Jim Zub's Blog, page 58
November 1, 2019
NaNoWriMo For Comics?
November is NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) where many writers kick their creativity into gear and try to write a novel in 30 days.
If you’re a comic writer who wants to join in, I recommend a scripting goal:
90 pages (3 per day) is a mini-series.
120 pages (4 per day) is a graphic novel.
Comic scripting isn’t as codified as a screenplay, but if you want some tips on how comic writing is different from other mediums and a script format I find works well, you can check out these posts here on my site:
Comic Writing Part 1 – Brainstorming
Comic Writing Part 2 – Pacing
Comic Writing Part 3 – Page Planning
Comic Writing Part 4 – Scripting
Comic Writing Part 5 – Dialogue
Comic Writing Part 6 – Action
Having a schedule and clear goal can be a helpful way to get motivated and do that thing you’ve wanted to for some time. It’s a bit of pressure, but the kind you choose to take on to push yourself into a new creative space. Build your skills and grow.
Even if you don’t meet the overall page count, it could help you build momentum and put ideas down that you’ve had floating around for a while.
Personal creative projects can be tough to prioritize in our busy lives. This is a way to build in a schedule and make things happen.
October 31, 2019
Credit Where Credit Is Due
It’s been a while since I put together a tutorial post – Hey, how’s it going? Life has been busy and wonderful and hectic and difficult and wonderful all over again.
A lot of times I put together these posts as a way to help people trying to figure this business out and also galvanize core concepts in my head, organizing my thoughts on things I’ve learned. This one is no exception.
Every few months, there’s a ripple of intense social media discussion, let’s be kind and call it discussion, about who deserves credit and how comics are sold-
• Is it a writer-centric industry or an artist-centric industry?
• Who does the most work on a creative team and how should that be acknowledged?
• Whose name should go first on the credits and what does that mean?
• When a property gets optioned, award nominations are announced or best seller lists are compiled, why don’t media outlets include the art team?
It’s a circular argument that involves biases from fans, journalists, sales teams, and retailers. There’s no nuance about how comics are actually made and the collaborative process involved in telling a story where words and pictures work together in such a unique way. It’s frustrating and isn’t going to go away any time soon.
All that said, here’s one thing I hope we can all agree on:
Everyone who works on a project deserves to be credited for their work wherever possible.
If you’re part of a creative team it’s incumbent on you to mention your collaborators, credit them and raise them up if you can, especially if your name is on the cover and you’re one of the “front-facing” people involved in promoting it to the public.
This should be obvious, it should be automatic, but sadly it’s not.
On one of my very first Big Two projects, I had this lesson driven home for me. I received questions from a comic news outlet announcing this spiffy new series I was writing on and I banged out huge, sprawling answers to every question. I spent some serious time on it, excited about this new stage of my career and all the accolades that were surely about to come my way. Feeling all pumped, I sent the interview over to my editor for final approval and he responded with this:
“This all reads well and I can tell you’re really excited, there’s just one problem – You didn’t mention anyone else on the creative team at all.”
Wow~I suuuuuuck.
That was a lightning bolt to my brain. I was so wrapped up in promoting my new thing that I forgot it wasn’t just my thing at all. It was ours. A team effort.
That message was just a little prod from my editor but it rewired my brain.
How have I felt when I bust my butt and no one acknowledges that effort?
How does it feel to be overlooked in the creative process?
Yes, there are “marquee” names put up front to sell a title, but that doesn’t mean the rest of the team vanishes. We’re not talking about hundreds and hundreds of names scrolling past your face at the end of a movie.
WRITER – LINE ARTIST – COLORIST – LETTERER – EDITORIAL – COVER ARTIST
That’s the baseline for a comic. Praising those people for their efforts makes a huge difference. Tagging those people in a tweet or a post is not hard to do.
