INTERVIEW: Put on your poker face for ‘Arcana Royale’
Image courtesy of Dark Horse / Provided with permission.
Comic-book writer Cullen Bunn, co-creator of The Sixth Gun and Harrow County, has been hard at work with artist A.C. Zamudio on a new four-part series for Dark Horse. Arcana Royale #1 is out now, and it promises something special for poker players.
In the new series, the protagonist is Hudson Tremaine, an underground poker player who has been involved in many high-stakes gambles throughout her illustrious and illicit career, according to press notes. Her latest tournament takes her to the most underground poker game of all time, called the Arcanos Mysterinos, and she’s not exactly confident that she’ll get out alive.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Bunn and Zamudio about their shared creation. Bunn’s many credits include The Damned, Helheim, Death Follows and Rogue Planet, and he’s been coined a master of horror. Zamudio is known for Shadow Roads, The Sixth Gun and Death Follows, which means the two creatives know each other quite well. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
Where did the idea for Arcana Royale come from? What inspired the project?
BUNN: I’m not exactly sure where this one came from. Most likely, I was inspired while thinking of my dad. He was, at times, something of a professional gambler before it was so organized. He would travel frequently to Vegas or Atlantic City to play in high-stakes games, and he’d always return with a crazy amount of cash, and sometimes with jewelry, once with some valuable comics. He always came back with stories. He also played in some not-so-legal backroom poker games closer to home. He usually played for fun when he was playing against people he knew.
Once, though, I remember him telling me before he left for a game, ‘Son, tonight I’m gonna teach these boys a lesson.’ The next morning, he took a grocery sack full of crumpled bills to a Lincoln dealership and bought a Towncar with his winnings. That man knew cards.
How would you describe the character of Hudson Tremaine?
BUNN: Hudson is a professional gambler, and she’s good at her job. She knows how to read her opponents, and she knows how to mask her own feelings. She is as cool as a cucumber. She never lets anyone see her sweat. When she enters this mystical card tournament, though, she quickly finds she is in way over her head. The game plays with the players, and it digs up some of Hudson’s past trauma.
How did you come up with that name Hudson Tremaine? It’s instantly iconic.
BUNN: Sometimes, I just have to sound out names until they sound right, you know. I wanted her to sound sort of tough and no-nonsense, which is where Hudson came from, but I also wanted a hint at mysticism and hidden power. And that’s where we got Tremaine.
What type of poker is played in the comic series?
BUNN: Oh, the game played in this series is like nothing of this earth. It is played with a set of strange Tarot cards, which are also not of this earth. The rules are strange, with the cards themselves changing how the game is played. Most importantly, the players are wagering against fate itself, which has wild repercussions in the real world.
Are you a gambler? Have you ever tried your hand at cards?
BUNN: Every day’s a gamble, you know? Oh, I’ve played quite a bit of cards in my life, and I’ve found I’m just really, really bad at it. Or just really unlucky. Probably a little of both.
What was it like working with Cullen Bunn?
ZAMUDIO: I’ve worked with Cullen on almost all my books, and I just love him. He knows how to write compelling stories around impactful visuals like the opening poker game held in a meat locker, which is a delight to get to draw. And, you know, I’ve heard about stricter writers, but Cullen always encourages me to take artistic liberties and expand the story through the artwork, making the process deeply collaborative. I really appreciate and respect how much he trusts me to run with his ideas. On Arcana Royale, he even worked with me to incorporate some subject matter that’s very personal to me, tailoring the project to me in a way. Honestly, I’m spoiled!
Do you enjoy drawing panels of various shapes?
ZAMUDIO: Yes and no. It’s liberating, but it can be a bit challenging to keep consistent. Arcana Royale rides on style, so it warranted an ostentatious look. I think it was worth the effort.
How’d you come up with the look for Hudson Tremaine?
ZAMUDIO: Well, long story short, she was originally designed as male! I chose to make her non-white because I felt an itch for a broader perspective than I’m accustomed to seeing in poker stories, and I wanted to highlight the global scope of this one. I also wanted to give her a gritty vibe of an underdog with a bone to pick. The idea to make her Brazilian arose because of her secret backstory. She needed to be vain and materialistic, so I envisioned her as a fast-fashion fiend and gave a lot of attention to her wardrobe, taking inspiration from Brazilian high fashion and American neon noir. This grounds her in the real world so that she stands apart from the arcane denizens. I also loved how the caps I saw on some female poker players portray poker as a sport, so I gave her an iconic visor.
Fun fact: Cullen suggested I reuse her original male design for one of the other players, whom you should be able to spot with not much difficulty.
Do you play cards? What’s your game of choice?
ZAMUDIO: I actually don’t play poker at all. With my poker face, I’d go broke! I like solitaire a lot. However, the card game I’ve picked up lately is Magic: The Gathering. Knowing that I’m a control freak, my husband built me a blue-white spirit deck. I love it.
The creature on the cover of issue #1 is badass. How long did it take to create that cover?
ZAMUDIO: Thank you! Actually, that was one of the quickest covers I’ve ever made. When deciding what to feature on the first cover, there was no doubt in my mind that it had to be him. And the mostly symmetrical composition meant I only had to draw about half of him and flip it. The simplest images are always the most striking, right?
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Arcana Royale, from writer Cullen Bunn and artist A.C. Zamudio, is out now from Dark Horse. Click here for more information.
