Search Results for: Murderworld - Page 2

Zub at Calgary Expo 2024!

After missing last year, I’m back at the Calgary Comics & Entertainment Expo on April 25-28, 2024!
If you’re headed to the show, I hope to see you there.

BIG FOUR BUILDING – ARTIST ALLEY TABLE P-58

In addition to being at my table, I’m also on a panel Saturday:

Saturday April 27th
6:00pm – CONAN vs DEAD ROMANS: JIM ZUB and FRED KENNEDY – BIG 4 COMIC STAGE

Writer Spotlight: Jim Zub is the acclaimed writer of Conan the Barbarian and Dungeons & Dragons, and Fred Kennedy’s first Image Comics mini-series Dead Romans, debuted in 2023.

Zubby Newsletter #44: Pull the Ripcord

Late last week I walked away from an unannounced and unfinished project. I’m pretty sure that’s a first for me.

(No, I won’t publicly say what it was and probably never will. I’m not here to sling mud. There are a lot of wonderful people involved who did great work and they don’t deserve any more stress than they’ve already got.)

In some ways, it’s a good thing – a signal to myself that there is actually a limit in terms of how much I’m willing to be yanked around before the time-money-hassle equation no longer adds up.

Of course, my pragmatic freelancer-fueled brain tried to fight me every step of the way. I had a hard enough time convincing it that I could turn down work from time to time even if a project wasn’t a good fit, the schedule was too tight, or the pay involved was insultingly low, but this…this was different – it was a great fit, the original schedule worked fine, and the pay was in my range…but then the whole thing slid into chaos.

When you contribute to licensed properties, obviously, the licensor gets approval. I know the drill and I work damn hard doing the research and bringing the things I do well into the mix while fitting within the confines of an existing IP. I’ve done it dozens of times on plenty of well known properties.

I’ve also done my fair share of revisions and rewrites. I don’t think my words are sacrosanct or unchangeable, by any means. I deeply appreciate editorial and licensor feedback to make sure we all have something we’re proud of when the finished project is out there in the world.

But, in this case – I was almost done writing, multiple scripts were approved, and there was finished art well underway when we were suddenly told that everything our team had done was now “unapproved” and we needed to start from scratch – That’s just unnecessary, unprofessional, and I can’t trust anything you tell me going forward.

Why even have ‘approvals’ if they don’t mean anything?

It became pretty clear that the people reviewing the work had changed and the licensor no longer wanted this project to exist at all. It was a vestigial limb hopelessly dragging behind a previously agreed upon deal. I had to decide if I was going to pull it all back to the starting blocks and bitterly try to figure out the moving target of their expectations or step away and use my time and effort more productively. I chose the latter and, despite some twinges of freelancer guilt, I’m glad I did. The Zub of 5 or 6 years ago might have made a different decision and it would have been ulcer-inducing.

I don’t know if this is a sign of success, but it’s certainly a sign that I know what I bring to a project and that I’m willing to communicate that more clearly, in any case. Every creative career has highs and lows (and lows, and lows…), and I’m thankful that, at this moment, I have the freedom to make this choice and lean into other projects that engage and challenge me without breaking my brain.


Cover art by Joe Jusko. Logo by Dan Panosian. Pre-order now!

A Savage Story

Speaking of challenges, this week I finalized my prose piece for Savage Sword of Conan #1. Marinating in Robert E. Howard’s famous fiction before I tried to rock out a short story of my own for the Cimmerian was suitably humbling, in all kinds of good ways. Summoning a scene without an artist to make me look good is a much different prospect and flexes a whole different set of creative muscles.

I have never taken any formal writing classes. I did a swack of Creative Writing in high school and learned some script writing when I took a year of Film & Multimedia before I started Classical Animation, but the rest of my ‘training’ has been reading about the craft and putting my own work out into the world; improving story by story and project by project. With my art background, the visual rhythm of animation and comics make the most sense to me. They’re where I feel most comfortable. I love the visual medium and love collaborating with artists.

Stripping everything back to the primacy of prose exposes a lot more of my imposter syndrome. I struggle to quiet that inner critic because I can’t point at the great art and tell it to shut up. It’s just my words sitting out there exposed on the page and either it grabs the reader’s imagination or it doesn’t.

I can write emails, blogposts, tutorials, curriculum, critique, pitches, ad copy, art notes, informal descriptions, and dialogue aplenty but, you know, that’s not ‘real’ writing. That’s not the power of the written word to weave worlds of wonder.

I wrote a Conan short story and, this time, it’s just me.

It’s very pulpy and punchy and I like it, even though it felt strange as a process. (Not bad, mind you, just strange.) People who edit this stuff for a living have read it and liked it and I’m being paid for it, so either they’re all lying because they don’t want to hurt my feelings, or I did okay.

