Rob de la Torre works plot-style, I wrote an overview of the key action on each page, let him illustrate it and then came back in with the lettering script to match his page art. Since you've all been so patient around new updates, this post also includes the rough letter positioning guide I sent to letterer Richard Starkings to give him a sense of where I was envisioning the lettering based on the script.
If you want to see how it all came together in ...
2025-06-26 17:12:40 +0000 UTC
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With Conan the Barbarian #9 we begin the third story arc of our big Conan the Barbarian relaunch and, without trying to sound too dramatic, really needed to prove that the new series could go the distance. Rob De La Torre is back as our line artist, bringing that incredible classic look, I just had to create a stirring epic worthy of his skills, payoff plot lines we'd set up in the first two arcs and, ideally, show that we could have a lot more story...
2025-05-01 12:00:12 +0000 UTC
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Conan the Barbarian arc 2, Thrice Marked For Death, comes to an explosive conclusion with this issue. Doug Braithwaite's wonderful line art and Diego Rodriguez's moody colors stir up horror and emotion here in a big way. Everyone on the team was inspired and that helped fuel 2025-04-11 13:00:08 +0000 UTC
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Conan the Barbarian arc 2, Thrice Marked For Death, continues and this third part has some truly nasty moments of eerie emotion and explosive violence. Doug Braithwaite's incredible line art and Diego Rodriguez's moody colors evoked a lot more horror than our first arc, so I leaned into that aspect whi...
2025-03-28 13:00:07 +0000 UTC
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Conan the Barbarian arc 2, Thrice Marked For Death, continues and this second part is jam-packed with heist-laden horrors and action aplenty. Doug Braithwaite's artwork is obviously different from Roberto De La Torre's, but I was thrilled with the way Doug built up tension and atmosphere with both the ...
2025-03-04 05:40:00 +0000 UTC
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With the second arc of the new Conan the Barbarian series Doug Braithwaite stepped in to handle the line art and, after chatting with him about the story, he asked if I could produce full scripts instead of plot-style. No problem, obviously that's how I was used to working so it was an easy switch to make.
Below you can read my full script for the first issue of Arc 2, 2025-01-21 14:59:19 +0000 UTC
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Continuing with the 'Marvel method' style plot-and-lettering collaboration scripts I've been doing with Rob De La Torre, here's my core writing from issue #4 of the new Conan the Barbarian series for you to check out.
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Years after the battle of Venarium, a weary Conan returns to his homeland to seek rest and solitude. However, a mysterious scout rides in to warn the Cimmerians of an imminent threat on the march from the Pictish wilderness. Will Conan and hi...
2024-12-08 14:28:00 +0000 UTC
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Continuing with the 'Marvel method' style plot-and-lettering collaboration scripts I've been doing with Rob De La Torre, here's my core writing from issue #3 of the new Conan the Barbarian series for you to check out.
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Years after the battle of Venarium, a weary Conan returns to his homeland to seek rest and solitude. However, a mysterious scout rides in to warn the Cimmerians of an imminent threat on the march from the Pictish wilderness. Will Conan and hi...
2024-11-28 02:51:02 +0000 UTC
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Continuing with the 'Marvel method' style plot-and-lettering collaboration scripts I've been doing with Rob De La Torre, here's my core writing from issue #2 of the new Conan series for you to check out.
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Years after the battle of Venarium, a weary Conan returns to his homeland to seek rest and solitude. However, a mysterious scout rides in to warn the Cimmerians of an imminent threat on the march from the Pictish wilderness. Will Conan and his new ally be ...
2024-11-19 14:37:57 +0000 UTC
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Last year I was honored to relaunch Conan the Barbarian through Heroic Signatures (the rights holders for Conan and the rest of the Robert E. Howard character library) and Titan Comics. The launch has gone extremely well and the response from readers has been incredible.
I previously posted the plot script for Conan the Barbarian #0, our Free Comic Book Day prelude issue, but have held off on ...
2024-10-11 12:00:20 +0000 UTC
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This two-part Batman story is one of my absolute favorite projects I've ever worked on. Getting the chance to write a Batman story, let alone one with classic Harley Quinn, was an incredible opportunity.
Editor Hank Kanalz (who eventually became a VP at DC Comics), who was handling all the DC digital-first comics at that time, dropped me a line out of the blue. He'd read some of my blog posts about the economics of creator-owned comics and liked my attitude. (Which goes to prove that yo...
