Release news, work-in-progress updates and pixel-art detours from fantasy author James McLeod.https://www.jimzip.com/en-auhttps://www.jimzip.com/news/pixorama-episode-drop-animating-machines/https://www.jimzip.com/news/pixorama-episode-drop-animating-machines/The latest episode of Pixorama has just dropped, and BEEP-BOOP! We're delving back into the glory of old school computing to tackle a uniquely retro challenge…Thu, 21 May 2026 14:46:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/a-torril-city-sequel/https://www.jimzip.com/news/a-torril-city-sequel/Jimzip here with some great news regarding the next instalment in the Aliru Anthology! I’ve been asked repeatedly of late about the follow-up to A Pinch of…Mon, 04 May 2026 17:27:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/the-big-book-giveaway-2026-winners/https://www.jimzip.com/news/the-big-book-giveaway-2026-winners/Well, March is officially over, and that means it's time to announce the winners of the BIG BOOK GIVEAWAY 2026!Wed, 01 Apr 2026 11:26:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/the-big-book-giveaway-2026/https://www.jimzip.com/news/the-big-book-giveaway-2026/Good gravy, it's been been 5 years since the release of Torril City, you say? That calls for a celebration! And what better way to celebrate than by giving…Sun, 01 Mar 2026 09:42:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/pixorama-custom-pok-mon-sprite/https://www.jimzip.com/news/pixorama-custom-pok-mon-sprite/In the latest episode of Pixorama, Jimzip is delving into the era of the Game Boy Advance (GBA) to rustle up a custom Pokémon sprite!Tue, 24 Feb 2026 08:37:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/a-great-time-for-fantasy/https://www.jimzip.com/news/a-great-time-for-fantasy/It's undeniably a great time for fantasy. Nowadays, with tech capabilities and audience demand converging pleasantly like sugar and butter, we're getting a…Tue, 10 Feb 2026 10:37:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/new-james-mcleod-s-this-emerald-crucible-hits-the-shelves/https://www.jimzip.com/news/new-james-mcleod-s-this-emerald-crucible-hits-the-shelves/Ladies and gentlemen, gikkans and paddoneks; after many teasers and trailers and tantalising hints, a new chapter in the world of Aliru has officially arrived!Thu, 15 Jan 2026 09:00:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/the-mariner-sets-sail/https://www.jimzip.com/news/the-mariner-sets-sail/Fantasy fiends, ahoy! The giving season has officially begun, so what better time to drop a little gift on you all?Thu, 11 Dec 2025 14:27:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/indie-author-book-fair-2026/https://www.jimzip.com/news/indie-author-book-fair-2026/Come and meet James McLeod at The Indie Book Author Fair SUNDAY, JAN 11, 2026. 9am to 4pm Barwon Heads Community Hall, 77 Hitchcock Ave, Barwon Heads VIC 3227…Fri, 14 Nov 2025 10:01:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/storytellers/https://www.jimzip.com/news/storytellers/Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently.Sun, 07 Sep 2025 14:26:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/the-mariner-approaches/https://www.jimzip.com/news/the-mariner-approaches/Hey there, fantasy-fiends! I’m thrilled to announce that my latest short story, The Mariner, is going to drop anchor soon, with the release date set for…Wed, 27 Aug 2025 11:52:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/the-library-is-open/https://www.jimzip.com/news/the-library-is-open/Fantasy fans, rejoice — because today you’re in for a treat! Recently, Jimzip.com underwent a big overhaul with an entire new section added. The new Short…Fri, 11 Jul 2025 14:33:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/hijinks-and-humour-and-hand-grenades-oh-my/https://www.jimzip.com/news/hijinks-and-humour-and-hand-grenades-oh-my/It was a chilly Friday night in Melbourne when, dressed in my shabbiest woollen jacket, I stepped from the biting wind into a small cinema lobby, proving that…Sat, 14 Jun 2025 15:21:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/time-to-reload/https://www.jimzip.com/news/time-to-reload/Ask people what they think of The Matrix Reloaded and you’ll often get a half-smile and a shrug. “Bit of a letdown,” they might say. “Got too talky,” or…Thu, 05 Jun 2025 12:32:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/why-story-by-robert-mckee-still-matters/https://www.jimzip.com/news/why-story-by-robert-mckee-still-matters/It