Thread by @JimZub

My 'career' in TTRPGs has been strange and I came into it sideways via illustration and comics.

https://twitter.com/_MikeKimmel/status/1375929960464977926

While working in animation I started doing some freelance illustration for indy RPGs.

Soon after, I joined the Udon studio and started doing illustrations for Dungeon Magazine (when it was at Paizo), Exalted and a bunch of other RPG books.

That led to networking at conventions like Origins and Gen Con, which turned into more art gigs for RPGs.

Udon wanted to expand their comic publishing and we had a great relationship with White Wolf, so that turned into developing and co-writing an Exalted comic mini-series.

A few years later I launched my a creator-owned fantasy comic called Skullkickers that had a very RPG campaign-gone-wrong feel to it.

@erikmona, Publisher at Paizo, really liked the series and told me if they ever did a Pathfinder comic I'd be at the top of his list to write it.

A year later, Paizo licensed Pathfinder to Dynamite Comics and, good to his word, Erik asked me to write it.

I wrote three mini-series and an annual - 19 issues in total. It was my first monthly paid comic writing gig and helped brand me as a sword & sorcery writer.

I wrote a bunch of other comics, but the Samurai Jack series at IDW became crucial because the head of IDW really liked that book and asked me what other stuff I'd like to write for them.

I said my dream book for them would be "Dungeons & Dragons".

At that time, D&D 4th edition was dying out and 5th edition had been announced but not yet launched.

It's hard to imagine now, but D&D fandom was in a real low spot and the license didn't seem to have pull.

IDW had done several D&D comics and they'd done okay, but weren't the kind of thing they were rushing to do more of.

I stressed to them that a new edition launch was an ideal time to get tie-in eyeballs on a new comic and they agreed that it was worth a shot.

In 2014 we launched D&D: Legends of Baldur's Gate alongside the Tyranny of Dragons adventure material.

Since then, 4 other D&D comic mini-series and more to come-

The books did well and it secured my brand as the "RPG comic guy", leading to gigs writing Munchkin, Rick and Morty VS D&D and Stranger Things and D&D.

Most of my comic editors on these books were not gamers, so they would make sure the book was on schedule but couldn't give specific game-related feedback.

That would put me in direct contact with the licensors and get me chatting with them about game product stuff.

Those conversations with fine folks like @adamofadventure turned into incredible opportunities to work on #TTRPG projects - consulting on Descent Into Avernus, writing on D&D VS Rick and Morty and developing and co-writing the Young Adventurer's Guide series for new players.

So yeah, like I said, a very weird and unexpected path but I'm so thankful for all of it.

TTRPGs changed my life.
I wouldn't be where I am without them.

I even did a TED Talk about how good they were for me and what they can teach us:


Getting to contribute to these worlds and bring new people into the hobby is the greatest.

64 RPG-related comics so far (+ more to come)

Game-Specific
• A campaign scenario + comic short story for Kids On Bikes
• The D&D VS Rick and Morty game set
• Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus
• The D&D Young Adventurer's Guides
• The Skullkickers RPG Adventure (underway)