It’s called “Sacrifice in the Sand”, it’s based on Joe Jusko’s gorgeous cover art and, when the big first issue of our mighty magazine hits stores in late February, readers get to decide if it hit the mark or not.

Either way, let me know.


And Yet, More Advice

Despite me exposing my fiction fears, I’m still out here writing advice to people who want to pursue a comic writing career. Ridiculous!

The latest tutorial, added to the pile of over 50 free tutorial posts on my website, is all about starting with “No Experience.

Give it a read and, if you find it helpful, feel free to share it around.


We Sold Out – Again!

Conan the Barbarian #6 arrived in stores last week. Readers seemed to really like it and the pent up demand (it had been delayed two weeks after shipping problems) blew reorders past the overprint, which means there’s a 2nd print coming at the end of the month, with a line art version of the stunning cover art by Jae Lee.

We’re now in the rare position of having sales rise as the series continues, which is an incredible vote of confidence for our team’s hard work. Thank you once again and please keep reading!


More Shenanigans

Despite the fact that I’m a quitter, a sham, quite ridiculous, and a sellout, I also can’t shut up when it comes to talking about my work and the craft.

On the latest episode of the Comic Shenanigans podcast, I spoke to Adam Chapman all about working with Tom Brevoort at Marvel, the comic writing process, and relaunching Conan the Barbarian at Titan.

For Conan fans, the Hyborian chatter starts at around the 22 minute mark. At the 37 minute mark I talk about my Marvel run of Conan issues and reflect on what I did well, things I still needed to learn, and things that were out of our control.

It’s always a pleasure talking with Adam. He’s enthusiastic, well researched, and subtly moves the conversation into some great places. Give it a listen and feel free to check out past interview episodes I link to below-

Episode 368: Thunderbolts and More
Episode 794: Agents of Wakanda, Conan the Barbarian, and More
Episode 986: Conan, Thunderbolts, and Life Of Wolverine


Current + Upcoming Releases


Links and Other Things

• Chaosium has a Humble Bundle going for a huge PDF collection of Call of Cthulhu tabletop RPG material at a fraction of its normal cover price. If you’ve ever wanted to run or play a Lovecraftian RPG, this might be the right time to dig in.
• I can get behind Jon Purkis’ list of 50 Rules For Board Game Etiquette. Lots of great stuff in there.

That should do it for this week.
Jim

Zubby Newsletter #43: The Future Unconquered

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I hope your holidays have been prosperous and that the new year is looking bright.

I haven’t updated my YouTube channel in quite some time, and with everything that’s been going it’s not something I’ve had time to concentrate on, but I put together a video on January 1st thanking fans for reading and teasing what comes next.

Please watch and share-

In my Year In Review message I mentioned how excited I am for 2024, and a solid part of that centers around-

The Age Unconquered Begins in March!

Comicbook.com has the exclusive announcement and cover art for the third arc of Conan the Barbarian and it’s going to be huge!

Rob De La Torre is back for Conan the Barbarian #9-12 and we’re absolutely blowing the doors off in terms of story and visuals. An epic adventure to cap off the first year of our relaunch!

Conan #0-12 is our mission statement for what classic pulp-inspired sword & sorcery can be in the modern era. You’ve made 2023 a winner for our team and I can’t wait to show you what we have planned for 2024 and beyond.

cover art by Rob De La Torre with colors by Dave McCaig.

CONAN THE BARBARIAN #9

– Writer: Jim Zub
– Line Art: Roberto De La Torre
– Color: Dean White
– Letters: Richard Starkings
– On sale date: March 27th, 2024

BEYOND FLESH. BEYOND DEATH. BEYOND TIME.

Conan has traveled far and seen much in his legendary journeys, but nothing he has experienced thus far can prepare him for a quest to lands beyond to answer dark riddles of the past. Unexpected allies await, fierce enemies loom, and the strange power of the Black Stone stirs in THE AGE UNCONQUERED!

The triumphant new era of Conan continues in this brand-new tale of brutal heroic adventure from acclaimed creators Jim Zub (Avengers, Dungeons & Dragons) and Rob de la Torre (Invincible Iron Man, King-Size Conan)!

– Cover A: Mike Deodato
– Cover B: E.M. Gist
– Cover C: Roberto De La Torre
– Cover D: Chris Moreno
– Cover E: Blank Sketch Variant


Some Frequently Asked Questions I’ve been getting since that info went out to the public:

Wait a sec, is that Yag-Kosha?
You’ll have to read Conan #9 to find out.

Is this a new adaptation of Tower of the Elephant?
No. This is a new story that builds on the canon Robert E. Howard stories and elements introduced in Conan #1-8.

Will we see Doug Braithwaite and Diego Rodriguez return in the future?
Yes! I’m thrilled to confirm that Doug and Diego are working on Conan #13-16, our fourth story arc.

What is best in life?
Working on this series with this killer creative team.


