The Dark Side of Hollywood: Jim Zub on Glitterbomb

The book is disturbing on many levels, but it’s a work of horror that’s about something. In 2017, we’re all part of the entertainment industry, so works about Hollywood no longer feel as though they’re directed at insiders. Farrah’s frustrations, disappointments, and righteous anger make Glitterbomb not only a scary and bloody work (with wonderfully evocative art from newcomer Djibril Morissette-Phan), but also seem to be building a powerful revenge fantasy.
Jim was nice enough to chat with us about the book.
There’s a real sense of righteous anger in this book. It doesn’t pull any punches about the ugly side of celebrity culture. What was the inspiration?
Glitterbomb started with thinking about my own fears on fame and failure several years ago. I’d had a few setbacks and wondered if I’d reached the limit of my career. Big success is so rare and fleeting and, mathematically speaking, there are far, far more failures than successes and I wondered if this was all I’d be able to do. Those emotions turned into a bigger theme I decided to explore, looking at someone who wasn’t going to get their dreams and their desire to lash out because of it. Planting that story seed in Hollywood seemed like a natural fit from there.
More specifically: is it just about Hollywood? Particularly given the sexual assault (at least) suffered by Farrah and others at the hands of a particularly nasty (or maybe average) co-star, it seems like there might be a lot of related targets.
There are many targets, internal and external. Hollywood is just the lens we’re viewing this story through, but I’d like to think it speaks to broader things than just that. Every character in the story is quite flawed and I wanted to try and bring that across. I like seeing how different readers seem to be drawn to different aspects of it.
Do with this question what you will, but: the book’s treatment of women’s issues feels particularly timely. Intentional?
More timely than I even intended. The elements of women in Hollywood, sexism as a whole, and our obsession with fame and power, those aspects I thought worked well when I was first developing the story have become even more intense, so we really lucked out.
How did you and (artist) Djibril Morissette-Phan come to work together?
I met Djibril through a mutual friend, artist Marguerite Sauvage. She showed me his work at Montreal Comicon in 2015 and I was immediately struck by how skilled Djibril was and wanted to work with him. He came aboard and really solidified Glitterbomb, making it visceral and complex, enhancing the storytelling at each and every step.

I’m always interested in process. Can you both talk a little bit about how it all comes together between the two of you?
To be honest, it’s relatively straight forward. I write full script, so all the page descriptions and dialogue is built right into the document I send over to Djibril. He digs in and thumbnails out the storytelling, showing me the page layouts and how he’s interpreted what I wrote. There’s a bit of back and forth, but his storytelling instincts are super sharp and most of the time it’s just full steam ahead. I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how smoothly we’ve worked together. Djibril’s a natural.
You’ve worked on big-name, licensed, work-for-hire -type stuff, and also obviously creator-owned works like this one. What’s the difference? Any preference?
I really like having a mix of both on the go at any one time. Work-for-hire and creator-owned have their own challenges and it feels like they exercise different creative muscles. I learn a lot from working with known properties under specific editorial needs but I also enjoy having the unfettered ability to cut loose with something original and unexpected. Both types help me grow as a writer.
I think that this is the first pure horror book for you. What are your feelings about the genre? Is it something you love for itself, or was it just the best way to tell this particular story?
Yeah, it’s my first horror book and that was part of why I really wanted to do it in the first place. I’m known for action-comedy, and banter, and a bit of silliness, and I didn’t want to get complacent about that. Digging into something darker and nastier was a conscious decision to see if I could do it effectively, if I had that kind of story in me. I’m so happy that readers have enjoyed it.

What’s the reaction been like? It’s a book that touches on some sensitive topics.
It’s been great. Really strong reviews, lots of grassroots recommendations from readers and retailers. Sadly, I don’t think the topics we touch upon are going anywhere. I hope the collected trade sticks around for a long time.
What’s next for Glitterbomb and you in particular?
Glitterbomb will return in the fall with a second mini-series that picks up from where we left off. The focus next time will be on Kaydon, the babysitter. The tragedy of our first arc has given her a measure of fame and she’s now being pulled into Hollywood’s fame factory.
In addition to Glitterbomb, I’m writing Wayward at Image, Thunderbolts for Marvel, Dungeons & Dragons: Frost Giant’s Fury for IDW, and have other projects in development to be announced later this year. If people want to keep up with my work they can check out www.jimzub.com.
Glitterbomb, Vol. 1 is available now.