What is a card game was not about scoring a big pot, but gambling with the fabric of reality itself?
Games of chance and fate might be commonplace in the world of the mystical and paranormal, but not necessarily for gambler Hudson Tremaine. In the upcoming Dark Horse Comics series Arcana Royale from the talents of writer Cullen Bunn, artist A.C. Zamudio, colorist Bill Crabtree, and letterer Josh Reed, we see that Hudson may have won big against card sharps and con men in the world gambling in our realm, but she’s never played a hand like that in the Arcanos Mysterinos. A tarot-like tournament whose players range from magicians to demigods and everything in between, Tremaine’s grounded gambling experience may not have prepared her for what’s to come, no matter how sly of a hustler she is.
I spoke with Cullen Bunn recently about the idea behind Arcana Royale; collaborating with the creative team; the cast of creatures and humans, supernatural and otherwise; and the stakes of this very unique card game.
Issue #1 of Arcana Royale is kinetic and grubby and doesn’t let you look away, whether you want to or not. Cullen Bunn is a master at crafting worlds of the supernatural that are fully formed and let you just move with the story, and Arcana Royale is no exception.
ARCANA ROYALE #1 cover
FreakSugar: Before we get into Arcana Royale itself, I’ve been following your work for years. You are an adept writer who digs into all sorts of genres, but you really seem to love supernatural stories. What is it about the supernatural genre that attracts you in your work?
Cullen Bunn: It’s just the way my brain works. I just like to write the kind of stories I like to read. For me, I use fiction to escape reality. Or maybe I just use it to help me deal with reality. Supernatural stories let me take that a few extra steps. Interesting, while talking about this particular story, that I think about escaping reality. The characters in Arcana Royale are trying to take the course of their reality into their own hands. I also just like the possibilities presented by adding a little weirdness to a story.
FS: What can you tell us about the conceit of Arcana Royale?
CB: Imagine, if you will, the World Series of Poker… only it’s played with a powerful set of pseudo-tarot cards… and the winner gets some measure of control over fate. This tournament, the Arcanos Mysterinos, is played by all manner of magicians and demons and strange entities. This time, though, a small group of mortals wants to smuggle their own player into the game in hopes of getting a little power for themselves.
ARCANA ROYALE #2 cover
FS: Our through-character in issue #1 is Hudson, who has caught on quickly to the Arcanos Mysterinos. What can you tell us about her and what she thinks about her situation?
CB: Hudson is a card sharp who has a knack for getting herself into trouble. She’s developed something of a thick skin to help her deal with the precarious situations she gets herself into. She is simply good at cards and she picks games up quickly. She knows how to read the other players in whatever game she’s playing. She has some darkness in her past, and it haunts her every step of the way.
FS: Hudson is recruited by a group in the issue to participate in the Arcanos Mysterinos. What can you tell us about the group and why they chose her in particular?
CB: The group that recruits Hudson is simply a gathering of mortals who are tired of “higher powers” (or “lower powers”) running the show. If they can win the tournament, they hope to get their fair share out of fate. Hudson is someone they’ve been watching, someone they’ve been evaluating, and they think she has what it takes to win.
It doesn’t hurt that Hudson always seems to be one step from going over the edge.
She has nothing to lose, but she plays to win.
FS: Following up on that, Hudson seems to take been thrust in this world in stride. Is that bravado or is it based on her past experiences or is it just her self-confidence coming through?
CB: Hudson has learned to play it cool. In most cases, she is cool. This tournament, though, is going to push the levels of calm for her. So, quite a bit of her demeanor is for show, and you will see the fractures in the charade as the story goes on.
FS: Did you base the Arcanos Mysterinos on anything in history or lore, or was it created whole-cloth for the series?
CB: This one simply came from the question “What kind of games do real magicians play?” I ran with it from there. There are bits and pieces pulled from history and lore, sure. I sprinkle that stuff in to help paint the picture of a much, much larger world. For the most part, though, it is all made up.
ARCANA ROYALE #3 cover
FS: The first issue moves, matching the beats of the games. Was that pacing intentional?
CB: It was. I didn’t want to take a long, long time to deal with the history and the specific details of the game. We’ll learn that as we go along. Hudson is thrown into the world of the tournament. I wanted the reader to feel the same way to some degree.
FS: On that same note, the art is simultaneously grubby, kinetic, and unnerving—just perfect. What has the collaboration process been like with the creative team?
CB: I’ve worked with both A.C. Zamudio and Bill Crabtree on several projects. There’s a lot of trust there. The process has been really smooth. I write a script, send it in, and start receiving amazing pages of art. We discuss some of the beats of each issue, some of the character designs (I mean… there are a LOT of strange creatures in this book), but we all want this to be a fun read for everyone. We’re on the same team and our goal is a great story.
I will say, it was amazing that I created a list of tarot-like cards that might be used in the game and A.C. just… designed them all.
She’s mad like that.
FS: What are you reading right now?
CB: I’m juggling a few books right now. Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix, Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero, and the first of the Dungeon Crawler Carl books from Matt Dinniman.
FS: Do you have any other projects in the works you’d like to discuss?
FS: Right now, I’m working on a number of fun projects that will be announced later in the year. Jumpscare just came out (also from Dark Horse) and I love that book so much. I hope folks give it a chance.
I also just released the Base Rules for the Cullen Bunn Role-Playing Game—Quill & Codex. It’s a rules light system. Easy to learn. Easy to play. And Outland Entertainment is offering the base rules for free at www.quillandcodexrpg.com
A great way to keep up with everything I’m doing is to subscribe to Nightmare Fuel, my free newsletter. You can find it at https://cullenbunn.substack.com
FS: If you had a final pitch for Arcana Royale, what would it be?
CB: Arcana Royale is about a cagey gambler who enters a mystical card tournament played by magicians, demons, monsters, and other horrors to control reality.
Arcana Royale #1 goes on sale Wednesday, April 23, 2025, from Dark Horse Comics. Final order cutoff for issue # is this Monday, March 17, 2025.
From the official issue description:
From the co-creator of The Sixth Gun and Harrow County comes a new supernatural thriller that The Sandman meets Rounders!
Hudson Tremaine is a streetwise gambler who has siphoned money from every high-stakes game in Vegas. She’s made a name for herself, but she’s also made more than a few enemies in the gambling underworld. When she is invited to play in the most underground card tournaments of all–the Arcanos Mysterinos–she realizes the stakes are higher than she ever imagined possible.
Imagine a clandestine poker tournament where magicians, demons, and demigods gamble using a set of mysterious tarot-like cards. These games shape the fate of the world . . . of many worlds . . . for good or ill. This game has always been played in secret, hidden from the prying eyes of mortals.
Until now.
Hudson has always been willing to bet on herself–but playing for the fate of all humanity is something she never anticipated!
• Four issue series.