Almost every page, especially the action scenes, have major story spoilers (seriously), so it’s hard for me to tease what’s coming up… Hmmm~ how ‘bout this?

That’ll have to do for now, my friends.


Land of the Lotus

Script sample for Conan the Barbarian #19 from 2021. Line art by Cory Smith. Inks by Roberto Poggi. Colors by Israel Silva. Letters by Travis Lanham.

Over on my Patreon, the full scripts for part 1 and part 2 of the Land of the Lotus storyline published in 2021 are now up. Learn how comics are made for the price of a fancy coffee. There are over 300 scripts in my Patreon archive.

I learned a lot on this arc and refined my ‘voice’ for Conan and the pulp-fueled narration that makes his comics feel quite distinct. At the time I was hopeful we’d be able to build momentum toward issue #25, (which was also legacy #300 for the series) and carry on from that anniversary issue. Obviously that didn’t end up happening, but all of it led to where I’m at now, which I’m thankful for.


Current + Upcoming Releases


Links and Other Things

Tegan O’Neil has a wonderful profile on Sergio Aragonés from last April I missed. Give it a read!

• I received a copy of Renegades & Rogues: The Life and Legacy of Robert E. Howard by Todd B. Vick for Christmas. It’s a quick read but I quite enjoyed it as it covered some aspects of his life I wasn’t aware of before.

Have a great week!
Jim

Zubby Newsletter #41: Happy Holidays, By CROM!

CROM of the Mountain may not care about you or yours (or me…or anyone, really) this season, but I want to wish you and your family the happiest of holidays – Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Whatever you celebrate, whoever it’s with, I hope it’s a good one!

Thank YOU for helping make 2023 one of the most exciting and creatively rewarding years I’ve ever had. It’s been an absolute rocket ride and I owe so much of that to people like you supporting my work and sharing it with others.

I hope that time with family, friends, and good cheer are coming your way.


Hearing From Readers

I’ve been getting messages like this every week since Conan launched in early August – emails, texts, Facebook messages, tweets, comments, you name it. Dozens and dozens of them. Most in English, of course, but many in Portuguese, Spanish and French as the foreign editions start to ramp up for release early next year.

It’s incredible hearing from so many lapsed fans and new readers. They tell me that they’ve been heading to their local comic shop on release day every month and have set up a pull file, many for the first time in well over a decade.

Getting this second chance with one of my favorite characters was an unexpected thrill. Having it do so damn well this time is both gratifying and humbling.

All of us on the creative team are doing everything we can to keep the excitement going in 2024 – our first trade paperback and the new Savage Sword of Conan magazine arrives in February, The Age Unconquered in March, and Free Comic Book Day in May will carry us into the summer.


Current + Upcoming Releases


Links and Other Things

Next time, I’ll have my annual Year In Review. Until then, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Jim

Zubby Newsletter #38: Deathtraps & Dinosaurs

It’s D&D (Deathtraps & Dinosaurs) in the Merry Marvel Manner!

I mentioned a couple weeks ago that I might have some Marvel Multiverse TTRPG news coming up and – BAM – here it is!

THE MURDERWORLD THAT TIME FORGOT is an exclusive Marvel TTRPG adventure I wrote for Demiplane that launches…TODAY!


Young Zub – Some day you will write RPG adventures!

Arcade, the infamous game show assassin, unleashes a twisted new Murderworld theme park, this time built in the heart of the Savage Land!

The Murderworld That Time Forgot is a brand new tabletop adventure for characters Rank 1-3 specifically built to teach new Narrators/Game Masters how to successfully run a tabletop role-playing game and also how to structure and execute an exciting Marvel superhero story! There are lots of extra notes and tips on setting up the game, pacing each scene, and keeping players engaged.

Adam Bradford at Demiplane knows how passionate I am about tabletop gaming, so he recruited me to help launch their new line of original Marvel RPG material. With my background in game writing and as co-writer of the recent Murderworld comic, it was the perfect match-up.

Here is a chat between Adam and I all about the adventure on the Demiplane developer livestream this morning

And here are the creative credits on the adventure-

Everyone on the team did a fantastic job and it’s all ready to run online or in-person with the speed and convenience of the Demiplane tabletop tools.

I can’t wait to see gaming groups create their own superhero stories filled with twists, turns, and T-Rex’s galore.

I think the new Marvel Multiverse RPG is really well put together. It simulates comic book-worthy action and drama in a way that’s easy to get into and using world famous heroes is an easy way to get new players to try tabletop RPGs, because it gives them an immediate framework to work with. Instead of feeling intimidated by what they ‘should’ do during the game, they can easily get into character by imagining “What would Miles Morales do?” (or any other hero they want to play).


Words, Images, & Worlds

I was interviewed by Jason DeHart at Words, Images, & Worlds. We chatted about working on comics and the collaborative process-


A Cursed Blade, Revisited

Now on my Patreon– The full script for CONAN THE BARBARIAN #17 from 2020, the first of a two part story called “The Curse of the Nightstar“.

