First Comics News: Why do people love Conan so much?
Jim Zub: The character is older than Superman by six years, and so there’s a generational quality to Conan and his world, the Hyborian Age. That said, there were all kinds of characters created in the 1930’s and a few of them have stuck around the way Conan has, so a big part of his appeal is the quality of Robert E. Howard’s writing – the powerful pulpy adventures he put to the page have made Conan an icon and defined the sword & sorcery genre.
1st: What exactly is the Hyborian Age?
Jim: The Hyborian Age is a mythical pre-history of our world, a land of clashing cultures, mystery, and great danger. Robert E. Howard posited that there could have been multiple histories before our own, lost to time after cataclysmic events, with humanity climbing back up from each destructive period and rebuilding. The Hyborian Age became a fictional construct for him to tell all kinds of different stories.
1st: What do you think of Robert E. Howard?
Jim: He was one of the most prolific and powerful pulp writers of all time. The energy and lyricism he brought to the page still crackles even after all these years, and the core theme of the Conan stories – Civilization VS Savagery – still resonates with us today because it’s intrinsic to the human experience.
1st: Why is Bêlit so important to Conan?
Jim: Bêlit is Conan’s pirate lover, called the “Queen of the Black Coast,” and although she only appears in one of the original prose stories, the impact of her presence and the tragedy of her death echoes outward in ways that make Conan that much more memorable. Several writers have written more stories with Bêlit to explore what made her such a tragic and powerful part of Conan canon, and I’m one of them, exploring who she was and the effect she has on Conan after their adventures together.
1st: Who are Set and Thulsa Doom?
Jim: Set is the Great Serpent, an ancient god of incredible power worshiped throughout Stygia, who has mysterious plans for humanity.
Thulsa Doom is an ancient necromancer and tyrant from the Thurian Age (before the Hyborian Age). His desire for power and immortality is inexhaustible, and in my stories that ambition puts him in conflict with Conan, whereas in the original prose stories he faces off against Kull the Conqueror.
1st: Thoth-Amon, what about him makes him a threat?
Jim: Thoth-Amon is a powerful sorcerer from Stygia who worships Set and carries forth Set’s mysterious plans for humanity, while amassing great mystical power and influence for himself. In the original Robert E. Howard stories Thoth-Amon never directly interacts with Conan, but in many of the comics and other stories, he has become Conan’s arch-enemy, mine included.
1st: Who is Crom to Conan?
Jim: Crom is the great Mountain God of the Cimmerians, Conan’s people. He is a brooding god who does not involve himself in the day-to-day lives of his people. According to legend, he breathes a desire to survive into each Cimmerian upon their birth, and they will not hear from him again until they die and are judged for the life they led.
1st: How do you find working with Titan Comics?
Jim: Titan Comics publishes the Conan comics in English, but I work directly for Heroic Signatures, the rights holders of Conan and the RobE. Howardrt E. Howard character library. It’s a publishing partnership that’s going really well. Most of my time is spent working with the team at Heroic, and they’re wonderful collaborators. Everyone on the team is pushing to make the best stories and art possible. The team at Titan has been great to work with as well, but I don’t interact with them as frequently.
1st: Could Conan survive in the modern world with all our laws?
Jim: There have been several Marvel comic stories that explore this concept (particularly What If and Savage Avengers), but it’s not something I think about. I’m focused on stories of Conan in the Hyborian Age, and that’s more than enough to keep me busy.
1st: What aspects of Conan’s character do you see in yourself?
Jim: I think all of us want the ability to survive whatever life throws at us and to be able to make big changes to our world with an unbroken will. I don’t think I have those exact qualities, but writing a character who is indomitable, both in mind and body, is a form of inspiration, and the longevity and legacy of the work remind me that there are people eager and excited to read these stories and draw inspiration from them as well.
1st: How has being a professor helped your writing of comic books?
Jim: Communication skills are paramount in publishing and, honestly, in every other industry as well. Being able to organize my thoughts and speak well during meetings or in public has helped me innumerable times over the years. Teaching forced me to get better at communication, organization, collaboration, compromise, and paying attention to details throughout a project, all of which have made me better at writing comics and working with teams.
1st: How important are your fans to you?
Jim: This question seems kind of obvious, but what the heck – Fans buying, reading, and sharing their enthusiasm for the work means that it keeps getting published and keeps all of us employed, so obviously I’m indebted to them and thrilled to interact with them at conventions or online when I can.
The fact that I get to do this for a living is something I never want to take for granted, so I’m thrilled people are paying attention and excited for each new issue and collection. Working on the new Conan the Barbarian series has transformed my career, and I’m extremely thankful. It’s been a wonderful journey so far, and I have many more stories to tell.
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