Jim Zub's Blog, page 52

Glitterbomb Makes the List

Glitterbomb made Book Riot’s list of “25 of the Best Comics About Social Justice for Every Reader” alongside a slew of prestigious and award-winning books. So nice to see our book make the grade here.

Krydle Joins Idle Champions

Exciting news: KRYDLE joins Idle Champions next week!

Make your Baldur’s Gate party complete (Delina, Minsc, Shandie, Nerys and now Krydle) or add some extra rogue-ish charm to your current line-up!

Krydle is one of the original characters Max Dunbar and I created for the LEGENDS OF BALDUR’S GATE comic series back when Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition launched.

Here’s how I described him in the original design document:

“Krydle is the half-elf son of Coran (from Baldur’s Gate 1+2), famous patriar of Baldur’s Gate. Estranged from his father, Krydle loathes politics and the schism between the Upper and Lower cities. Beneath his seemingly shallow veneer is a desire for loyal friends and his adventuring comrades may end up becoming a surrogate family in time.”

Krydle is named after a D&D 2nd edition Human Bard I played with my brother Joe when I was a teenager. The name stuck with me over the years and when I finally had a chance to write an official D&D story I knew it was the right fit. Now, 27 years later, Krydle is a canon D&D character who has appeared in five comic mini-series, the Dungeon Mayhem card game expansion and now an official D&D video game.

So amazing.

Bookshop Page

Bookshop is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support independent bookstores and give back to the book community. I’ve added Bookshop links for as many of my graphic novels as I can to my Buy page and encourage other authors/comic creators to do the same.

Here’s my Bookshop landing page. 87 books listed across 6 categories:

bookshop.org/shop/jimzub

Empyre: Avengers Interview at Newsarama

Our release date has been put in limbo for now, but there’s still a lot of exciting stuff to talk about coming up in Empyre: Avengers, so I chatted with Chris Arrant at Newsarama all about it.

Who answers the call to assemble and what is this team up against? Click on through and find out while gawking in amazement at the artwork of Carlos Magno and Espen Grundetjern.

Beasts & Behemoths Cover Revealed

The fifth D&D Young Adventurer’s Guide, BEASTS & BEHEMOTHS, arrives in October 2020, but the incredible cover art by the Conceptopolis studio has just been unveiled. Check out this epic artwork of the gargantuan Tarrasque!

You can find out more information about the D&D Young Adventurer’s Guides right HERE.

D&D Young Adventurer’s Guide 5
Beasts & Behemoths
This illustrated guide transports new players to the magical world of Dungeons & Dragons and presents a one-of-a-kind course on the unusual creatures, from the minuscule to the massive, that fill the fantastic world of the game. This guide features easy-to-follow and entertaining explanations of where to find each beast, their strange abilities and magical powers, and how to defeat them, along with amazing illustrations that will ignite your imagination.

PRE-ORDER

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Books-A-Million

Hudson Books

Indiebound

Wizards & Spells Reviews

• Bell of Lost Souls: “Each of these books features story prompts as well, so you can be sure you’ll find some excellent creative writing prompts for younger readers–a great feature especially if you’re a teacher looking for something to engage young readers with.”

• Bleeding Cool: “The series as a whole is amazing as far as educating young players on the basics. Well worth your time to check it out and add it to their library.”

• Fandom Post: “With this brilliant combination of picture and word, you are teleported into the adventure which is Dungeons & Dragons, allowing the reader to once again believe there may be a world just beyond the horizon, with creatures and adventures worthy of risking your brief life within this forbidden world.”

• Fanbase Press: “If you’re looking to get someone into D&D but are worried they might find it daunting, try picking up one of these volumes; it may just be enough to get them hooked.”

• Forbes: “What does the future hold for the series? Hopefully, whatever it is, big or small, it continues to illuminate the joys of playing Dungeons & Dragons.”

• G33K HQ: “…a great way to introduce young, new players to the game and the world of D&D. Created by a team that’s intimately familiar with the game and its lore and backed up by excellent artwork, it provides a great jumping on or catching up point for the up-and-coming hero of the realms.”

• Geek Tyrant: “…a great tool for new players and veterans alike. Simple isn’t always bad and this book is proof. The art is beautiful and really helps everything come alive as you read.”

• Nerdist: “Whether you’re a 12-year-old reading about the game for the first time or a 42-year-old who only knows a little bit about D&D from listening to Actual Play podcasts, you’ll learn something new about the iconic role-playing game.”

• Nerdy Girl Express: “This new addition to the series, is again an immersive and beautifully illustrated book that focuses on wizards, sorcerers, and other magic-makers from the D&D mythos.”

Want more info on the D&D Young Adventurer’s Guide series? Head on over HERE.

Talking Comics with the Marvelists

I spoke to Peter and Eddie at The Marvelists all about my work in comics, deep-diving on Pathfinder, Red Sonja, Thunderbolts, continuity, working on characters with long histories, tabletop gaming, and a whole lost more! Give it a listen.

Geek Network Interview – Talking Conan and a Whole Lot More

I spoke to the gang at the Geek Network all about writing comics and a whole bunch of the projects I’ve worked on over the years: Conan the Barbarian, Skullkickers, Dungeons & Dragons, Wayward, Thunderbolts, Champions, Black Panther and the Agents of Wakanda, Serpent War and more!

Give it a listen:

Empty Halls

Formal lectures re-start on Monday, but we did a connection test yesterday afternoon.

It was surreal having the class online with students asking questions in a chat window or via audio, but so far they seem to be handling things okay.

By default I had mics muted, but when I did unmute the group I was really impressed with how quiet they stayed, letting each student ask questions and not contaminating the stream with background noise. They did better than our staff during a livestream earlier in the week.

I tested out streaming a video, mimicking what we’ll be doing in the coming weeks for our Animation History class. I’m trying to keep the live component and screening intact. Having mics open and hearing their chuckles during the film brought a lot of warmth to the stream.

After the test, I had an open Q&A, answering their questions and addressing concerns about the next four weeks and as we wrap up the term. Again, it all went well.

At the end, I asked if they had any other questions-

“Zub, how are you doing? Are you okay?”

*Jim’s lip quivers*

I held it together, but I really appreciated that they were thinking of me too. They’re a great group.

It’s been a rough week, far worse for many, many other people, but we all have our own problems we’re dealing with.

Knowing that in the grand scheme of things I’m good and this will pass, but also allowing myself to feel sad and disappointed that this is how my time in charge of the Animation program will end and my sabbatical plans are a flaming wreck is a weird balancing act.

I drove to the school and grabbed a few things before they finished locking down the campus.

Normally when I walk the empty halls it’s because I finished submitting end of term transcripts.

It’s the sign of a job well done.

This time it feels out of sorts, but we’ll persevere.

Conan the Barbarian #14 Reviews

• Comic Book.com: 8/10 “It’s unclear exactly where things are going to go next for this warrior, but the ride Jim Zub, Roge Antonio, and company are crafting seems worth the ride.”

• Paint Monk’s Library: 8.5/10 “The journey’s the thing, and this has been a thrilling one thus far.”

• Super Powered Fancast: 9/10 “Roge Antonio delivers some beautiful art throughout this issue…The action is fantastic and I can’t wait to see how this mystery unfolds.”

• The Beat: “Zub is getting into a groove here that I think is worth checking out.”

• Weird Science Marvel Comics: 8.7/10 “This is not Jason Aaron’s CONAN THE BARBARIAN but it is highly enjoyable and packed with a thoroughly planned and well-organized backstory that Zub quickly establishes to ensnare his audience…I simply can’t rave about this issue enough.”