Look at that bad ass cover by E.M. Gist!

Learn how comics are created for the price of a fancy coffee. Hard for me to believe, but there are now over 300 scripts in my Patreon archive!


Links and Other Things

  • Toniko Pantoja has a ton of great tutorials about hand drawn digital animation techniques that are well worth checking out. His recent video about best practices for beginners really hits the spot.
  • Creating effective mysteries in tabletop RPG sessions can be difficult. This gaming tips article, the Three Clue Rule by Justin Alexander, is a classic for good reason. I was reminded of this as I played through Baldur’s Gate 3 and saw how almost every plotline in the game has multiple routes to bring characters in and almost every location has multiple entry points so players can organically move through the story and explore the game world without feeling intensely railroaded along the way.

That should cover it this time. I hope your December is going strong.
Jim

Zubby Newsletter #23: Entering the Uncanny

On social media some fans and creators were recently sharing anecdotes about the first issue of Uncanny X-Men they read, especially if it hooked them on the series, and that pulled me into a bit of a nostalgia vortex.

The first X-Men issue I remember reading was quite the head trip-

Uncanny X-Men #141, first part of the legendary “Days of Future Past” story. As far as I remember, my older brother bought it from a used bookstore in Oshawa that sold comics. The issue was released in late 1980, but I think Joe bought it a couple years later because I must have been 7 or 8 years old at the time.

I didn’t even know who this cast of characters were and they were already thrust into an alternate universe post-apocalyptic future where most of them were dead and their very survival was at stake. It was intense, emotional and incredibly compelling, even if I didn’t understand large parts of the story or had any inkling of the character history at the time. It begged to be explored.

My first point of confusion was the guy on the cover with metal claws. I thought he was “Beast” because he had the exact same haircut as the guy on the poster right behind him-

No one in the story called him “Beast”, they called him “Logan”, but that just added to the air of mystery around him. 😉

Anyways, Joe started collecting Uncanny X-Men a few issues later and I started picking up Amazing Spider-Man and G.I.Joe around the same time.

There was an unexpected joy to dropping right into the middle of the narrative instead of an issue #1 to start things off. Reading and collecting became about filling in holes of the past just as much as it was about engaging the new ongoing stories that arrived each month

Having Uncanny X-Men #141 as a starting point meant that Kitty Pryde was central to the X-narrative and everything Jean Grey/Phoenix-related felt like “history”. I had a similar demarcation point in Amazing Spider-Man – Hobgoblin was the current big bad, so anything Green Goblin-related felt “old” in comparison. (Not bad, of course, just old.)

Marvel Tales and Classic X-Men allowed us to dig into the past and fill in gaps in our collection since we couldn’t afford expensive back issues, especially for “key” moments (first appearances, character deaths, things like that).

It felt like rocket riding through a huge interconnected world that extended way behind us while also zipping confidently forward.

Like a lot of comic collectors, over time we’d start to focus on the creators as much as the characters. Who made the books became just as important as the titles we looked for – John Byrne, Michael Golden, Chris Claremont, Roger Stern, John Buscema, Roy Thomas, Marv Wolfman, George Perez, Art Adams, Ann Nocenti, Walt and Louise Simonson, and a slew of others became names we recognized and work we craved because it seemed to stand head and shoulders over others at the time.

And, through it all, the X-Men reigned supreme.

Uncanny X-Men was the best damn soap opera in comics. Claremont and company kept their big cast moving forward with an impressive amount of thoughtful evolution. The team line-up changed constantly. Romances flourished and failed. The month-to-month narrative clipped along with A-plots, B-plots, and occasionally almost completely forgotten C and D-plots that finally popped back up to surprise and delight. One month the team might be in outer space and an issue or two later they could be in the Savage Land, Tokyo, or just playing a game of pick-up baseball in Westchester, New York.

The heroes, villains and supporting cast were deeply flawed and beautifully human. There’s a reason why the series was an absolute sales juggernaut…and it wasn’t because sometimes a character named Juggernaut showed up to break shit.

I don’t think anyone could or should try to put X-Men back in same mold in the here and now, but it’s valuable to re-read those older issues to try and understand why it was so vibrant and how it generated so much loyalty in its readership over so many years.

In an age of endless new #1’s that act as both jumping on and off points, dozens of variant covers every issue, and near-instant digital access to both new comics and almost every issue of the past, it all feels very different. Some things have been gained and other things have been lost and that’s the way life goes, but hearing that prompt of “What was your first X-Men?” brought back a lot of good memories so I thought I’d lean into that a bit here.