When I start a new project, I compile the names of everyone involved in a text file so I have the proper spelling of each person’s name and their Twitter and/or Instagram handles at my fingertips. I put that text file in my Google Drive folder so it’s accessible to me everywhere. From then on, tagging our crew in a tweet or other social media post is as simple as cut-and-paste. It only takes a couple minutes at the start and it means a lot to the creative team busting their butts day after day to make something cool.
Everyone deserves to celebrate the arrival of something they worked on.
Everyone wants to feel their contribution matters.
Writers and artists tend to get front line coverage. Promoting and signal boosting a colorist, letterer, or editor subtlety advertises their skills to others and, over the long haul, gives them a lot more opportunities. You have no idea how much this kind of stuff is appreciated until you’ve done the job and seen your efforts ignored.
Logo designers, graphic designers, assistant editors, press people, back matter – Look more closely at the credits on your favorite comic and you’ll realize there’s a small army of people busting away to make these books happen. The more you mention their contributions, the more aware the general public will be about the work involved. It demystifies the creative process in all the right ways.
Treat your creative team the way you want to be treated and you’ll build bonds and friendships that last through epic runs and crazy deadlines. The more you raise your team up and treat them right, the more they’ll be there when you need them.
That’s it.
A whole tutorial post just to remind people to credit and tag their creative team?
Yup.
That sounds pretty simple.
It should be. Now go out there and do it!
If you found this post helpful, feel free to let me know here (or on Twitter), share the post with your friends and consider buying some of my comics or donating to my Patreon to show your support for me writing this instead of writing the next script my hard-working team is supposed to be drawing/coloring/lettering. 
Talking Serpent War With Dynamic Forces
I spoke to Byron Brewer at Dynamic Forces all about the upcoming Conan: Serpent War 4-part sword & sorcery epic that begins in December with Conan, Solomon Kane, Dark Agnes, James Allison, and Moon Knight! Give it a read and get ready for adventure!
October 30, 2019
Dragon Plus Interview About Rick and Morty VS D&D
In the latest issue of DRAGON+, Kate Welch, Troy Little, and I spoke to Matt Chapman all about RICK and MORTY VS DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, the second comic mini-series, the upcoming game box set, humor, swearing, and a whole lot more. Give it a read!
October 29, 2019
Marvel Zub Comics Arriving in January 2020
BLACK PANTHER AND THE AGENTS OF WAKANDA #5
JIM ZUB (W)
SCOTT EATON (A)
Cover by DAVID NAKAYAMA AUG198980
Variant cover by ADAM WARREN AUG198982
An old S.H.I.E.L.D. cache of experimental technology is a ticking time bomb the Agents of Wakanda need to defuse — but only if they get there before DEADPOOL! Time for a rematch between the King of Wakanda and the Merc with a Mouth! And adding more fuel to fire — the return of the Livewires!
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99
CONAN: SERPENT WAR #3 (OF 4)
JIM ZUB (W)
IG GUARA & VANESA DEL REY (A)
Cover by CARLOS PACHECO
VARIANT COVER BY KIM JACINTO
THE LAST STAND OF CONAN, DARK AGNES, SOLOMON KANE & MOON KNIGHT!
• CONAN and DARK AGNES face off against the servants of SET in STYGIA!
• SOLOMON KANE and MOON KNIGHT encounter a bizarre relic – but will it aid their quest, or doom their compatriots?
• And what deadly secret lurks in the mind of JAMES ALLISON?
32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$3.99
CONAN: SERPENT WAR #4 (OF 4)
JIM ZUB (W)
LUCA PIZZARI & VANESA DEL REY (A)
Cover by CARLOS PACHECO
Variant Cover by CHRISTIAN WARD
• At last – AGNES, KANE, and MOON KNIGHT join CONAN in the Hyborian Age for the final showdown between SET, the WYRM, and…KHONSHU?!
• JAMES ALLISON brought them together, but will KHONSHU tear them apart?
• The thrilling conclusion to the ages-spanning saga that will have ramifications on the future of the assembled cast!
