John Arcudi is an American comic book writer, best known for his work on The Mask and B.P.R.D. and his series Major Bummer.
Early life Arcudi grew up in Buffalo, New York. He attended Columbia University as an English major and developed an appreciation for the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs and William Faulkner.
Career Arcudi worked for Malibu Comics upon its founding in 1986, working on its Eternity line. That same year he started writing for comics, making his first sales to Savage Tales and Savage Sword of Conan for Marvel Comics, and becoming a regular contributor to the humor magazine Cracked.
Arcudi worked on a number of comic books based on films, including RoboCop, Terminator, Predator, Alien, and The Thing. Two of these graphic works were subsequently adapted as full-length novels published by Bantam Books. Arcudi's series Barb Wire, featuring bounty hunter and bartendress Barbara Kopetski, was adapted into a film of the same name starring Pamela Anderson.
Arcudi also scripted several stories for Dark Horse Presents, such as the series "The Creep", and the police procedural "Homicide". Arcudi's comics crime fiction also includes several scripts for Batman: The Dark Knight and Batman: Black and White.
For Dark Horse Comics, Arcudi worked on developing the second incarnation of the character The Mask first in Mayhem #1–4, and then in a series of books illustrated by Doug Mahnke. Arcudi's work formed the basis of the 1994 feature film starring Jim Carrey. He later also worked on the spin-off television series. Arcudi and later Mahnke teamed up for several projects following The Mask, including the DC Comics series Major Bummer, which focused on a group of ineffectual superheroes.
Arcudi also served as writer on the Wildstorm Productions series Gen13, illustrated by Gary Frank and Cam Smith, and during a run on DC's Doom Patrol, illustrated by Tan Eng Huat.
Arcudi invented the character Captain Daimio for the series B.P.R.D., which he writes with Mike Mignola. Arcudi had contributed a "B.P.R.D." story to the Hellboy comic issued in conjunction with the film as a premium from Wizard Entertainment. Arcudi later wrote a number of separate B.P.R.D. series.
Arcudi contributed the Superman story to Wednesday Comics. He also created a graphic novel called A God Somewhere with Peter Snejbjerg providing the art.
Aside from working in the comic media, Arcudi has also worked briefly in animation. He has written two episodes of The Mask: Animated Series, and one episode of the motion comics based on the comic Batman Black and White.
Bibliography Comics Abe Sapien (with Mike Mignola) The Haunted Boy The Abyssal Plain #1–2 The Devil Does Not Jest #1–2 The New Race of Man #1–2 "Subconscious" published in Dark Horse Presents (2014) #11 Aliens: Alchemy #1–3 Aliens: Genocide #1–4 Aliens: Stronghold #1–4 Aquaman #25–29, 32–39 Batman Black and White vol. 5 #6 (with James Harren) Batman: Gotham Nights #4, 7 Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #162-63 B.P.R.D. (with Mike Mignola) "Born Again" published in Hellboy: Premiere Edition The Dead #1–5 The Black Flame #1–6 The Universal Machine #1–5 Garden of Souls #1–5 Killing Ground #1–5 "Revival" published in MySpace Dark Horse Presents #8–9 War on Frogs #1–4 The Ectoplasmic Man "Out of Reach" published in Free Comic Book Day: Hellboy (2008) The Warning #1–5 The Black Goddess #1–5 King of Fear #1–5 Casualties 1948 #1–5 B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth (with Mike