Talking Conan

I know this will seem odd, but I’m still talking about Conan the Barbarian. 🙂

Someone filmed the Conan the Barbarian comic panel from San Diego Comic-Con, so you can check that out on Forbidden Planet’s channel:


This panel was on Sunday morning, so our voices are pretty shot by this point. Other than that, it was a ton of fun and we were really impressed with the turn out and enthusiasm from the crowd.

I also spoke to the team at Geek Hard all about our Conan the Barbarian relaunch. The interview starts at the 7 minute mark of their latest episode and runs until the 36 minute spot in the show.


Current + Upcoming Books


Upcoming Events


Links and Other Things

Marc Brunet is a former Art Director from Blizzard who goes through a variety of drawing and rendering techniques on his YouTube channel. Like many popular YouTube creators, over time he’s become an exaggerated parody of himself as a way to get more traffic, but if you ignore the twitchy behavior and edits his tutorials are solid and well worth checking out. This new one about rendering skin tone shadows is the same method we used at the UDON Studio on our official Capcom artwork, and a great tool to have in your digital rendering toolbox-


That should cover it for this time.

Next week is Fan Expo Canada!
Jim

Zubby Newsletter #22: Gen Conquest

A bunch of readers signed up for this newsletter at SDCC and Gen Con, so – welcome!

Zubstack is where I keep people up to date with my creative projects (mostly comics and games) and also dig into things on my mind, recipes I’m cooking, games I’m playing, articles I’m enjoying, and more. For my main website, go HERE and, for an archive of past newsletter installments jammed with info and links, go HERE.

Social media is more mercurial and annoying than ever, so being able to go old school internet and reach fine people like yourself directly is really nice. If you don’t want to read the whole thing, that’s fine, but at least you get to choose instead of algorithms choosing for you.

Okay, on we go~


Flights to Gen Con were annoyingly expensive for such a short hop, so Stacy and I decided to drive down to Indianapolis instead (9-ish hours on the road depending on traffic). It was a bit of a throwback to my earliest convention years racking up kilometers and crisscrossing the border at strange hours.

In my previous newsletter I talked about how much has changed for me at shows like Gen Con since I first started attending 20 years ago, but it’s even clearer when you see Darrin’s incredible booth set-up for Howard and I this time-

Conan the Barbarian comics, D&D Young Adventurer’s Guides, the D&D Ultimate Pop-Up BookD&D comic trade paperbacks, SkullkickersWayward, and so much more. There were several times when I was asked which books I worked on and just motioned to my left and said “All of those”, which felt cool but also weird. There’s no way we can stock everything, but even this cross section of my work feels like a heck of a lot.

Gen Con was sold out every day, which also meant Saturday-style crowds every day. I have never seen the exhibit hall so consistently packed, hour after hour. I stepped out for some meetings around meal times and managed to visit friends after the floor closed, but during show hours it honestly felt better to have the table between us and the torrent of people moving through the aisles.

Each morning of the four day show, here’s how it looked before the exhibit hall opened-

Gamers were back in full force, ready to play and buy. Sales soared and a lot of the other exhibitors I spoke to said it was their best year ever. Most of the new books I brought sold out by Saturday and I ran out of Rick and Morty VS D&D sketch covers long before the end of the show as well.

Like at San Diego this year, I tried to slow things down to enjoy richer conversations with old friends or deeper impressions with new people I met. Tons of nostalgia and appreciation, that’s for sure. Lots of chatter about possible future plans as well.


Cromulent Interviews

I know this will surprise you, but I’ve been talking about Conan the Barbarian. Here are a couple interviews shot during San Diego a few weeks ago:


Speaking of Conan-

The reviews for issue #1 are incredibly kind and I posted a teaser of issue #2 on social media that I’ll include below-

Issue #2 keeps the momentum of our first issue going and then some, my friends.
Line artist Rob De La Torre and colorist Dean White deliver a stunner on every page.

Given how fast issue #1 blew off store shelves, make sure you get your pre-order in for our second slashing attack.


Current + Upcoming Books


Upcoming Events


Links and Other Things

Here’s a quick list of games I picked up at Gen Con, in case you’re interested-

My schedule for the rest of the summer is intense, but I look forward to digging into these when things calm down.

That should cover it for this week.
Jim

Zubby Newsletter #16: Cutoff, Colors, and Crazy Cardstock Creations

FOC – The Barbaric Cutoff is Here – Join Us!


Final Order Cutoff is the last chance for comic retailers to adjust their order numbers on books heading to print.

So, with that in mind, please allow me to beat the drum here one last time about CONAN THE BARBARIAN #1arriving in stores on Wednesday, July 26th.

This week is your last chance to pre-order a copy from your favorite comic shop and be guaranteed a copy will be waiting for you.

Our art team (Rob De La Torre, José Villarrubia, Dean White, Richard Starkings and the many incredible artists lending their skill to variant covers) has put together the Hyborian adventure of my dreams, delivering something really special on each and every page. This is one of the highest profile launches of my writing career and it would mean a lot to me if you pre-ordered a copy of #1, added the series to your pull box subscriptions, and/or let other people know that Heroic Signatures and Titan Comics are bringing the goods.

