired hero has faced before! It’s a Sonja story different from any fans have seen before, but at its core is classic sword and sorcery fare.

Sonja is a self-made woman and warrior, from her earliest days to her legend built as Queen. In her harsh era and environment, death can come at any turn, necessitating an uncompromising and unforgiving approach to battle and life. This is where the Unbreakable title comes to the forefront. The creative team is determined to put her through one of her most brutal stories yet to truly earn that “Unbreakable” adjective.

“Red Sonja is one of our flagship characters, and we’re always looking for the perfect creators and stories to maintain the high standard we set for her and take her to the next level, on behalf of the fans,” said Nick Barrucci, Dynamite CEO and Publisher. “This go around, it didn’t take much deep searching [Laughs]. Jim Zub is one of the foremost masters of fantasy in comics and beyond, and we hope fans will be overjoyed to see him sticking around a little longer in the Hyborian Age!”

UNBREAKABLE RED SONJA #1 is solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors’ August 2022 Previews catalog, the premier source of merchandise for the comic book specialty market, and slated for release in October 2022. Comic book fans are encouraged to preorder copies of the issue with their local comic book retailers. It will also be available for individual customer purchase through digital platforms courtesy of Comixology, Kindle, iBooks, Google Play, Dynamite Digital, ComicsPlus, and more!

Idle Insights: Talking TTRPGs, Minsc, and More!

I spoke to Treavor Bettis from all about my love of Dungeons & Dragons, working on D&D, playing Minsc in D&D Live, why people game, developing the D&D Young Adventurer’s Guides, and a whole lot more. It was a really fun conversation. Check it out!

Zub at San Diego Comic Con 2022

I wasn’t originally planning to be at San Diego Comic Con this year, but a few new project announcements, panels, and meetings have pulled me into the vortex. Fun times ahead.

Here’s where you’ll definitely see me at the show –

THURSDAY, JULY 21st
12:30pm – 1:30pm – Conan the Barbarian 90th Anniversary – Room 24ABC
Matt Murray (editor, Heroic Signatures), Steve Saffel (editor, Titan Books), Jim Zub (writer, Conan the Barbarian, Dungeons & Dragons) and other panelists discuss Conan’s lasting impact and offer revelations on what’s yet to come, including the Netflix project in development, a new era for the comics, and Conan: Blood of the Serpent by NYT bestselling author S. M. Stirling.

3:30pm – 4:30pm – Tabletop RPGs and the Shared Story Experience – Room 26AB
Let’s talk about how TTRPGs are delivering an all-new way to share stories. Tabletop RPGs have experienced unprecedented growth with new players who are discovering the joys of adventuring together and experiencing stories together. RPGs are a new form of storytelling that land differently from traditional media. Panelists include Ajit A. George (Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel, Ravenloft), Whitney “Strix” Beltran (Hidden Path Entertainment, Bluebeards Bride), John Nee (Marvel RPG, DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Cryptozoic), Matt Forbeck (Marvel RPG, Marvel Encyclopedia, Deadlands RPG), Matt Fantastic (Forever Stoked Creative, Game Designer), and Jon Ritter-Roderick (Kickstarter).

FRIDAY, JULY 22nd
10:30am – 11:30am Signing at Comic Sketch Art – BOOTH #4900

SATURDAY, JULY 23rd
11:00am – 12:00pm Signing at Comic Sketch Art – BOOTH #4900

SUNDAY, JULY 24th
11:00am – 12:00pm Signing at Comic Sketch Art – BOOTH #4900

Zub at Montreal Comiccon 2022

This weekend I’m back at Montreal Comiccon, my first time at the show since 2015. Stacy and I will be set up at BOOTH 2729! Come on by with your books to get signed or you can pick up some we’ll be bringing from home.

2:00p – Sunday, July 10
SPOTLIGHT ON JIM ZUB (D&D, CONAN THE BARBARIAN, AVENGERS)
516A : Salle de Conférence 3
This is the perfect opportunity to hear creators talk about your favourite comic books and their experiences in the business, their current or upcoming projects, and perhaps even some never heard before anecdotes. It’s a great opportunity to ask questions and be entertained in person by your favourite creators.

Comic Shenanigans: Talking Thunderbolts, Life of Wolverine, and Conan the Barbarian

I spoke to Adam Chapman at Comic Shenanigans all about Thunderbolts, Avengers Tech-On, Life of Wolverine, and Conan the Barbarian. We cover a lot of great ground on these projects, talking about development, drama, continuity and more.

I’ve been on Comic Shenanigans before, so if you want to check out those past episodes, here they are:
Episode 368: Thunderbolts and More
Episode 794: Agents of Wakanda, Conan the Barbarian, and More

History is History

I’ve been teaching Layout + Design and Animation History at Seneca College since 2004. I’ve taught a bunch of other courses, but those two have been constant.

