Earning a degree in theater arts from the University of Kentucky, Pogue became co-founder and artistic director of the Mercury II Theatre in Fort Thomas, KY. He went on to work at the Globe of the Great Southwest Theatre in Odessa, TX, and elsewhere. He wrote the Sherlock Holmesian play "Whodunnit, Darling?" which was performed and got him hooked on writing. His ability to write in the style of Arthur Conan Doyle led to his first produced screenplay, a 1983 remake of "The Hound of the Baskervilles". The following year, he based another screenplay on a Doyle short story, "The Sign of Four". Pogue subsequently turned more towards horror, notably with the sequel "Psycho III" (1986) and David Cronenberg's chilling remake of "The Fly" (also 1986), starring Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis. Now established as a Hollywood screenwriter, Pogue went on to adapt "D.O.A.", which starred Edmond O'Brien in the 40s, as a vehicle for Dennis Quaid. (The plot follows a man who swallows poison and sets out to discover who has plotted to murder him before he dies.) Pogue penned another Quaid vehicle, the medieval fantasy "Dragonheart" (1995), which is perhaps better remembered for its Oscar-nominated special effects. He continued in a medieval vein with "Kull the Conqueror" (1997), starring Kevin Sorbo.
Pogue has worked infrequently for TV, but did write and co-produce the 1990 CBS telefeature "Hands of a Murder", based on a Sherlock Holmes story. An additional play, "The Ebony Ape", also based on a Holmes mystery, was produced on stage in 1987.