Thank you, as always, for your support!


Dramatic VS Literal Color

Looking at some recent comics and I notice a lot of cookie cutter color palettes: blue sky, green grass, brown bark, etc. The rendering is okay, but the dramatic impact is lacking.

Even when panels all take place in the same scene under the same lighting conditions, colorists should try to vary things up and improve the storytelling by using dramatic color.

Check this old school example from Uncanny X-Men #275

Pencils by Jim Lee. Inks by Scott Williams. Colors by Glynis Oliver and Joe Rosas. Lettering by Tom Orzechowski.

Notice how the yellow and blue KRUNCH panel stands out even though the palette choice isn’t ‘real’? If that panel was colored like others on the page (with a green T-Rex) it would be way less potent.

Here’s another page from the same issue:

That top panel’s cool color palette pushes it away from us visually and makes it less important than what’s below, creating a ‘fade out’ feel between scenes and locations. If the characters and environment were all rendered using local/true colors it could end up quite busy and readers wouldn’t know where to focus.

Digital tools are convenient, but some colorists seem to think that lots of rendering and realistic lighting = higher quality and that’s not always the case when it comes to successful communication and entertainment, panel by panel and page by page.

On the other hand, here’s an impressive coloring example from All-New X-Men #3:

Pencils by Stuart Immonen. Inks by Wade Grawbadger. Colors by Marte Garcia. Letters by Cory Petit.

Marte’s rendering is more ‘modern’, but he also has an eye for dramatic color choices that effectively move the reader through big moments on the page. It’s wonderful work and I’d like to see even more of that from modern comics over bad lighting effects, repetitive palettes, and an over reliance on texture brushes or photo textures.


Murder Is More Convenient Than Ever


The collected MURDERWORLD trade paperback arrived in stores last week!

If you missed the five connected one-shot issues Ray Fawkes (Constantine, Batman: Eternal) and I put together with artists Jethro Morales, Farid Karami, Luca Pizzari, Victor Nava, and Lorenzo Tammetta, now you can snag it in one spiffy volume and read our twisted Arcade-centered story from start to finish.


“Pop-Up” Doesn’t Quite Describe It


An advance copy of the Dungeons & Dragons: Ultimate Pop-Up Book arrived at our place this week and it’s a monster in all the right ways!

Stacy and I came up with the narrative and she wrote all the text. Award-winning paper engineer Matthew Reinhart built each scene and all the moving elements and Claudio Pozas tirelessly illustrated each piece.

The name “Pop-Up” doesn’t really encompass these paper creations. The locations unfurl from the page base, rising up to form incredible buildings and features!

Even more amazing, the page spreads can be folded out beside each other so that all five D&D interactive locations can be laid out simultaneously. When Stacy and I unleashed the full behemoth it took up our entire dining room table!


Talking Conan…in Portuguese!

Marco Collares and Duda Ferreira from the Conan the Barbarian Forum, a vibrant Portuguese language Conan community, chatted with me about the upcoming CONAN comic relaunch, working with the incredible Rob De La Torre and editor Matt Murray, and much more!

There’s a lot of great information about the new series in this interview so, to make it easier for English language fans to follow along, I put together a series of time-stamped links to my answers you can check out right HERE.


Classic Character + Classic Artist


The Comics On The Green comic shop has posted an exclusive CONAN THE BARBARIAN #1 variant cover illustrated by legendary artist MARK SCHULTZ (Xenozoic Tales, Conan the Cimmerian)!

Mark’s illustrations of Conan over the years have been incredibly iconic and powerful. I’m blown away that he created a new piece for our series launch (and even included the comic shop owner’s dog in there too 😀 ).

This variant is limited to 500 copies and you can pre-order it HERE.


More Limited Edition Covers

• Forbidden Planet (in the UK) has a limited edition Conan the Barbarian #1 cover (limited to 500 copies) with Rob De La Torre’s splash art from our Free Comic Book Day issue. In the U.S. it’s being offered by Jetpack comics.

• Since Conan debuts at San Diego Comic Con this year, there’s a limited edition cover with Conan in the San Diego Gaslamp District (limited to 2000 copies) with cover art by Christopher Jones.


Links and Other Things

• The incredible background art of the classic Looney Tunes animated shorts, especially designer Maurice Noble. As some who worked in background layout for animation, it’s nice to see this part of the artform spotlighted and appreciated:

• Famous comic artists drawing iconic characters. You can learn a lot just by watching how professionals confidently lay down their lines.:

That should cover things this time.
Jim

Zubby Newsletter #8: Soul Stirring

A different format this time, as I dive into anecdotes and analysis about one of my obsessions-

What Is It About Those Souls?

