SKULLKICKERS: CASTER BASTARDS and the GREAT GROTESQUE is a new sword & sorcery comic story AND 5e-compatible tabletop adventure, funding NOW on Kickstarter!
Please help spread the word far and wide and, if you like what you see, back the campaign! Come celebrate 10 years of skull-kicking goodness with us.
I Did a TEDx Talk!
On May 2nd I participated in the TEDx St. Mary event held in Oshawa and had the opportunity to present to a crowd of over 800 students. I talked about my creative journey and how the tabletop games I played when I was young sparked my creativity, taught me empathy and gave me confidence, skills I use every day as both a comic writer and teacher.
The video is finally live-
TEDx – Raised By Dragons:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVhnpZ…
I’ll be honest, I was incredibly nervous in the lead up to the event and just wanted to make sure I didn’t embarrass myself up there. Thankfully, it turned out well and I’m really glad I did it. Having the chance to talk about games, comics, teaching, and storytelling in this way to an appreciative crowd was really special.
If you get a chance to watch the video and share it, that would mean a lot to me.
Big thanks to Craig Zimmer for setting up this event and offering valuable feedback throughout the process and, of course, a huge thanks to my family for their love and support all these years.
WAYWARD Comic Series Optioned for TV!
Writer Jim Zub and illustrator Steven Cummings’ WAYWARD, an ongoing comic series published by Image Comics, has been optioned by UK-based Manga Entertainment for development in television as a Japanese animated or live action series. Zub and Cummings will act as creative consultants on the project, including development of the initial story treatment along with character and creature designs.
WAYWARD is an action-drama set in modern Tokyo where Yokai, Japanese creatures and spirits of legend, battle against teenagers imbued with newfound supernatural power. The series launched to critical acclaim in August 2014 and is currently available in monthly comic format and four collected trade paperbacks, with a new deluxe hardcover collection arriving in July. WAYWARD’s first volume, ‘String Theory’, made the Young Adult Library Services Association’s 2016 List of ‘Great Graphic Novels for Teens’ and has been favorably reviewed by many outlets, including Kirkus.
Zub is a Harvey and Shuster Award-nominated comic writer (AVENGERS, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, SAMURAI JACK, FIGMENT). His other creator-owned titles, GLITTERBOMB and SKULLKICKERS, are also published by Image Comics, the third largest comic publisher in North America and publisher of The Walking Dead.
Cummings is an American comic book artist based in Japan (DEADSHOT, LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT, STREET FIGHTER, FORAGER).
Jerome Mazandarani, COO of Manga Entertainment, said, “We are very excited to be working with Jim and Steven to bring the characters and world of WAYWARD to life for the screen. Jim and Steven have managed to create a truly unique high stakes action-drama that feels fresh and authentic in its mixture of Japanese and Celtic mythology. We are very confident this story will connect with audiences across Asia and the rest of the world.”
Zub said, “As soon as Jerome and I started talking about a collaboration, I had a good feeling Manga Entertainment would be the right place to develop Wayward. The crew at Manga intimately understand the anime market and have helped popularize some of the biggest brands in that space. As Japanese art and animation continues to go global, co-producing Wayward at a Japanese studio with Manga taking the lead is a natural choice.”
Founded in 1987, Manga Entertainment began as a producer, licensor and distributor of Japanese animation in the United Kingdom, quickly earning its reputation as the UK’s largest anime distributor with revered anime brands including GHOST IN THE SHELL, DRAGON BALL Z, NARUTO, ONE PIECE, BLEACH and DEATH NOTE. Headquartered in London, Manga Entertainment continues to specialize in the licensing, marketing and distribution of Japanese animation and other beloved new/classic pop culture franchises like HALO, TRANSFORMERS, POKEMON and YU-GI-OH!
Zub and Cummings are represented by APA.
This Friday, June 24th, I’ll be signing at Coliseum of Comics in Orlando. There are multiple stores, but I’ll be at the Millenia location!
Figment, Wayward, Samurai Jack, Thunderbolts, Skullkickers and a whole lot more!
Disney fans have been asking when I’d be visiting Florida and now, finally, it’s happening in just a few days! Please share this info with other Figment fans and, if you live in Florida, I hope to see you there!
www.patreon.com/jimzub
Patreon is a fundraising site where you can become a patron of the arts, donating a bit of money each month to show your support for online content you value.
Quite a few people I've met at conventions or interacted with online have told me that they've enjoyed the comic writing tutorials I've made and that they'd "buy me a beer" if they could. Well, with this site you can kind of do that and get access to comic scripts, pitch documents, and sneak peeks at my upcoming work while helping fund my future creator-owned comic projects.
The first post, with the full scripts for SKULLKICKERS #1 and WAYWARD #1, is already up and absolutely FREE so you can get a feel for the kind of content I'll be sending to supporters each month:
www.patreon.com/posts/full-scr…
If you join now at the $3+ level you'll already have access to the original pitch document and full script for the first issue of SAMURAI JACK.
If you've found my articles helpful in your own creative process or just want a look behind the curtain at how comics are written, I'd be thrilled to have you on board. The tutorial articles I write will always be free and available on my site, this is just a way for me to give a focused look at the writing process and get a little bit back in return.
Whether you donate here on Patreon, read my work in print/digital, or share my comics and articles with others, THANK YOU for your continued support!