was back in 2007 while working on a TV series called 'Frontier' (which was politely rejected from a local network exec, but remains one of my prouder early…Sat, 31 May 2025 18:44:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/enter-the-crucible/https://www.jimzip.com/news/enter-the-crucible/In anticipation of my upcoming fantasy adventure novel, ‘This Emerald Crucible’ (set for release this year in 2025!), I am excited to announce that we have an…Fri, 23 May 2025 12:50:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/a-i-m-e/https://www.jimzip.com/news/a-i-m-e/On the 1st of October 1950, Alan Turing published an article in the philosophical journal Mind, in which he proposed a test designed to answer the question…Thu, 15 May 2025 09:57:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/a-new-chapter-in-aliru-this-emerald-crucible-update/https://www.jimzip.com/news/a-new-chapter-in-aliru-this-emerald-crucible-update/It's hard to believe, but I've been working on my latest book 'This Emerald Crucible' for close to four years now. And I do feel a touch of guilt that it's…Tue, 15 Apr 2025 16:22:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/thank-you-awesome-nerds/https://www.jimzip.com/news/thank-you-awesome-nerds/A big shout out to everyone who came out to yesterday's Midsumma Street Festival. In true Melbourne fashion, the weather was unpredictable but perfect and it…Mon, 10 Feb 2025 09:39:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/meet-greet/https://www.jimzip.com/news/meet-greet/It’s that time of year, again! The Melbourne Midsumma Street Festival will be taking place on Sunday, Feb 9th in Smith St., Fitzroy/Collingwoord. It’s a…Sat, 25 Jan 2025 16:55:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/the-r-c-principle/https://www.jimzip.com/news/the-r-c-principle/One of the most challenging aspects of writing fantasy is finding ways to navigate similes, metaphors and sayings.Thu, 12 Sep 2024 11:25:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/a-lost-civilisation/https://www.jimzip.com/news/a-lost-civilisation/A while ago while enrolling at Manchester University, I was asked why I wanted to study Egyptology. My answer was simple: I’ve always loved ancient history…Thu, 22 Aug 2024 14:47:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/adventureland/https://www.jimzip.com/news/adventureland/To all who come to this happy place, welcome. […] Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, […] and the hope that it will be a source of joy and…Thu, 15 Aug 2024 09:03:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/flashback-the-lemon-lime-vodcast/https://www.jimzip.com/news/flashback-the-lemon-lime-vodcast/Buried deep within the hidden corners of my YouTube channel, a series of deactivated videos sits like an unused bassline, patiently thrumming away as if…Thu, 23 May 2024 10:07:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/progress-report-this-emerald-crucible/https://www.jimzip.com/news/progress-report-this-emerald-crucible/It was in February of 2018 that I recall wiping my forehead dry and taking my first deep breath of humid jungle air. Cambodia was in the midst of a stifling…Wed, 28 Feb 2024 20:51:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/come-say-hi/https://www.jimzip.com/news/come-say-hi/It’s summer in Australia, which means it’s time for festivals, fairs, flings, and fun. And one festival which happens on my doorstep just happens to be…Mon, 29 Jan 2024 09:09:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/am-i-detecting-notes-of-cynicism/https://www.jimzip.com/news/am-i-detecting-notes-of-cynicism/I sat down to watch Wonka a few nights ago. And while I do have criticism, overall it was a passable addition to the 'Roald Dahl Universe' (yes, that is…Sun, 28 Jan 2024 09:52:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/egypt-land-of-mystery/https://www.jimzip.com/news/egypt-land-of-mystery/Two days ago I returned from a month-long trip to Egypt, not quite as tanned as I'd expected, definitely thinner, and with my mind still reeling from the…Thu, 26 Oct 2023 19:39:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/update-this-emerald-crucible/https://www.jimzip.com/news/update-this-emerald-crucible/I first toyed with the idea for This Emerald Crucible back in the summer of 2018 while travelling through