Hidetaka Miyazaki, the developer of Elden Ring, is one of TIME Magazine’s Top 100 Most Influential People in 2023, only the second video game industry person to ever make it on the list (The first was Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Mario, Donkey Kong, and Legend of Zelda).

Even though “Soulsborne” titles have been lauded and influential in video game circles for years, Elden Ring broke through with a level of mainstream success no one could have predicted. It launched to sales numbers that eclipsed the lifetime sales of most other FromSoft titles and has fueled a surge of interest as gamers go back to rediscover the rest of the “Souls series”: Demon’s Souls (2009)Dark Souls 1-3 (2011, 2014, 2016)Bloodborne (2015), and Sekiro (2019).

These games have an infamous reputation for being difficult and obtuse, cultivating a fandom obsessed with their challenging game play, mysterious lore, and strange characters.

That rep is rightfully earned:

  • They are difficult, especially compared to most other video games on the market.
  • The game play is obtuse and in-game instruction is minimal.
  • The fandom is obsessed and many enjoy deep-diving into lore, symbolism and connectivity in the games, implicit or implied.
  • The characters and their in-game plot lines are quite strange.

And yet, Souls games are also incredibly compelling.

I didn’t try any of them until 2018 when my friend Ray Fawkes (who I’ve known since college and collaborated with on Murderworld) heaped praise on Dark Souls, telling me how fierce and fascinating the series was. With a level of glee I’d rarely seen in him before, he wove a narrative about his hapless hero stumbling through gloomy corridors, being ambushed by monsters and doing everything he could to survive in the face of near certain death. Violent sword and sorcery is certainly my jam, so I snagged Dark Souls Remastered, installed it…

…And did not see the appeal at all.

Dark Souls seemed crafted from a bygone era of video gaming, one where clear instructions and an intuitive user interface were not a priority. The cinematic opening promised epic adventure, but the starting area in-game was a cramped dank prison filled with tricks, traps, and asshole enemies ready to gank me at a moment’s notice. The action felt awkward and unresponsive, the world seemed small, and I wondered what Ray saw in this that I was somehow missing.

Eight months later, Playstation had a sale on digital games and on a whim I picked up Bloodborne, not realizing it had the same development team as Dark Souls. The twisted gothic setting grabbed my attention and I waded in, unsure if this would be a repeat of my first Souls experience.

Bloodborne is cut from the same cloth as Dark Souls and, in theory, it should have repelled me the exact same way, but it didn’t. Don’t get me wrong, the game still felt weird and kicked my ass, but the atmosphere was so rich and locations so interesting that I stuck with it, creeping forward street by street and section by section, struggling to make progress but compelled to keep trying.

I must have spent at least four hours completing the opening section of Yharnam, the sprawling Stygian labyrinth where Bloodborne begins. My character died dozens of times, but my attitude around those deaths changed. It became apparent to me that the game was consistent in its approach and I was the one making foolish mistakes each and every time.

What felt like poor design when I played Dark Souls for the first time began to slowly fall away, revealing something far more intentional. As I explored Bloodborne further, a message started to emerge through the din. It was simple, but also demanding-

“Are you paying attention?”

  • Are you paying attention to the environment around you – looking carefully at where you’ve been, where you are, and where you’re going?
  • Are you paying attention to the enemies you encounter – how they sound, how they move, and what they’re capable of?
  • Are you paying attention to your character – especially the speed and reach of your weapon as you attack?
  • Are you paying attention to your inventory – the items you pick up, their description and purpose?

Many video games want the player to feel empowered right from the start, giving them clear goals and, with a bit of effort, the abilities to achieve them. There will be a certain amount of hand-eye coordination involved, but where you have to go and what you have to do when you get there is rarely in question. These games want to please you.

In comparison, many older video games could feel opaque at times due to awkward design or limitations of fidelity, but there was also a gratifying surge that came with figuring things out on your own or having a friend pierce the veil of confusion alongside you.

Souls Games issue a distinct challenge to the player. They establish a foundation of consequence inside a harsh environment that will try to destroy you. It can be extremely frustrating at times, but the commensurate satisfaction I feel as I figure out each piece of the puzzle and overcome each challenge delivers old school gaming delight magnified many times over.

Bloodborne requires careful planning before each major encounter and then quick thinking once the action kicks in. The game constructs a deliberate atmosphere of mystery and dread before violently unleashing new tests on the player as the environments twist around and through each other.

You can stumble through the whole game and even complete it with no idea why you have to slay these creatures and escape this nightmare, or you can slow down on the journey and start to see tiny threads of motivation and emotion woven into conversations and item descriptions that hint at a larger tapestry, fascinating questions and themes lying just out of reach.

You can rail against the darkness all by yourself or summon help, either through AI-controlled NPCs who are fulfilling their own mysterious plot lines, or via online multiplayer fighting alongside fellow human hunters looking to take down their prey.