2024-09-21 14:38:35 +0000 UTC
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New on my YouTube Channel, a free lesson from Marvel's The Art of Storytelling course, in partnership with Proko.
If you want to start writing stories for comics, understanding the basic three-act structure is the ideal way to begin.
Start by establishing key characters, their abilities, and the setting. Introduce an inciting incident to propel the story into conflict, where characters face both external and internal challenges. Build tension and excitement leading to a climax,...
2024-06-24 13:11:47 +0000 UTC
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Here's the final part of the Robert E. Howard-centric crossover mini-series I wrote back in 2019. The full script and the mini-series outline.
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At last - AGNES, KANE, and MOON KNIGHT join CONAN in the Hyborian Age for the final showdown between SET, the WYRM, and - KHONSHU?! JAMES ALLISON brought them together, but will KHONSHU tear them apart? The thrilling conclusion to the ages-spanning saga that will have ramifications on the future of the assembled cast!
2024-06-05 14:00:02 +0000 UTC
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The big finish to my latest D&D mini-series. Finder's true form has been revealed, along with an interesting tether to one of my previous D&D comic stories.
Attached below is the full script for the final issue and the story outline I used after the initial pitch was approved.
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After the shocking reveal of Finder's true nature in the last issue, our starry-eyed hero must make a life-defining choice: Will they return to the monotonous raison d'être they were d...
2024-05-13 13:00:02 +0000 UTC
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Here's part 3 of the Robert E. Howard-centric crossover mini-series I wrote in 2019. Full script below.
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THE LAST STAND OF CONAN, DARK AGNES, SOLOMON KANE & MOON KNIGHT!
CONAN and DARK AGNES face off against the servants of SET in STYGIA! SOLOMON KANE and MOON KNIGHT encounter a bizarre relic - but will it aid their quest, or doom their compatriots? And what deadly secret lurks in the mind of JAMES ALLISON?
2024-05-01 14:00:05 +0000 UTC
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Continuing the Robert E. Howard crossover mini-series I wrote back in 2019. Here's the full script.
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In an unprecedented comics event, Robert E. Howard's characters join forces along with Marvel's Moon Knight, in an all-new saga built on REH and Marvel lore from across the ages! The serpent god SET plans to usher in an eternity of darkness, and only the chosen warriors across time and space have a hope of stopping him: CONAN THE BARBARIAN, SOLOMON KANE, DARK AGNES, and the ...
2024-04-20 14:49:30 +0000 UTC
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The full script for the penultimate chapter of my latest D&D mini-series.
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Finder's quest to uncover their true identity leads them to Mechanus, a realm of absolute order that maintains the structure of the multiverse. But when the beings who patrol this realm discover an agent of chaos in their midst, Finder's journey may finally be done for good.
Secrets are revealed in this penultimate issue of the series inspired by the new sourcebook, Planescap...
2024-04-15 13:00:01 +0000 UTC
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Back in 2019, after writing a 3-part Savage Sword of Conan story called" The Gambler", I was offered the chance to develop a mini-series with multiple Robert E. Howard-created characters teaming up on an epic adventure.
Conan the Barbarian was a must, of course. Solomon Kane and Dark Agnes were recommended. I did some digging back into other REH stories and decided that James Allison, who only appeared in 3 published stories, could work well to link the heroes together given his memori...
2024-03-28 03:38:51 +0000 UTC
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Here's the full script for Part 3 of my latest D&D mini-series.
The mystery continues...
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Finder, now a part of a group of Dustmen morticians, still has amnesia, but that's far from his biggest problem. A series of corpses found around Sigil have traces of a strange magical energy that's tearing the fabric of reality itself, and if the murderer isn't stopped soon, Finder won't have a chance to find out who they really are before the end of everything.
2024-03-11 13:00:01 +0000 UTC
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Here it is - the final issue of Conan the Barbarian I wrote over at Marvel. Released in the thick of the pandemic, I was almost 100% certain that it would be my last chance to write the Cimmerian and, feeling awkward and wistful about how it all went down, I still tried to channel something mythic into the ending while struggling with my own disappointment.
Making that even harder, I'd originally planned to make the story here be a double-sized whammy, something appropriate for a 300th ...