32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$3.99
CONNECTING VARIANT Cover for CONAN: SERPENT WAR #1-4 by GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI
MARVEL’S AVENGERS: THOR #1
JIM ZUB (W) • ROBERT GILL (A)
Cover by STONEHOUSE
THOR’S MIGHTY PREQUEL TO THE UPCOMING VIDEO GAME, MARVEL’S AVENGERS!
The adventure leading to MARVEL’S AVENGERS continues, with an all-new story leading directly into the events of the highly anticipated video game! When the GOD OF THUNDER uses his mighty Mjolnir to aid TONY STARK, a.k.a. IRON MAN, with his latest experiment, why does this lead to an unexpected Asgardian encounter…and a one-on-one battle between THOR and the green gamma goliath known as THE HULK?! Is all as it seems, or is an ancient enemy planting seeds of distrust that will bloom into the disassembling of the AVENGERS?!
32 PGS./ ONE SHOT/Rated T+ …$3.99
Dreamfinders Interview
I spoke to Nathan Hartman at Walt Disney World News Today all about my creative career and what it was like working on the Disney Kingdoms: Figment series for Marvel, developing a back story for Dreamfinder and Figment from the Journey Into Imagination Epcot attraction. Give it a listen!
https://media.blubrry.com/dreamfinders/p/download.wdwnt.com/dreamfinders/Dreamfinders_Ep022.mp3
October 28, 2019
Black Panther and the Agents of Wakanda #2 Reviews
• Black Nerd Problems: 8.5/10 “Zub concludes a concise, two-issue intro by showcasing the inner strength of three of the characters. The team fights through the black demon monsters and are met with illusions of their fears and insecurities.”
• Caped-Joel: 9/10 “A fast-paced, frenetic, fun as hell little superhero adventure. They’re really plunging into the Marvel superhero toybox and pulling out some gems.”
• Chillmonger: 9/10 “In the span of a year, I went from rolling my eyes at Fat Cobra to Halloween costume considerations.”
• Comic Book.com: 8/10 “Black Panther and the Agents of Wakanda #2 teaches its readers two things: 1) Fat Cobra is awesome, and 2) This team-up book is a ton of fun.”
• Comicon: 8/10 “a fun and interesting issue that does a great job of showing where our heroes are emotionally at this point in time…The story is solid, the characters are compelling, and the art is great. “
• Comic-Watch: 9.2/10 “Wow, this was a fun issue!! I liked the story a lot and I was glad that Zub didn’t waste time building characters that we’re all familiar with. Add to that the amazing art of Medina and this one’s totally worth the price of admission!!”
• Super Powered Fancast: 8.4/10 “Lan Medina’s art is amazing. Everything from the characters to the detailed backgrounds are thrilling to look at. Really love the action throughout.”
October 25, 2019
Talking Young Adventurer’s Guides With Inverse Genius
Inverse Genius is a podcast focused on using games in schools and libraries. In their latest episode, I spoke to Donald Dennis all about how the D&D Young Adventurer’s Guides came to be, their purpose, and development. Give it a listen!
October 19, 2019
Rick and Morty VS Dungeons & Dragons II #4 in December!
RICK & MORTY VS Dungeons & Dragons II: PAINSCAPE #4
(W) Jim Zub (A) Troy Little (C) Leonardo Ito
Cover A by Troy Little
Cover B by Kendra Wells
Cover C by Troy Little
The final battle between demons, gods, and the most min-maxed Rick imaginable.
It all ends here, people. Roll for initiative and kiss your ass good-bye!
In Shops: Dec 18, 2019
Final Orders Due: Nov 25, 2019
SRP: $3.99
October 18, 2019
Dungeons & Tombs Preview + Interview on ComicBook.com
Stacy and I spoke to Christian Hoffer at ComicBook.com all about the DUNGEONS & TOMBS Young Adventurer’s Guide arriving in stores on November 26th!
Check this interview out for exclusive preview pages and extra information.
