Zubby Newsletter #93: A Bit Unconventional
The inaugural Comic Comps Con happened on Saturday at the RAID Studio in downtown Toronto and it was a blast. 10 Toronto comic creators sold off piles of extra comp copies they’d built up over the years at bargain basement prices and local comic fans came out in droves. The first few hours were absolutely slammed with people looking to get holiday gifts or fill in gaps in their collections.
It really felt like an old school comic collector show, the sort of event that would have happened in a small hotel ballroom thirty years ago. People excitedly talking about comics and, even if they were there to meet one or two specific creators, they were also excited to browse it all and discover something new.
I had a weird moment when things finally calmed down and I looked around and realized how many books we’ve all worked on over the years. Long boxes jam-packed with single issues and trades we’ve contributed to – hundreds and hundreds of stories. It’s the kind of thing I could never have imagined when I was a kid collecting my favorites, seeing the names in those credit boxes and assuming I’d never get to meet any of those people, let alone be one of them. Surreal.
Normally I’m pretty burned out on conventions by late October/early November so I don’t book any events around this time of year, but seeing industry pals and touching base with local readers one more time before the holidays (while also getting rid of old stock) was surprisingly fun.
Big thanks to Chip and the RAID crew, especially Ramon Perez, for setting this up.
Livestreaming on World At War
I recorded a livestream interview with Thomas Huls from World At War Comics all about Conan the Barbarian – We talked about cover artists, Conan’s legacy, big narrative plans, Solomon Kane, the Conan tabletop RPG, and lots of gratitude for where things are at in the here and now.
Current + Upcoming Releases
Conan the Barbarian Vol. 3: The Age Unconquered TPB – released Nov 19th.
Conan: Battle of the Black Stone #4 (of 4) – released December 4th.
Conan the Barbarian #17 – released December 11th.
Savage Sword of Conan Vol. 1 TPB – releases January 14th.
Conan the Barbarian Vol. 4: Frozen Faith TPB – releases February 18th.
Conan the Barbarian #18 – releases February 19th.
Upcoming Appearances
My 2025 convention schedule is already starting to fill up, with lots of shows where I’m now signed on but guests haven’t been publicly announced yet. If you run a show or know anyone who does and want me to come to your spot on the map in 2025, reach out to Comic Sketch Art or drop me a line and I’ll put you in touch.
Mar 20-23, 2025 Gary Con XVII Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, USA
Links and Other Things
• Brian Lagerstrom‘s chili recipe was absolutely on target with the crisp winter weather we’ve had this week.
• Has Matttt created a weak comic video yet? I don’t think he has and his latest, all about Jeff Smith’s BONE comics, a series which absolutely ignited my imagination when I discovered it, is just as compelling as any he’s done so far.
• I’m looking to get some tabletop momentum going again at home by running some short self-contained adventures and one of the games I’m looking at is MOTHERSHIP, after playing a really fun one-shot session with Joel Hines at Gary Con earlier this year. This Quinn’s Quest video all about Mothership does a great job explaining its compelling features.
• Simon Sinek can sometimes be quite cliché when it comes to inspirational speaking, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t also have some damn good advice. This short clip about reaching out to friends and asking “Do you have 8 minutes?” really grabbed me.
Jim
I hope by inaugural, it means this will happen again. Disappointed to miss such a cool idea so close to home.
The comic comps con was truly the best con experience I’ve had in years!