Rebels, Rogues, and Role Playing with Jim Zub

“Sometimes you just have to create your own creative circle.”

What happens when a kid from Oshawa who loved Dungeons & Dragons grows up to write the Avengers, Conan the Barbarian, and create new canon for D&D itself? In this episode, I catch up with my longtime friend Jim Zub, a comic writer, teacher, and storyteller who proves that staying in the game is the game.

---

This episode is sponsored by my new book BRANDJITSU, helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world.

---

In this episode, comic writer, teacher, and storyteller Jim Zub joins Michael Dargie to talk about a creative journey that started with webcomics and led to writing some of the most iconic characters in popular culture. From his early days as a self-taught comic creator to his current role as the flagship writer for Conan the Barbarian, Jim shares how passion, persistence, and a willingness to reinvent himself have shaped his career .

He recounts the leap of faith that began with Makeshift Miracle, his first webcomic, and how an encouraging email from Scott McCloud, author of Understanding Comics, set him on a path that took him to San Diego Comic-Con and ultimately into the professional comics world. Along the way, Jim navigated setbacks, like being rejected from Sheridan College’s animation program, which pushed him to hone his skills and broaden his creative vision .

The conversation ranges from his time working at Udon Studios, colouring old Conan comics, to writing Avengers during the height of Marvel’s cinematic success, and how it felt to suddenly become a household name in Canadian media. He reflects on his love for Dungeons & Dragons, the joy of creating characters like Cridle who became official D&D canon, and how storytelling allows us to understand ourselves and others more deeply .

Beyond the industry milestones, Jim talks about cooking as a personal creative outlet, karaoke traditions that built lifelong friendships, and the importance of carving out time to make work worth paying for. He offers candid advice to “rebels in waiting” who want to create: build a body of work, stay consistent, and don’t wait for permission. His story is a reminder that creative success isn’t about a single dream but about telling stories that resonate and building communities that last.

Quoteable Quotes

“Staying in the game is the game.” — Jim Zub

“Sometimes you just have to create your own creative circle.” — Jim Zub

“I don’t think, ‘I can’t do this.’ I think, ‘here’s the part where I try and convince myself I can’t do this.’” — Jim Zub

“This is old man wisdom—just stop, then say the important thing.” — Michael Dargie

Episode Highlights

Who is Jim Zub | From Oshawa to Toronto, building a life in comics.

Big Titles | Writing Avengers, Conan, Dungeons & Dragons, Stranger Things, and more.

Makeshift Miracle | His first webcomic and early lessons in storytelling.

Scott McCloud Email | The encouragement that launched him into comics.

San Diego Comic-Con | The moment everything became real.

Childhood Dreams | From wanting to animate Disney films to creating comics.

Artist to Writer | How knowing every role in comics made him a better storyteller.

Japan and Wayward | How travel shaped one of his most successful creator-owned series.

Writing the Avengers | Behind the scenes of Marvel’s biggest event during Infinity War.

Conan the Barbarian | Carrying the torch of a legendary character.

Dungeons & Dragons | From fan to official creator with characters like Cridle.

Karaoke Traditions | Building community through music at conventions.

Advice to Rebels | Create consistently, build work worth paying for.

The Discipline of Writing | How persistence outweighs inspiration.

Writer’s Block | Lessons from 80 published books and counting.

Where to Find Him | JimZub.com as the hub for everything.

Links From Episode

---

Get Your Copy of Michael's Book:
"BrandJitsu™: Move Your Brand From 'Meh' To Memorable"
Indigo | Barnes & Noble | MichaelDargie.com