Cambodia, for few things can charge up your…Tue, 10 Oct 2023 11:46:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/a-quick-take-on-ai/https://www.jimzip.com/news/a-quick-take-on-ai/I'm an optimist but I have to admit, things are pretty crazy right now. As a writer, graphic designer, and content-creator who’s with two decades in these…Sat, 22 Apr 2023 23:04:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/a-wardrobe-change-is-in-order/https://www.jimzip.com/news/a-wardrobe-change-is-in-order/Once upon a time, in a past life (see, from uni until my 30s!) I was a graphic designer. So, when the chance came up to try my hand at the cover for my…Wed, 05 Apr 2023 12:13:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/magic-and-meaning/https://www.jimzip.com/news/magic-and-meaning/As a fantasy author, I believe there's a unique power in this genre. It can inspire and uplift like no other, giving us a chance to rekindle a little childlike…Tue, 17 Jan 2023 08:48:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/torril-a-year-on/https://www.jimzip.com/news/torril-a-year-on/Believe it or not, today marks the one year anniversary of the release of The Torril City Mysterion, and I can’t believe how time has flown by.Thu, 29 Sep 2022 10:29:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/time-to-launch/https://www.jimzip.com/news/time-to-launch/If you’re like me, you get a bit excited when it’s finally time to lift the lid on a project. After all, as Zac Efron once eloquently put it, “The deep…Wed, 10 Nov 2021 12:45:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/a-little-spit-n-polish/https://www.jimzip.com/news/a-little-spit-n-polish/In 1963, Ian Fleming gave an interview about the craft of writing. His advice was pretty clear. He followed a set schedule every day, in those hours he wrote…Wed, 29 Sep 2021 10:23:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/the-road-to-publication-pt-2/https://www.jimzip.com/news/the-road-to-publication-pt-2/READ PART ONE HERE So, Siltari had been rejected. I'd been rejected. Not as many times as J.K. Rowling, but who was I kidding? I wasn’t going to keep pitching…Tue, 04 May 2021 09:38:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/the-road-to-publication-pt-1/https://www.jimzip.com/news/the-road-to-publication-pt-1/Ah, traditional publication! Cue the heavenly chorus! What greater music is there to an aspiring author?Wed, 28 Apr 2021 13:16:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/the-quadrilogy-is-over/https://www.jimzip.com/news/the-quadrilogy-is-over/I pushed my chair back and stood, gazing at my computer screen for a moment without moving. I was done, but finishing a project always brings with it a…Tue, 02 Feb 2021 15:07:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/masterclass-the-verdict/https://www.jimzip.com/news/masterclass-the-verdict/I promised in an earlier post (see 'Masterclass') that I’d follow up my experience with Masterclass, so here we go.Sun, 03 Jan 2021 11:28:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/masterclass/https://www.jimzip.com/news/masterclass/Last week, I did something I don't usually do. I actually let an online ad get me interested in something.Mon, 19 Oct 2020 17:04:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/update-on-torril-city/https://www.jimzip.com/news/update-on-torril-city/Not that it matters, but it was satisfying to see that I'd cracked 60,000 words in my first draft of Torril City, yesterday. For those of you who like…Wed, 07 Oct 2020 09:01:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/all-blocked-up/https://www.jimzip.com/news/all-blocked-up/Maybe I'm just lucky, but I've never really had a problem with writer's block. Whoa, whoa! Hold on, there, before you grab that pitchfork — that's not to say I…Sat, 03 Oct 2020 08:22:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/so-what-have-we-learned/https://www.jimzip.com/news/so-what-have-we-learned/Learning is odd. I feel it’s one of the only facets of the human experience which continuously gets more rewarding, for there is no law of diminishing returns…Wed, 30 Sep 2020 07:32:00 GMThttps://www.jimzip.com/news/welcome-back-kid/https://www.jimzip.com/news/welcome-back-kid/Welcome to jimzip.com, my online home for almost fifteen years. It's undergone a lot of changes in that time, but I think now it will be easier than ever for…Tue, 22 Sep 2020 12:38:00 GMT