Bruce Jones and Desperado Publishing

Bruce Elliot Jones began his professional career in the 1970’s in New York as a magazine illustrator for publications like AMAZING, FANTASTIC, and GALAXY magazines and several fashion and slick publications like SWANK, DUDE and NATIONAL LAMPOON, where he also contributed regular short prose fiction.

At this time he was pursuing a concurrent career in male modeling for Macy’s and several television ad companies where he appeared on national TV as “The Steam Away Man,” in addition to hawking, watches, sunglasses, men’s colognes and other sixty second commercial ephemera. He was also busy as an actor in off-Broadway productions at The Play Box Theater in “The Paid Pitcher,” and other plays.

Jones’ first graphic story work appeared in the magazine WEB OF HORROR with fellow friends and artists Berni Wrightson, Jeff Jones and Mike Kaluta, all getting their start in illustration in the ’70’s. Jones did illustration work for DC’s war comics and Warren Magazine’s CREEPY, EERIE and VAMPIRELLA as well as several Skywald Publications like NIGHTMARE and PSYCHO, etc. He began to segue from artist to writer at Marvel Comics as regular scripter of CONAN THE BARBARIAN and RED SONJA. At this time he also became a featured writer/illustrator for Marvel’s science fiction black and white magazines EPIC and UNKNOWN WORLDS OF SCIENCE FICTION. He began concentrating chiefly on comic writing for the Warren Magazines with the publication of his story “Jennifer” illustrated by friend Bernie Wrightson.

Jones won the “Best Writer of the Year” award three times running at Warren during its heyday. The 70’s also saw the publication of his first two novels, THE CONTESTANTS and AMBERSTAR for Warner Books. He also wrote KA-ZAR THE SAVAGE and others titles at Marvel, as well as the Conan black and white magazine.

In the 1980’s Jones moved to San Diego and formed his own company, BJA. Here he began packaging, editing, writing and drawing comics for the PACIFIC line-- like the cult favorites TWISTED TALES, ALIEN WORLDS and SOMERSET HOLMES. He scripted PATHWAYS TO FANTASTY and, with wife April Campbell, the mystically beautiful SILVERHEELS, illustrated by Scott Hampton. While at Pacific, Jones’ first short story collection of prose fiction was published by Blue Dolphin Press where one piece earned an Edgar nomination.

Later he did work for the Eclipse line of comics and was a regular writer/illustrator for several of Richard Corben’s Fantagor Press books while continuing to freelance for Marvel as writer and or artist on books like MOON KNIGHT and VENOM. When SOMERSET HOLMES was purchased by Ed Pressman Films at Warner Bros, Jones and April Campbell wrote the screenplay for the movie, acquired their Writer’s Guild cards and spent the remainder of the 80’s scripting for television and film, including staff positions for HBO’s THE HITCHHIKER. April wrote the motion picture PREY OF THE CHAMELON for ShowTime Prod. and the couple wrote and developed several TV movies for ABC, NBC, etc.

At this time Jones began writing for DARK HORSE comics, doing their TARZAN and other Burroughs series and well as adapting several movie tie-in projects including STAR WARS, FLASH GORDON, STARSHIP TROOPERS, etc. He also spent a year scripting the FLASH GORDON daily and Sunday newspaper strip for King Features with artist Ralph Reese. About this time, Bruce began seriously concentrating on a career as novelist. Hardcover imprints Doubleday, Crown and Scribner published Jones thrillers IN DEEP, MAXIMUM VELOCITY, SPRINTER, GAME RUNNING, STALKER’S MOON as Bruce Jones, and the novels STILL LIFE and DEATH RITES under the Bruce Elliot penname.

In the late 1980’s Jones began doing short fiction for DC Vertigo titles like FLINCH, GANGLAND, WEIRD WESTERN, etc. In the early 1990’s he moved to Marvel Publishing and was invited to do the ongoing scripting chores for THE INCREDIBLE HULK, propelling the title to bestseller statues and garnering Bruce several writing awards. Jones also penned stories for Marvel characters Spider-Man, Kingpin, Wolverine, The Thing and others in the Marvel Universe. Bruce spent the early part of the turn of the century under exclusive contract with Marvel Comics, his work there earning him a Lifetime Achievement Award from San Diego Comic International.

Today Jones continues to write novels and work in comics and film. He resides in the Midwest with wife April, their two children Robin and Paris. He recently signed a two-year exclusive contract with DC Comics to write, BATMAN, VIGILANTE, DEADMAN and other projects, in addition to projects with Wild Storm and Vertigo Publishing. A gallery show of his artwork is currently on exhibition in Spain where he won the coveted Haxtur Award for Writing and Drawing Excellence in 2004.