Zub Tales

I mentioned the pre-convention sprint in my previous newsletter and it’s definitely getting intense now. I’m plugging away on writing deadlines and finalizing my schedule for meetings, signings, and panels while trying to leave enough room for all the weird and wonderful things that happen each year at the big show.

If you’re headed to San Diego Comic-Con or Gen Con and want to talk business or you’re a friend and want to hang out, now is the time to reach out and find a good time for it instead of leaving it to chance.

Who will I see at the shows?
Are you ready for impact?

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I’m a Poet and Didn’t Even Realize…

SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN #3 arrived in stores this week!

My contribution this issue is small in terms of page count, but big for me in terms of flexing new creative muscles. Check out more info here:

Big thanks to Chris Butera and Fredrik Malmberg for the suggestion and encouragement, and Rob De La Torre for the incredible art that accompanies my piece in the magazine.

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Nominate These Dragons

The nomination form for the 2024 Dragon Awards is now open and anyone can submit books that were released from July 1st 2023 to June 30th 2024 for consideration…which means that CONAN THE BARBARIAN: BOUND IN BLACK STONE is eligible in the ‘Best Comic Book or Graphic Novel’ category.

Want to help us out? Fill out the form with your fantasy, sci-fi, or other genre favorites and let’s see if we can move to the nomination stage, by Crom!

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Listen To These Dragons

Speaking of dragons, I had a great chat with Erin M. Evans, B. Dave Walters, and Treavor Bettis on their wonderful podcast Writing About Dragons and Sh*t.

We cover graphic novels versus prose, working with artists, writing a short story, the eb and flow of nerd culture, working on Conan the Barbarian, structuring stories for serialized storytelling, and more!
Give it a listen.

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And, while you’re at it, Collect These Dragons

The D&D Young Adventurer’s Collection 2 arrives in stores on Sept 24th, 2024!

Books 5-8 of the series collected together in a great looking box set that makes a perfect gift for new players or dungeon masters.

If you want more information on the D&D Young Adventurer’s Guide series and how they bring new people into tabletop RPGs, check out the Frequently Asked Questions page I put together HERE.

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Got a Question? – Ask Here

I’m continually impressed by the number of questions that Tom Brevoort answers in each installment of his newsletter. It’s clearly a lot of work, but he’s also able to maintain a great sense of back and forth with his readers.

I’ve done extensive Q&As before, and am happy to answer more here if people pose questions in the comments.

Got questions about current or old projects I’ve done? Want to know more about working in the industry or attending conventions? Other queries about other things? Ask away and we’ll see if it gets some traction.

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Current + Upcoming Releases

Conan the Barbarian #12 – released July 3rd.

Life of Wolverine – One Shot – released July 3rd.

Savage Sword of Conan #3 – released July 10th.

Conan the Barbarian Vol.2: Thrice Marked For Death – TPB releases July 16th.

Conan the Barbarian #13 – releases July 24th.

Conan the Barbarian #14 – releases August 21st.

Savage Sword of Conan #4 – releases August 28th.

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Upcoming Appearances

July 25-28, 2024	San Diego Comic-Con	San Diego, CA, USA
Aug 1-4, 2024	Gen Con Indy	Indianapolis, IN, USA
Aug 16-18, 2024	Fan Expo Chicago	Chicago, IL, USA
Aug 22-25, 2024	Fan Expo Canada	Toronto, ONT, CANADA
Oct 17-20, 2024	Gamehole Con	Madison, WI, USA

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Links and Other Things

• I read an advance of the first issue of The Power Fantasy, a new creator-owned comic series by Kieron Gillen and Caspar Wijngaard, and it’s really sharp stuff. Make sure you pre-order to get on board this rocket before it launches to the stratosphere.

• My friend Shelly Mazzanoble has a new book coming out in November called How to Dungeon Master Parenting: A Guidebook for Gamifying the Child Rearing Quest, Leveling Up Your Skills, and Raising Future Adventurers. That title is a mouthful, but it also tells you exactly what you’re going to get, and it’s great stuff all around.

• My friend Phil Rickaby is crowdfunding a Christmas horror stage play called It Sees You When You’re Sleeping about terrors that lie beneath the holiday season, embodied by that damn elf-doll. If you’re in the Toronto area or want to support an independent theater production, check it out.

• I made Sam Zien‘s Saucy Pasta recipe on Friday night and it cooked up fast and turned out really tasty. It’s also a simple base to build other pasta recipes around, so I’m definitely going to make it again in the future.

Jim