Zubby Newsletter #115: Sprinting Through Spain
Stacy and I are at our hotel in Madrid, easing our way through the morning as we finish packing our luggage and then head to the airport. I wanted to send out a newsletter four days ago after we finished the London leg of it all, but it’s been too busy for me to carve out the time to get it done until now.
Man oh man, what a trip. MCM London Comic Con was bustling, the store signings I’ve done have been hopping, and there’s been a steady drumbeat of go-go-go punctuating almost every day. Even our ‘break’ days have been intense as we packed in visits with old friends and a couple business meetings as well. It wasn’t until yesterday, when we took a day trip to Segovia with Ivan Gil and his wife Luda, that things seemed to slow down enough to realize how quick it’s all been going.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s been really fun. Among the many highlights:
• Being set up at the convention between Mark Brooks and Stanley ‘Artgerm’ Lau, watching both of them absolutely crush it in terms of sketches for fans.
• Dinner with Sean Gordon Murphy and his crew, talking about broader industry trends and weathering the storm of publishing highs and lows.
• Catching up with Alex Trowers, Leanne and their amazing kids after the show wrapped up on Sunday.
• Wandering London with them, Gabrielle Kent, Satish and their little one, including a foray into the British Museum.
• A big pizza dinner with so many of our England friends, including the wonderful Rhianna Pratchett, to cap off our time in London.
• Stopping by the Titan Books office to discuss future Conan the Barbarian plans.
• Stacy and I gallery and museum’ed it up in both cities, with visits to the British National Gallery, the Prado, the Reina Sofia, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza museums. So much art, an overflowing blast of inspiration.
• Both signings in Madrid were amazing! So many Spanish readers came out and quite a few of them brought stacks of my books to sign. The staff at Arte 9 and Omega Center were so incredibly welcoming and stocked deep on titles as well.
• A bunch of Spanish comic creators came out for dinner after the Omega Center signing on Saturday, including my friend Pepe Larraz, who is the current artist of Amazing Spider-Man.
Getting face time with Spanish creators, especially the wonderful artists I’m currently working with, was incredibly special. As much as we all try to stay in touch, via email or Zoom, nothing can replace that in-person experience. We really are a creative team, and the stronger that bond can be, the better. I want my collaborators to know how much I value their efforts, month after month.
As tired as I feel sprinting through the past nine days, my mind is sparking with electricity because of the great interactions I’ve had with everyone here overseas. In a year already packed with amazing experiences, this trip has been an unexpected high point…
(…and we’ll be back in the UK again in November for a double dose of D&D in a Castle!)
Current + Upcoming Releases
Conan: Battle of the Black Stone TPB – released April 1st.
Rick and Morty VS Cthulhu – Deluxe Edition – released April 1st.
Conan the Barbarian #20 – released April 16th.
FCBD Conan: Scourge of the Serpent – Prelude – released May 3rd.
Conan the Barbarian #21 – releases June 11th.
Street Fighter Masters: Elena one-shot – releases June 25th.
Conan the Barbarian #22 – releases July 9th.
Upcoming Appearances
I’m a surprise guest at the Glass Cannon Retreat happening in Las Vegas in a couple weeks! I’ll be running TTRPG sessions and playing a few NPCs during the festivities and it’s going to be awesome.
June 12-15, 2025 Glass Cannon Retreat Las Vegas, NV, USA
Jul 31-Aug 3, 2025 Gen Con Indy – Booth 1349 Indianapolis, IN, USA
Sep 27-28, 2025 Chattanooga Comic Con Chattanooga, TN, USA
Oct 16-19, 2025 Gamehole Con XII Madison, WI, USA
Nov 3-14, 2025 D&D in a Castle Castle Lumley, Newcastle, UK
Other Links
• An artbook retrospective of Frank Frazetta’s early career is funding over on Kickstarter and it looks like it’s going to be a beauty: Becoming Frazetta- The Early Years of a Fantasy Art Master.
• Another artbook for a classic artist that’s also funding right now online and well worth checking out: Into White- The Art of George Pratt.
• The unofficial Howardverse website has a list of ‘Where to start with Conan the Barbarian comics’ that acts as a quick overview of the character’s history in comics.
Jim
Es muy Bueno, amigo. Looks like you both enjoyed your time there. Thanks for the read