It’s that time again, the best four days in gaming is almost here – Gen Con in Indianapolis, Indiana!

Howard, Tracy, and I will be set up at BOOTH #1935. I’m bringing a solid cross section of comics including Skullkickers, Wayward, Samurai Jack, and Dungeons & Dragons: Legends of Baldur’s Gate.

Thanks to Howard we’ll also have a set of convention-exclusive Skullkickers Pins available at the show! Check ’em out. They turned out great!

On top of that, make a Skullkickers or Wayward purchase and you’ll get a free badge ribbon to show off your fandom.

On Thursday night Will Hindmarch and I will be hosting a special improv-style comedy gaming presentation called Who The #@%! Is My D&D Character?! based on the popular website of the same name. Characters will die, new fools will take their place, and we will guffaw. Expect a few industry special guests and good times. THURSDAY JULY 30, 7-9pm at the Crowne Plaza.

In addition to being at the booth, signing and sketching, I’m also proud to announce that I’ll be a part of the Gen Con Writer’s Symposium, a series of panels and discussions about writing craft and the creative business, as part of a new Comic Writing Track along with Bill Willingham (Fables), Chris Roberson (iZombie), Gene Ha (Top Ten), and Daryl Gregory (Legenderry).

Here’s a run down of panels I’ll be on as part of the Symposium:

THURSDAY JULY 30
1:00pm Writing Comics: It’s a Lot Like a Marriage – Authors & Artists
In comic writing you’re dependent on an artist—maybe more than one. Learn how to keep a good relationship with your creative collaborator. ROOM 242

2:00pm Writing Comics: Writing Women Friendly Comics
What is a comic for women? Is it a good idea to try to write to a specific readership? Is it even possible? Explore this topic with our distinguished guests. ROOM 242

FRIDAY JULY 31
1:00pm Writing Comics: Web Comics VS Digital Comics VS Paper Comics
Web Comics vs Digital Comics vs Paper Comics. What’s worth doing? What are the glories and pitfalls of each? Learn all of this and more! ROOM 242

3:00pm Writing Comics: When Only Batman Will Do
What do you do when nothing less than being able to write iconic characters will do? We’ll discuss how to do that, how to get those jobs, and how to keep them! ROOM 242

SATURDAY AUGUST 1
1:00pm Writing Comics: Serial Killers—Writing Serialized Stories
Most comics are serialized stories, written monthly over a year or two or even over decades! There are special challenges to writing this way and we’ll explore the toughest ones. ROOM 242

3:00pm Writing Comics: Write Until it Hurts
Writing comics can be a real challenge, and like every artistic endeavor, sometimes doing it right can hurt! Learn why it can hurt to write comics, and how to deal with it. ROOM 242

Needless to say, there will be a lot going on at Gen Con! If you’re at the show make sure you stop by and say “Hi!”

This weekend I’ll be a guest at the Montreal Comiccon running from July 3-5. At the show I’ll be set up at BOOTH 3305 and will have a great selection of comics available: Wayward, Skullkickers, Samurai Jack, Figment, Makeshift Miracle, and more!

If you live in the Montreal area, come on out to the show! It’s going to be a fun weekend.

I’m a guest at this week’s New York Special Edition convention at Pier 94 in New York City. Special Edition is a comic-focused show, like Artist’s Alley on steroids and I’m excited to meet readers and hang out with industry friends in the Big Apple.

I’ll be set up at TABLE D18 while my books last. I’ll have copies of Wayward and Skullkickers on hand and am looking forward to signing copies of Samurai Jack, Conan Red Sonja, Dungeons & Dragons: Legends of Baldur’s Gate, Pathfinder, Figment, Street Fighter and much more.

I’ll also be on three panels over the weekend:
SATURDAY JUNE 6th:
Writer’s Unite: Pitching Creator-Owned Comics
3:30 PM – 4:30 PM | Theater 1: Creator-owned comics have grabbed the imagination of the comic-reading community all over again and publishers are looking for fresh ideas from a new generation of talent. Listen closely as Charles Soule (Letter 44, Death of Wolverine), Greg Pak (Action Comics, The Princess Who Saved Herself), Marguerite Bennett (Butterfly, A-Force) and Jim Zub (Wayward, Samurai Jack) discuss pitching their comic series to publishers and offer advice on how to traverse the treacherous submission mountain, along with comic writing techniques and amusing anecdotes.

Dark Horse Builds Characters
4:45 PM – 5:45 PM | Theater 1: Join Dark Horse Comics for a Panel of their incredibly talented artists, writers and creators to discuss independent comics, creator-owned rights, brand new projects and hear what’s coming up for the powerhouse publisher for the remainder of 2015. Moderated by Deputy Director of the CBLDF Alex Cox and featuring Alex de Campi (Archie vs Predator, Grindhouse), Brian Wood (Rebels), Jim Zub (Conan Red Sonja), David Mack (Kabuki, Fight Club 2), Joëlle Jones (Lady Killer) as well as a number of surprise Guests – this is a Panel you won’t want to miss!

SUNDAY JUNE 7th:
Image Comics: Where Creators Own Genre
2:45 PM – 3:45 PM | Theater 2: While the mainstream comics industry was once dominated by one genre, we’re inching toward a world where every genre is on the same footing. What’s your taste? Sci-fi? Sword and sorcery? Country-fried crime? Bryan J.L. Glass, Jason Latour, Simon Roy, Scott Snyder and Jim Zub have just the books for you.

Hard to believe that 2015 is the 10th anniversary of the incredible Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo, but it is and, for my tenth year in a row, I’ll be there promoting my comics along with some of my dearest friends and collaborators. It’s one of my favorite shows each year and this special anniversary edition is looking to be the best one yet.

I’ll be set up at Artist Alley Table X20 beside Edwin Huang (Skullkickers) and Max Dunbar (Dungeons & Dragons: Legends of Baldur’s Gate).

I’ll have convention exclusives (including a limited number of copies of the Wayward Vol. 1 limited edition hardcover left over from ECCC), and a special Calgary Expo variant of Wayward #6 with art by Max Dunbar and Tamra Bonvillain.

I have a new pin-up piece in the Calgary Expo Artbook this year:

In addition, the Skullkickers appear in a special 6 page short story created for this year’s Calgary Expo Program Guide. Rex and Rolf storm the convention in their search for a Baby Thool and chaos ensues. If you’re at the show make sure you check it out.

I’ll also be appearing on a couple panels over the weekend:

FRIDAY
Writing and Pitching Comics
Room: Palomino H
Time: 5:30PM – 6:15PM
Jim Zub of Skullkickers, Samurai Jack, and Pathfinder fame teaches the intricacies of bringing your original ideas to publishers the right way. Bring your own ideas to work with!

SATURDAY
World-Building
Room: Palomino H
Time: 11:30AM – 12:15PM
Ever wonder what it takes to create a world? Seasoned creator guests discuss how they turned their imaginations into worlds with societies and laws that both entertain and make you return to read more. Creator Guests: Conor McCreery, Camila d’Errico, Jim Zub, Ryan Ferrier

Get Published or Die Trying: Try Smarter
Room: Quarter Horse
Time: 3:30PM – 4:15PM
It’s never been easier to get published, but is it a route to a career? This Renegade Arts Entertainment panel features publisher Alexander Finbow and special guests discussing their experiences. Creator Guests: Alexander Finbow, Brett Monro, Jim Zub, Riley Rossmo