Mignola) New World #1–5 Seattle Gods #1–3 Monsters #1–2 Russia #1–5 "An Unmarked Grave" published in Dark Horse Presents (2011) #8 The Long Death #1–3 The Devil's Engine #1–3 The Return of the Master #1–5 A Cold Day in Hell #1–2 Wasteland #1–3 Lake of Fire #1–5 The Reign of the Black Flame #1–5 The Devil's Wings #1–2 The Broken Equation #1–2 Grind Flesh and Stone #1–5 Nowhere, Nothing, Never #1–3 Modern Prometheus #1–2 End of Days #1–5 Cometh the Hour #1–5 Barb Wire #1–8 Baseball Greats #1: The Jimmy Piersall Story Brass #1–6 The Creep #0–4 Dark Horse Comics #1–7, 17–19 Dark Horse Presents (1986) #23–29, 46, 48–49, 53–58, 60–61, 63–64, 115, 122–23, 146–49 Dark Horse Presents (2011) #8, 11–13 Dark Horse Presents (2014) #11, 19–21, 26 Dark Horse Presents Annual 1997 Dark Horse Presents: Aliens #1 Doom Patrol, vol. 3, #1–22 Excalibur #104, 105 Flinch #12 Gen 13, #25–40 Gen 13: Carny Folk #1 The Goon: Noir #2 Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: 1952 #1–5 Hellboy: Weird Tales #4—"Abe Sapien: Star of the B.P.R.D." Homicide #1 Image+ (2017) #2 Justice League of America: Destiny #1–4 Justice League of America: Superpower #1 Lobo/Mask #1–2 (with Alan Grant) Lobster Johnson (with Mike Mignola) The Burning Hand #1–5 The Prayer of Neferu Caput Mortuum Satan Smells a Rat A Scent of a Lotus #1–2 Get the Lobster #1–5 A Chain Forged in Life The Glass Mantis The Forgotten Man Metal Monsters of Midtown #1–3 Garden of Bones The Pirate's Ghost #1–3 Mangekyō The Machine #1–4 Major Bummer #1–15 Martian Manhunter, vol. 2 #5 Mayhem #1–4 The Mask #0–4 The Mask Returns #1–4 The Mask Strikes Back #1–5 Motorhead #1 MySpace Dark Horse Presents #6, 8–9, 12, 26 Predator: Big Game #1–4 RoboCop: Prime Suspect #1–4 RoboCop: Roulette #1–4 Rumble (2014) #1–15 Rumble (2017) #1–17 Savage Sword of Conan #150-52, 158, 165, 182 Savage Tales, second series, #5, 7–8 Silver Sable #26 Sledgehammer 44 (with Mike Mignola) Sledgehammer 44 #1–2 Lightning War #1–3 Solo #2, 6 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #38 (cover image only) Terminator #1–4 The Thing from Another World: Climate of Fear #1–4 Thunderbolts #76–81 Total Carnage #1–4, 6–10 Walter: Campaign of Terror #1–4 Warlock and the Infinity Watch #34–35, 37–40, 42 What if...? Vol. 2, #50 Wednesday Comics #1–12 – Superman (writer), with art by Lee Bermejo. (2009) Sir Edward Grey, Witchfinder: Lost and Gone Forever #1–5 (with Mike Mignola)
Graphic novels A God Somewhere with Peter Snejbjerg, published by WildStorm, June 2010, 200 pages, / (New edition)
Collections TitleDatePublisherISBNThe Best of Dark Horse Presents – Volume 1November 1989Dark Horse ComicsThe Terminator: TempestSeptember 1991Dark Horse ComicsPredator: Big GameAugust 1992Dark Horse ComicsAliens: GenocideDecember 1992Dark Horse ComicsThe Best of Dark Horse Presents – Volume 2January 1993Dark Horse ComicsThe MaskMay 1993Dark Horse ComicsThe Thing from Another World and Climate of FearSeptember 1993Dark Horse ComicsRobocop: Prime SuspectOctober 1993Dark Horse ComicsThe Mask ReturnsAugust 1994Dark Horse ComicsBarb WireJanuary 1996Dark Horse ComicsThe Mask Strikes BackJune 1996Dark Horse ComicsAliens: StrongholdJuly 1996Dark Horse ComicsDecadeApril 1997Dark Horse ComicsGen 13: I Love New YorkSeptember 1999DC ComicsScatterbrainDecember 2001Dark Horse ComicsBatman: Black & White – Volume 2October 2003DC ComicsThunderbolts: How to LoseNovember 2003Marvel ComicsHellboy: Weird Tales – Volume 1December 2003Dark Horse ComicsB.P.R.D. – Volume 4:The DeadSeptember 