Jim Zubkavich, known professionally as Jim Zub, is a
Canadiancomic book writer, artist, and art instructor best known for creating comics Skullkickers (2010), Wayward (2014), and Glitterbomb (2016) for
Image Comics, and writing on the series Thunderbolts (2016), Uncanny Avengers (2017),Avengers: No Surrender (2018), and Champions (2018) for
Marvel Comics. As well as writing and creating comics, Zub is the former program co-ordinator and a current art professor at
Toronto's
Seneca College.
Early life
Jim Zub is Canadian.[1] He grew up watching
Spider-Man cartoons as a kid, and soon after fell in love with comics. He has stated that
Stan Lee was a big influence on him, specifically by giving his
superheroes flaws.[2]
Career
Jim Zub created his first comic, Makeshift Miracle, in 2001, followed by a nine-year stint at
UDON Entertainment as a colorist, illustrator, project manager, writer and editor[3] where he wrote various Street Fighter comic books.[4]
In 2010, Zub launched Skullkickers at Image Comics.[5] A creator-owned sword & sorcery action-comedy, Skullkickers ran for thirty-three issues completing six volumes. The series came to an end in 2015.[6]
In 2014, Zub launched
Wayward at
Image Comics with art by co-creator
Steven Cummings.[5] His first creator-owned book since Skullkickers, Wayward is described as
Buffy The Vampire Slayer set in
Japan."[9] A teen coming-of-age story injected with Japanese myth and the supernatural.[5] The series spanned 30 issues and six
trade paperback volumes before coming to an end on October 31, 2018.[9]
Zub and IDW partnered up for Dungeons & Dragons: Legends of Baldur's Gate #1-5 in 2014,[10] followed up by Dungeons & Dragons: Shadows of the Vampire #1-5 in 2016, Dungeons & Dragons: Frost Giant’s Fury #1-5 in 2017,[11] and Dungeons & Dragons: Evil At Baldur’s Gate #1-5 in 2018.[12]
In 2016, Zub and
French-Canadian artist Djibril Morissette-Phan launched Glitterbomb at
Image Comics, a four-part mini-series about a struggling actress trying to regain fame in a sexist, abusive industry.[13] A second four-part mini-series, Glitterbomb: The Fame Game, launched in 2017.[14]
Zub started writing for Marvel in 2016 with
Thunderbolts,[15] followed by Uncanny Avengers in 2017.[16] He created a new hero, villains, and new backstories in the 16-part Avengers: No Surrender in 2018,[17] as well as taking over Champions with #19, and creating a new Canadian Hero, Snowguard.[18][1][19] Also in 2018, Zub wrote the four-part Wolverine miniseries, Mystery in Madripoor.[20]
In late 2018, it was announced that Zub, along with writers
Mark Waid and
Al Ewing, would reunite for Avengers: No Road Home, being called a "spiritual successor" to their previous collaboration, Avengers: No Surrender." Art will be done by Paco Medina and Sean Izaakse. The series began in February 2019.[25]
Personal life
Zub and his wife, Stacy King[26] live in Toronto. As well as writing comics, Zub is also a professor at Toronto's Seneca College and teaches classes in layout and design, character animation and animation history.[27]
Dungeons & Dragons: Days of Endless Adventure (March 2020,
ISBN978-1-68405-275-2) which collects Legends of Baldur's Gate, Shadows of the Vampire and Frost Giant's Fury
Dungeons & Dragons: Best of Minsc & Boo (April 2022) which collects Legends of Baldur's Gate #1, Shadows of the Vampire #2, Evil at Baldur's Gate #1, and Evil at Baldur's Gate #5[34]
Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons: Chapter II: Painscape #1-4 (co-written with Sarah Stern) collected in Volume 2 (collects #1-4, TPB, 2020,
ISBN978-1620106907)
Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons: The Meeseeks Adventure #1 (2022)
Rick and Morty: vs. Cthulhu #1-4 collected in Volume 1 (collects #1-4, TPB, 112 pages, 2023,
ISBN9781637152218)
Other collected editions:
Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons: Deluxe Edition (September 2021,
ISBN978-1-62010-875-8) which collects Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons #1-4 & Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons: Chapter II: Painscape #1-4, and Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons: The Meeseeks Adventure
Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons: The Complete Adventures (October 2022,
ISBN9781684056491) which collects Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons #1-4 & Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons: Chapter II: Painscape #1-4, and Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons: The Meeseeks Adventure