Zubby Newsletter #74: Confluence of Events
San Diego Comic-Con went so well, with almost no downside at all, and I joked with Stacy that it meant Gen Con would be a disaster…
We drove down to Indianapolis Tuesday and Wednesday, and everything went well. Laughing and singing on the road, chatting about our plans. On Wednesday night I saw lots of friends and could feel that convention excitement starting to build. Then, on Thursday morning, literally minutes before the exhibit hall opened, my head suddenly felt stuffy and lightheaded, so I went back to our hotel room and took a Covid rapid test-
And there it was. The joke was now the reality.
As soon as I called Stacy, she stepped up to cope with a rapid series of logistic needs. She took a Covid test and it came up negative, and then sprang into action. While day one of the show kicked off, I notified everyone I met the day before and started repacking our luggage while she carted a load of books back to the hotel room so I could autograph them in the hope that they might sell at the booth even if I wasn’t there.
(And if you’re at Gen Con right now, BOOTH #1145 is still selling our signed books all weekend.)
Going to the show Covid symptomatic would be irresponsible. Staying sequestered in a hotel room wouldn't work. Not being able to socialize with anyone and spending more money would just be pointless. So, heartbroken and frustrated, we loaded up the car and drove out of Indy less than 24 hours after we arrived.
The drive to Indianapolis from Toronto usually takes about 9 hours and on the way down we split it up over two days, so it was leisurely. Thanks to construction slowdowns and bad weather the drive home took 11 hours and it was utterly miserable, especially as I kept getting messages from people asking where we were at the show
The crapola icing on the cake was that when Stacy got home she tested again and this time was Covid positive. We knew that would likely be the case, but having that at the finish line after such a hard day was pretty demoralizing.
I slept almost 12 hours today and have been congested and a bit feverish. Stacy hasn’t slept as steadily and has more body aches and fever. We know we need to just rest and recover, but doing that while Gen Con rolls on feels so strange.
Last year I managed to attend a lot of events and not get Covid, but obviously I became too lax and need to be more methodical about future appearances. Ironically, I have new events to announce coming up but, as you might imagine, that is not my top priority at this moment.
Years In The Making
In my previous newsletter I mentioned signing a long-term deal with Heroic Signatures to keep writing Conan, and when I expanded on that info a few days ago it went wide to the comic press and a barrage of happy messages poured forth from readers, retailers, and fellow pros.
I was really taken aback, in the best way possible. It’s been a steady stream of excitement and well wishes that continued even while our Gen Con plans unraveled in real time. I woke up this morning from my feverish sleep to dozens of new congratulations from colleagues and fans, so word is still getting out to wider circles. It’s been a bright spot through a couple dim days.
Thank you. I’m genuinely humbled by all the kind words.
I firmly believe that serialized storytelling like this works best when the creative team has room to build with confidence. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a place for short and powerful stories, but iconic characters or teams carry on and thrive, decade after decade, when the fanbase isn’t getting the rug pulled out from under them multiple times per year. Yes, a fresh first issue can be a potent jumping on point, but it can just as easily be an off ramp if readers feel like they’re not getting their money’s worth and it’ll all be vaporized in a reboot/relaunch in a few months anyways.
The Conan the Barbarian relaunch with Heroic Signatures and Titan was a unique opportunity to refocus and renew a character and world with over 90 years of published stories and 50 years of comics, but we had to make absolutely sure the end result felt worthy of that restart. I pitched a wider mythic story that encompassed all kinds of ideas, some self-contained stories and other longer interweaving plotlines, but also knew I was only promised one year to prove it could work. Conan the Barbarian #0-12 had to serve as a self-contained epic and also tee up the future. Thankfully, by issue 4 we could see how solid the response was and could start ratifying the long term plan.
So, here we are! This 3-year contract extension I’ve signed with Heroic is a way to ensure we deliver the goods, with all of us confidently pushing in the same direction. Conan the Barbarian #13 just arrived in stores, and I’m writing issue #22 while tightly plotting out material for the end of year 2 and into year 3. Rob De La Torre, Doug Braithwaite, Richard Starkings, Jeff Shanks, and the rest of our amazing crew are on board, all of us excited to be part of this grand adventure. It’s going to be an absolute blast.
Barbarian Talk
Quite a few fans asked me if there was any video footage of the Conan the Barbarian panel from SDCC. The official Conan YouTube channel has you covered.
Scholar Jeff Shanks, painter Joe Jusko, letterer Richard Starkings, artist Geof Isherwood, and I talk about the exciting year we just had and exciting plans to come:
Magic on the Move
During San Diego Comic-Con, Dark Horse Comics announced that they would be taking over the comic license for Dungeons & Dragons and Magic the Gathering, previously at IDW and Boom.
I’ve known about this for a few months but couldn’t say anything public, obviously. Both Wizards of the Coast and Dark Horse reached out to let me know well ahead of time. Since the announcement didn’t come with any creative team attached and I’ve written more D&D comics than anyone else, a lot of people asked me if I would be involved in this new DH-D&D comic initiative. I’m not part of the launch line-up, but I know who is and I think fans are going to be really happy once they’re announced.
(That said, I’ve already been talking to my friends at Dark Horse about possible future stories, so don’t be surprised if I do pop up again at some point down the road…)
Current + Upcoming Releases
Savage Sword of Conan #3 – released July 10th.
Conan the Barbarian Vol.2: Thrice Marked For Death – TPB released July 16th.
Conan the Barbarian #13 – released July 24th.
Conan the Barbarian #14 – releases August 21st.
Savage Sword of Conan #4 – releases August 28th.
Conan: Battle of the Black Stone #1 (of 4) – releases September 4th.
D&D Young Adventurer’s Collection Box Set 2 – releases September 24th.
Conan the Barbarian #15 – releases September 25th.
Upcoming Appearances
Just announced at Gen Con, I’m joining the team at D&D In a Castle and will be running my first game at Lumley Castle from November 4th-8th. A lot more details coming up in future newsletters, but if you want to secure a spot at my table, head on over to the website HERE. Specific tickets for my event will start going live next week, so you can secure a spot at the castle now and then specify your Dungeon Master of choice next week.
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
Nov 4-8, 2024 D&D In a Castle Newcastle, UK
Links and Other Things
• Editor and writer Alex Segura talked to the Los Angeles Times all about the enduring importance of San Diego Comic-Con.
• Samwise Didier posted a streaming rundown of the illustration process for his Battle of the Black Stone variant cover.
Jim
Get well soon! I'm so happy about your long term commitment to Conan, the first year was fantastic, it's good to be a Conan fan nowadays!
Feel better!