John Arcudi’s run on “B.P.R.D.” came to an end this month, and while I’m very sad to see it come to an end, I’m eager to see him explore other projects, such the upcoming “Dead Inside,” with artist Toni Fejzula and colorist André May. The five-issue miniseries comes out December 21, and it’s well worth picking up.
“Dead Inside” is about Detective Linda Caruso investigating a pair of deaths in Bennett Penitentiary. What was it that drew you to a mystery set in a prison?
John Arcudi: Many years ago I read about Jail Crimes investigations and it’s fascinated me ever since. I can’t exactly tell you why it’s taken me so long to tell this story, but it seems to be working out great!
I had the opportunity to read the first two issues, and I must say I’m absolutely hooked. I like stories that don’t take place in a bubble—this mystery isn’t the only thing going on in Caruso’s life, and there’s that element of the toll this job takes on her as a person.
JA: I’m much more interested in stories of failure than stories of triumph. I’m not suggesting Linda fails in this particular story—or that she doesn’t—but she’s been doing it for a while now. As I started crafting this idea—before page one was ever written—I asked myself what is the sort of thing that could pull her out of a years-long tailspin. And would she, in fact, be able to recover at all.
What made Toni Fejzula the right artist to tell this story?
JA: Because he can draw like a motherfucker! Really, it’s that simple.
I was really impressed by Toni’s work here. In “Veil” and “Lobster Johnson” I found his work had a stained-glass quality to it, but here there was a greater focus on textures as an amplifier for tension. He took scenes of mundane daily activities, and as they progressed they’d start to writhe with an undercurrent of violence or darkness.
JA: Toni can do pretty much whatever he wants, and in LoJo, that stained glass vibe was what the story called for. Not here. Also, credit to André May, our colorist, for achieving some of the things you’re talking about.
There was also this interesting stuff with perspective, where scenes could be very flat when things are routine, but in more tense moments there are these deep-focus panels. Toni pushes it even further in subjective moments as Caruso pieces together the mystery, shifting to distorted, wide-angle panels. Did you talk much about how the art would take on the character of Caruso’s thoughts?
JA: We talked about tone, and my scripts tend to be very detailed, so I’d say some of it came from that, but really, Toni’s the hero here. He made changes to the script when they were necessary—when I missed an opportunity—and got us to where we are. As I keep saying, he kills!
What kind of challenges did you face putting this story together? Especially making a mystery story work in a series of short 22-page installments?
JA: It’s funny, but I never think in terms of specific challenges for a story. They’re there, of course, but I always just put my nose to the grindstone and do what needs to be done. I do my research, I try to set the tone, the pacing. In short, I did on this story what I do on every story, which is to say, I do my best. I will say, however, that I wrote a different kind of script for Toni than I did on the LoJo story. I always try to tailor my scripts for whomever I’m lucky enough to work with, and in this case, since we were going for a different vibe than our previous collaboration, I had to tailor it even more. THAT’S where the challenges come from, I guess.
I liked the way this story used locations and body language to imply character motivation. In order to fully grasp the information, the reader has to use context cues from the characters. It’s an excellent way to engage in the characters’ interior lives while progressing the mystery. I found myself lingering on pages longer than I normally would. Plus, it makes the book feel bigger than it is.
Continued belowJA: Thank you. Always my aim. Make the world seem real, seem complete, so these characters appear to be living full lives. If the artist and I can do that, then maybe the reader cares about the characters and what happens to them.
Of course, the characters are a mystery unto themselves as well. Detective Caruso has her own history to deal with. There’s that element of Caruso being in a place that she really doesn’t what to be, and I don’t just mean the physical location, but also where her career is now, and where her life is.
JA: Exactly. That’s what I was talking about. Not to say I invented this device, but to me it never feels like a device. To me, every story I write—or almost every story—develops as I feel it has to. Like I’m just discovering it in somebody else’s journal. That may sound goofy, but it’s true.
I’m very glad you got Dave Johnson as the cover artist for the book. That’s an excellent match for the material. He’s one of those cover artists that can find something beyond the obvious to depict in covers.
JA: Yup. That’s why we went for him, and luckily got him.
You mentioned in your Robots From Tomorrow interview that Linda Caruso’s story could extend beyond this miniseries. Could it be a series of miniseries?
JA: I always saw this as an ongoing series. We’ll see if sales warrant that.
I certainly hope so.
“Dead Inside” #1 comes out December 21, 2016. Final order cut-off is next Monday, November 28.
The Jail Crimes Division of the Sheriff’s Office in Mariposa County investigates crimes committed inside county jails. With a limited number of suspects who can’t escape, these are usually easy cases to solve—but not this one. As Detective Linda Caruso gets closer to the heart of the case, she discovers uncomfortable truths about her friends, her job, and herself.
