In posts to various social media platforms over Fourth of July weekend, Invader Zim creator and cartoonist Jhonen Vasquez revealed he wasn’t approached at all regarding the recently announced comic revival from Boom Studios. “Sorta like all you out there, I learned of the existence of new ZIM stories when the announcement went out,” wrote Vasquez.
Vasquez writes that while he was aware the ZIM comics previously published by Oni Press were being repackaged, he was unaware that any new material was being produced. “If you’re confused by the announcement’s mention of ZIM being in an ‘IRKEN CHRYSALIS,’ you’re not alone,” Vasquez wrote. “What the hell is an IRKEN chrysalis?”
Invader ZIM
Before creating Invader ZIM, Vasquez was best known as the iconoclastic cartoonist behind comics like Johnny the Homicidal Maniac (1995) and I Feel Sick (1999). Then in 2001 came ZIM, a Nickelodeon animated series that followed the titular Irken Invader as he and his henchbot GIR attempted to conquer Earth (but fortunately, their efforts were often thwarted by twelve-year-old Dib Membrane and occasionally, by Dib’s scary younger sister Gaz).
However, the instant cult classic Nickelodeon cartoon quickly garnered a reputation for pushing boundaries, questioning authority and being too scary for some young viewers. As a result, production was halted partway through the second season, with several in-progress episodes never to be completed.
But like certain other sci-fi shows before it, cancelation wasn’t enough to stop Invader ZIM. Fans of the series eagerly purchased the DVD sets, the last of which included several previously unreleased episodes. And at certain times in the intervening years, the ubiquitous mall store Hot Topic seemed to be entirely stocked with merch celebrating our favorite Invader and his snack-craving robot “assistant.”
The Oni Press run
Invader ZIM (2015) #1.
From 2015 to 2021, a ZIM comic series was released by Oni. In his social media posts, Vasquez noted that making these comics was a very different experience than the Boom comics are proving to be. He noted, “Oni initially reached out to me to ask how I’d feel about them doing IZ comics at all and then I was invited to pretty much be as involved as I wanted to be… Obviously that is an awesome amount of consideration to be given in a world where most things are just treated like ‘CONTENT’ or ‘IP.’”
Vasquez wrote several issues of the Oni comics run, working alongside Nickelodeon series veterans like writer Eric Trueheart and ZIM character designer Aaron Alexovich, who Vasquez himself brought into the project. It’s impossible (or at least very ill-advised) to question the pedigree of the Oni run, especially considering the close resemblance between the first few issues and Invader ZIM: Enter the Florpus on Netflix, the 2019 steaming movie revival led by Vasquez.
Vasquez goes on to state that although the Oni run does include work by artists that he wasn’t totally overseeing, Oni had given him the option to 100% oversee the project if he desired. Vasquez wrote, “Thanks, Oni Press of years ago!”
The Boom Studios revival
Vasquez said that while he was disappointed, he wasn’t surprised to see ZIM revived in this era of constant content regeneration. Furthermore, he noted that many readers may be ignorant of how the comics are made, and not even realize he isn’t involved. And he also wrote that “if it bothers you at all, please don’t take it out on the writers and artists that are working on these new comics – They’re not the ones calling the shots, so be a decent pitchfork wielding mob.”
Vasquez concluded, “At the end of the day this isn’t the route I would have taken but I hope the artists are having a good time and can pay their bills (comics be rough, man!)… Fuuuuuuck the lizards that only see these things as more content to churn out though.”
You can read the entire post yourself on Vasquez’s social media pages, including Instagram.
UPDATE: In a post made to his newsletter/blog, Zub Tales, on July 6th, 2026, Boom Studios revival series writer Jim Zub offered additional clarification. Zub writes that he wasn’t aware Vasquez wasn’t involved in the process. “I understand how crappy that would feel, even if it’s legally allowed,” wrote Zub.
Zub explained, “I was told the ‘Invader Zim team’ would be approving our material, but found out after the fact that it wasn’t Jhonen, Eric Trueheart or anyone originally involved in the show’s production. Approvals have gone through a Paramount licensing team who I’m sure mean well, but also don’t have any personal stake in Zim’s creative vision or future.”
As for what might happen next, Zub wrote, “So now I’m in a strange spot. I’m incredibly proud of the work artist Dax Gordine and I have done on this new Invader Zim comic. It’s been put together with lots of love for the source material, but not in a slavish way that just repeats the same gags and doesn’t offer any surprises. Dax’s visual storytelling starts strong and gets snappier each issue. We produced it with what we thought was enthusiastic support from the original team, but that was not the case and now we know. No matter what happens next, I want to be as open and honest about that so there’s no confusion.”
Plus, Zub stated that the Boom editorial team has now reached out to Vasquez. Zub wrote, “BOOM’s editorial team has assured me they’ve reached out to Jhonen and believe this can all get sorted out. I hope that’s true, but if not I’ll need to evaluate what to do next. Whatever happens from here, I deeply appreciate your support and understanding.”
Cover image source: @jhnenvee on Instagram