I fell in hard, conquered Bloodborne and the Old Hunters expansion, and then played through the other Souls titles (and several other games inspired by them). Once that was done, I went back and ‘platinumed’ many of the games, completing every achievement, no matter how demanding or obscure.

Demon’s Souls was the first game in the series and it shows. At times it struggles to execute on its vision for combat and exploration, but it can also be surprisingly confident in game play precepts that will be honed in future titles.

The Dark Souls trilogy iterates on that original game, expanding character possibilities and the types of encounters it throws at you while also broadening the narrative scope of its epic fantasy world. The environments have branching paths that coil around each other or ‘hub’ locations that act as waypoints so you can choose which way you want to head next. Many of the boss battles are epic and the final decision you’re given, to renew the world with fire or send it spiraling deeper into darkness, feels well earned.

Sekiro is a more focused narrative set in a mythical version of Sengoku-era Japan. It has extremely demanding combat that requires meticulous timing, but also generates an adrenaline surge like no other video game I’ve played before.

I’ve enjoyed them all. These are worlds to be explored and challenges to be relished.

Which brings things back to Elden Ring and the TIME Magazine article about its creator.

Elden Ring is a culmination of sorts. It’s an ambitious and massive open world version of Hidetaka’s previous games. While it has the most content to uncover and can be extremely challenging, it also benefits from 13+ years of design experience, balancing that feeling of uncovering a mystery with abundant character options you can use to traverse and conquer the many challenges set before you.

Souls Games are the peaty scotch of video games – a powerful flavor and acquired taste that many people are never going to enjoy no matter how it’s packaged or presented.

As much as I rave about Souls as an experience, the rawness of the design and age of the engine used to build these games can also hamper them at times – There are weird game play systems that don’t become clear unless you look up a guide online and enemy AI that can be deliberate and fiendish one second and then dumb as rocks when taken out of the combat parameters or specific environment it expects. At times Souls fans hand wave some really weird-ass aspects of these games, chalking even genuine programming and optimization errors up to intentional design to a degree that borders on the delusional. There’s a lot of duct tape holding these monstrous beauties together.

Elden Ring’s scope can also be quite overwhelming at times. The open world approach doesn’t allow for a focused path that carefully amplifies the threat, scene by scene. That means its challenge level swings wildly depending on how you build your character and which way your wanderlust takes you; One moment you’re effortlessly trouncing enemies, the next you slam into a proverbial wall and are sent sprawling to your doom.

Despite all that, you’re never trapped. There’s always another direction to go or location to unearth, giving you the chance to earn experience elsewhere and come back to claim victory down the road. The journey is vast and it can be both breathtaking and ridiculous multiple times within the span of a single play session.

Elden Ring isn’t my favorite Souls game (Bloodborne’s eldritch tendrils still have a powerful hold on me), but I’m glad it exists and has introduced millions of people to these games. I’m also glad Elden Ring has won so many awards and gained so much mainstream attention. I wouldn’t say it’s an experience everyone needs, but I do think there’s gold in them thar hills if you’re looking for a challenging and thoroughly satisfying video game rush…

…Just be prepared for a wee bit of obsession if it finds its mark, the kind that makes you pump out a 1600-word essay about it instead of promoting your own work.

Speaking Of Eldritch Horror and Promotion…

Over on my Patreon, I posted up the script for Rick and Morty VS Cthulhu #4 (of 4), the climactic conclusion to our epic nihilism VS narcissism battle as Rick Sanchez tries to stop the Cthulhu Mythos from infecting his dimension and destroying his family.

There are now almost 300 scripts on my Patreon page, a deep archive of my comic writing where, for the price of a fancy coffee, anyone can dig in and compare what I wrote to the final published version, along with pitches, frequently asked questions, interviews, and more.

My Patreon page grew out of more than 40 free writing and industry How-To articles I wrote over on my main site (check the right-hand column labelled #ComicsSchool for links to the most popular articles), covering common questions around how to break into comicshow to write a project pitchhow to find an artist to collaborate with, the economics of creator-owned comics, and much more. Even as the industry has changed and continues to change at a rapid pace, a lot of that information has remained evergreen.

Talking to a Pair of Rogues

I spoke to the gents at the Rogues in The House podcast all about sword & sorcery, Conan the Barbarian, historical fantasy, and more.

For those of you who are hardcore fans of the Hyborian Age, our Conan chatter gets underway at the 28 minute mark of the podcast. The other stuff is great too, but if you’re focused on that aspect, now you know.

Okay, that’s more than enough this time. Have a good week.

Jim

Zub at Lexington Comic & Toy Con 2023

I’m looking forward to being at the Lexington Comic & Toy Con in Lexington, Kentucky on March 23-26, 2023!

I’ll be set up with the Comic Sketch Art team at Table 218. I’m looking forward to meeting readers and seeing what the city has to offer.