The sword-and-sorcery forge is blazing! In our latest podcast update, I sat down with indie comic machine and creator of Brutal Blade of Crom, Jamie Barrows (Just Jamie Comix), to pull back the curtain on our finished 11-page collaboration, "Barbarians of the Pit," dropping this August 2026 in CROM Anthology #2!

If you missed the livestream, here is the breakdown of what went down, the secrets behind our wild new comic, and how Jamie’s publishing strategy completely reshaped the future of the CROM Anthologies.

Back when I was preparing to unleash The CROM 2024 Collective, I received a text out of nowhere: "Uh-oh, someone else is doing a Crom anthology". That "someone else" was Jamie Barrows launching Brutal Blade of Crom. Far from a rivalry, it was an instant victory for the scene. Our mutual focus has always been about building a community. Between the "Brutal Blade Crew" and the "CROM Anthology Camp," we are proving that there are no limits when independent creators run the sandbox.

Earlier this year, the call for entry for CROM Anthology #2 exploded, pulling in over 25 massive submissions in just two months. I'll admit—I started to panic about how to manage a massive, single 270-page tome while keeping up with my own art.

While out on a walk, the answer hit me like a cool breeze: Just do what Jamie Barrows does. Instead of trying to force a massive encyclopedia all at once, Jamie stays ahead by publishing tight, high-quality, magazine-style comics. Thanks to his small-press blueprint, CROM Anthology #2 will officially launch this August, followed closely by CROM Anthology #3!

We didn't want to spoil too much, but we couldn't hide our excitement for our 11-page comic, "Barbarians of the Pit". Jamie handled the writing and exceptionally tight pencils, leaving me absolute executive freedom to go completely wild with the inks, finishes, and letters.

Jamie’s brilliant conceit for this story steps outside the traditional sword-and-sorcery box. While it embraces core tropes like evil wizards and dragons, the narrative pacing and layout are heavily inspired by 1980s wrestling feuds.

Expect to see public domain icons and cameo barbarians like Konar the Macedonian, Grignor, Slayer, Crania, and Theodora colliding in a literal arena!

Keep your eyes peeled for actual tag-team choreography integrated into the combat—including references to a Steiner screwdriver, a DDT, a Dudley Boys 3D, and a Macho Man Randy Savage top-rope elbow drop!

It's pure, unfiltered comic book magic and absolute fun.

Jamie is keeping his momentum staggering with his solo cosmic pulp title Sentinel Sam, an upcoming Cyberzerker anthology, and more issues of Brutal Blade. As for us? The collaborative chemistry is locked in, and we are already looking at future momentum beyond this book.

Support Jamie's Shop on Mixam: https://mixam.com/print-on-demand/justjamiecomix#

Check out The CROM SHOP storefront to grab your copies of the current line!