2005Dark Horse ComicsB.P.R.D. – Volume 5:The Black FlameJuly 2006Dark Horse ComicsB.P.R.D. – Volume 6:The Universal MachineJanuary 2007Dark Horse ComicsDwight T. Albatross'sThe Goon: NoirJuly 2007Dark Horse ComicsAliens Omnibus – Volume 2December 2007Dark Horse ComicsB.P.R.D. – Volume 7:Garden of SoulsJanuary 2008Dark Horse ComicsThe Terminator Omnibus – Volume 1February 2008Dark Horse ComicsPredator Omnibus – Volume 2February 2008Dark Horse ComicsB.P.R.D. – Volume 8:Killing GroundMay 2008Dark Horse ComicsThe Mask Omnibus – Volume 1August 2008Dark Horse ComicsBarb Wire OmnibusAugust 2008Dark Horse ComicsMySpace Dark Horse Presents – Volume 1September 2008Dark Horse ComicsAliens Omnibus – Volume 5October 2008Dark Horse ComicsMySpace Dark Horse Presents – Volume 2January 2009Dark Horse ComicsThe Mask Omnibus – Volume 2March 2009Dark Horse ComicsB.P.R.D. – Volume 10:The WarningApril 2009Dark Horse ComicsB.P.R.D. – Volume 11:The Black FlameOctober 2009Dark Horse ComicsB.P.R.D. – Volume 12:War on FrogsApril 2010Dark Horse ComicsWednesday ComicsJune 2010DC ComicsB.P.R.D. – Volume 14:King of FearNovember 2010Dark Horse ComicsB.P.R.D. Plague of Frogs 2 (omnibus)August 2011Dark Horse ComicsB.P.R.D. Hell on Earth – Volume 1:New WorldAugust 2011Dark Horse ComicsB.P.R.D.: Being HumanNovember 2011Dark Horse ComicsWitchfinder – Volume 2:Lost and Gone ForeverJanuary 2012Dark Horse ComicsB.P.R.D. Hell on Earth – Volume 2:Gods and MonsterJanuary 2012Dark Horse ComicsB.P.R.D. Plague of Frogs 3 (omnibus)March 2012Dark Horse ComicsAbe Sapien – Volume 2:The Devil Does Not Jest and Other StoriesApril 2012Dark Horse ComicsB.P.R.D. Hell on Earth – Volume 3:RussiaAugust 2012Dark Horse ComicsB.P.R.D. Plague of Frogs 4 (omnibus)November 2012Dark Horse ComicsLobster Johnson – Volume 2:The Burning HandNovember 2012Dark Horse ComicsB.P.R.D. Hell on Earth – Volume 4:The Devil's Engine & The Long DeathDecember 2012Dark Horse ComicsThe CreepApril 2013Dark Horse ComicsB.P.R.D. Hell on Earth – Volume 6:The Return of the MasterAugust 2013Dark Horse ComicsB.P.R.D.: 1948September 2013Dark Horse ComicsAbe Sapien – Volume 3:Dark and Terrible and The New Race of ManDecember 2013Dark Horse ComicsB.P.R.D. Hell on Earth – Volume 7:A Cold Day in HellJanuary 2014Dark Horse ComicsLobster Johnson – Volume 3:Satan Smells a RatFebruary 2014Dark Horse ComicsB.P.R.D. Hell on Earth – Volume 8:Lake of FireApril 2014Dark Horse ComicsSledgehammer 44 – Volume 1May 2014Dark Horse ComicsBatman: Black & White – Volume 4July 2014DC ComicsB.P.R.D. Hell on Earth – Volume 9:The Reign of the Black FlameSeptember 2014Dark Horse ComicsHellboy: Weird Tales (omnibus)November 2014Dark Horse ComicsLobster Johnson – Volume 4:Get the Lobster!December 2014Dark Horse ComicsB.P.R.D. Hell on Earth – Volume 10:The Devil's WingsMarch 2015Dark Horse ComicsB.P.R.D.: 1946–1948 (omnibus)June 2015Dark Horse ComicsRumble – Volume 1:What Color of Darkness?June 2015Image ComicsHellboy and the B.P.R.D.: 1952August 2015Dark Horse ComicsB.P.R.D. Hell on Earth – Volume 11:Flesh and StoneSeptember 2015Dark Horse ComicsB.P.R.D. Hell on Earth – Volume 12:MetamorphosisDecember 2015Dark Horse ComicsB.P.R.D. Hell on Earth – Volume 13:MetamorphosisDecember 2015Dark Horse ComicsRumble – Volume 2:A Woe That Is MadnessFebruary 2016Image ComicsB.P.R.D. Hell on Earth – Volume 13:End of DaysMay 2016Dark Horse Comics
Magazines Cracked (1987) Monsters Attack! (1989) The Comics Journal (Winter 2003 Special Edition)
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