2024-03-04 14:00:02 +0000 UTC
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'Until Our Stories End' is a 2-part tale I put together to wrap up my run on Conan the Barbarian at Marvel. The big anniversary issue (Legacy #300) was on the horizon and I knew we were finishing after that, so I tried to use this story as a way to say good-bye and also to say something mythic about the character and his legacy.
This issue was meant to tee up a double-sized finale, but instead ended up being longer than the page count I was given for the payoff. If I'd known ahead of ti...
2024-02-26 14:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Land of the Lotus kicks into its final confrontation.
Attached here is the full script for the issue and the outline I used to breakdown the story for my editor and the licensor.
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HUNTER OR HUNTED?
• CONAN has been framed for the murder of the emperor and is hunted by the Imperial Guard.
• But Conan has not survived the Hyborian Age without learning some hunting tactics of his own...
• The dramatic conclusion to...
2024-02-12 14:00:11 +0000 UTC
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Below is the full script for part 2 of my latest D&D mini-series, a mystery set in Planescape.
There's a cameo with Fell's Five (the D&D party from IDW's previous D&D comic series) in this issue, just a fun little nod to past characters.
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After the shocking conclusion of last issue, Finder finds themselves undergoing some big changes, but there's no time to dwell on the past when they must test their luck against a group of assassins in Sigil's mo...
2024-02-10 14:11:18 +0000 UTC
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Part 4 of the Land of the Lotus storyline. I tied in plot material from previous issues here as a way to harken back to the serialized monthly comic stories I enjoyed so much growing up.
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BY THE LIGHT OF THE EMPEROR!
CONAN returns the TOOTH OF THE NIGHTSTAR and is granted an audience with the holy EMPEROR OF KHITAI!
Few have ever beheld the emperor's divine form...but what will Conan's meeting portend for the nation? Don't miss the story that will rock the...
2024-01-29 14:00:04 +0000 UTC
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My latest D&D comic story is a wild one that introduces readers to the wonderful setting of Planescape, a place where anything and everything can happen. There’s a mystery afoot as our main character has amnesia and needs to piece together who they are and how they’re connected to the grand forces that dict...
2024-01-21 14:00:11 +0000 UTC
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Part 3 of Land of the Lotus builds on the momentum we gained in part 2. Lots of action and supernatural twists in this issue as the threat of Heng is dealt with, but the adventure continues.
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THE DEADLY SECRET OF HENG THE INSURGENT!
CONAN must fight for his life against the Bandit King's deadly power! But will Conan have what it takes…even if it costs his very soul?
The barbarian's surprising saga in the LAND OF THE LOTUS takes a ...
2024-01-15 16:08:08 +0000 UTC
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Here it is at last, the script for SKULLKICKERS #100 (aka. Skullkickers #34) from 2015, the final issue of the ongoing series. It's a meta-commentary on storytelling, fantasy and archetypes, and also a send off for our heroic idiots.
Skullkickers changed my life. Without that run I never would have become a regular comic writer or had the chance to work on sword & sorcery titles like Conan the Barbarian, Dungeons & Dragons, Red Sonja, Pathfinder, and others.
...
2023-12-31 14:00:04 +0000 UTC
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Here's the full script for part 2 of 'LAND OF THE LOTUS', with Conan trapped in Khitai, trying to survive against multiple factions and a land full of danger.
Cory draws some great action and the tension is thick.
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INTO THE WILD!
CONAN must escape the Khitai royal guard while stalking through...
2023-12-28 14:21:29 +0000 UTC
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Here's the first part of my Land of the Lotus story, with Conan adventuring in the lands of Khitai. After the rocky difficulties of the pandemic we tried to position this issue (and the the storyline as a whole) as a way to bring fan interest back to Conan. Cory Smith stepped in as our new regular artist and, honestly, he drew the hell out of these issues. I almost wish we'd been able to color right from Cory's pencils because they were incredibly detailed and had even more energy.
2023-12-18 14:00:06 +0000 UTC
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Here's the full script for the second part of the 'Curse of the Nightstar' story that acts as a narrative bridge between 'Into the Crucible' and 'Land of the Lotus'.
Because we received our 'pencils down' order from Marvel midway through production, I genuinely thought this story would never see completion and that my Marvel Conan the Barbarian run would be finished with only 2 issues released and 5 produced. Six months later we did get rolling again, but by that point the artist on par...
2023-12-12 00:26:01 +0000 UTC
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