Today is my last Animation History lecture and that feels so strange.

Seneca’s Animation program is undergoing a major curriculum overhaul in September. The new streams look amazing and will keep our grads on top of the changing industry but within that new structure Animation History as its own course is being phased out.
https://www.senecacollege.ca/programs/fulltime/ANI.html

Concepts and examples from Animation History will be incorporated into drawing and design courses where relevant, but it’ll be different from filling a lecture hall, watching each age of film and analyzing them.

Gathering films from the past has been a hobby and a vocation.

Digging in to understand how innovators and inventions have changed art and entertainment has enriched me in so many ways.

I’m going to miss it a lot.

At the start of each term I’d stress to students that we only had time to skip lightly along the surface to give an overview and inspire them.

For every film we watched there were hundreds more worth finding and learning from, but hopefully this would spark that discovery.

Once you decide to tell stories or make art for a living you can’t be a passive viewer of your entertainment. You have to take everything apart and learn from it. You have to be critical and deepen the pools of inspiration you draw from.

History isn’t just facts and dates.
It’s context and connectivity.
It’s emotional and humorous.

I strived to make Animation History fun and engaging, peppering each lecture with unexpected asides, useful comparisons and as many jokes as needed to get through the boring bits.

If I inspired students to be more curious, keep learning on their own, and remember key creators and films because it felt relevant and poignant to them, then the course was a success.

Now it’s the end of an era.
History is history.

Thanks for giving me such a unique opportunity, Seneca.
It’s been a blast.

History is history

I’ve been teaching Layout + Design and Animation History at Seneca College since 2004. I’ve taught a bunch of other courses, but those two have been constant.

Today is my last Animation History lecture and that feels so strange.

Seneca’s Animation program is undergoing a major curriculum overhaul in September. The new streams look amazing and will keep our grads on top of the changing industry but within that new structure Animation History as its own course is being phased out.
https://www.senecacollege.ca/programs/fulltime/ANI.html

Concepts and examples from Animation History will be incorporated into drawing and design courses where relevant, but it’ll be different from filling a lecture hall, watching each age of film and analyzing them.

Gathering films from the past has been a hobby and a vocation.

Digging in to understand how innovators and inventions have changed art and entertainment has enriched me in so many ways.

I’m going to miss it a lot.

At the start of each term I’d stress to students that we only had time to skip lightly along the surface to give an overview and inspire them.

For every film we watched there were hundreds more worth finding and learning from, but hopefully this would spark that discovery.

Once you decide to tell stories or make art for a living you can’t be a passive viewer of your entertainment. You have to take everything apart and learn from it. You have to be critical and deepen the pools of inspiration you draw from.

History isn’t just facts and dates.
It’s context and connectivity.
It’s emotional and humorous.

I strived to make Animation History fun and engaging, peppering each lecture with unexpected asides, useful comparisons and as many jokes as needed to get through the boring bits.

If I inspired students to be more curious, keep learning on their own, and remember key creators and films because it felt relevant and poignant to them, then the course was a success.

Now it’s the end of an era.
History is history.

Thanks for giving me such a unique opportunity, Seneca.
It’s been a blast.

Zub at TCAF 2022!

After two years dormant, the Toronto Comic Arts Festival is back! TCAF is a wonderful comic and graphic novel event happening at the Toronto Reference Library that’s FREE to attend!

On both Saturday and Sunday Stacy and I will be set up on the second floor salon at TABLE 238 with copies of Rick and Morty VS Dungeons & Dragons, the D&D Young Adventurer’s Guides, the new Skullkickers Kickstarter book, and more! You can purchase those to get signed or bring any of my other books on by to get signed as well.

I’m also doing two panels over the weekend, one for the Word Balloon Academy online material and another on site:

Friday, June 17th 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM
DIGITAL PANEL: Whose IP is it anyway? (Livestreamed on site)
Featuring: Vanessa Stefaniuk, Megan Kearney, Ryan North, and Jim Zub
From Dungeons & Dragons to Disney Princesses, artists of all stripes can make a career working in established IP. Artists discuss how to get into existing IP projects and their experiences in this hybrid, live-streamed panel in the creative stream.
Location: Novella

Sunday, June 19th 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Adventuretime (Not the Show)
Come grab your friends to talk about adventure! From escaping rolling boulders to swashbuckling on the high seas, there are a million different configurations of action set pieces and adventure storytelling. Join an incredible line up of creators, Terry Dodson (AdventureMan), Jim Zub (Dungeons & Dragons, Wayward), Sweeney Boo (Over My Dead Body, Marvel Action), and Henry Brajas (Helm Greycastle), as they discuss how comics make the best action and how to make the best action in comics.
Location: Toronto Reference Library, Hinton Learning Theatre

If you’re in the city over the weekend I hope to see you there!