The Random Days and Nights of a Comic-Book Talent Manager & Happy-Go-Lucky Workaholic

By Shon C. Bury

So when Comics Bulletin asked me to write a column about the day-in-the-life of me, Shon C. Bury, talent manager and president of Space Goat Productions, I wasn't really sure how to go about it. I mean, I just got interviewed on the subject. AND I Facebook like a silly man about all my random daily tomfoolery. So what do I write about?

Turns out, I can write about a lot. And Monday, May 18th, was a perfect day to do it --because it was a great snapshot of my many, many days and nights of a comic book talent manager. And properly random.

Let's break it down:

6:05am – I wake to the sound of my BlackBerry chirping at me. It's been chirping at me for ten minutes, but I didn't notice because I've been having a ridiculously lucid dream about comic-book "arch plots" (soon to be a column near you!). I'm geek like that...

Before my eyes even clear of morning blur, I'm scrolling through my inbox, searching out any priority emails that may have rolled in after I last checked my inbox six hours before. Yep. They rolled in.

(Now -- a wise person may ask -- why does a self-employed creative type powered by BlackBerry wake up so damn early? Simple answer: I'm West Coast. Marvel -- the publisher that gives Space Goat much of its work -- is East Coast. Editors are at their desks by 9am EST, and I need to be rock-em-sock-em by the time they start emailing me. Plus, Space Goat is an international company with artists all over the planet. Not an exaggeration.)

But, back to those priority emails. Yeah, I got em. First, there's an interview about to be posted on a webzine and I need to send images ASAP. Then there's the Avengers: Initiative deadlines that I need to firm up with inker Roger Bonet as he sits down to ink the first batch of Rafa Sandoval pages for Initiative #26. He's in Spain, seven hours ahead of me, so he needs my response info ASAP.

And then -- just as my little BlackBerry reminders start chirping up the place (reminding me that I need to check in on layouts for a new book, to mail off an artist agreement to a new artist out of Argentina, to check in on letters for one of our custom-comic jobs, to see how my entertainment lawyer is doing on a certain contract, to prep for two back-to-back IM chats, and...yeah...my morning was packed even before the priority emails came in...). I get an email from a Big Two editor with this subject title: "Help!" It must be really important because there's a little red exclamation mark in front of the title. I never get those. (Yes, I do.)

It is not yet 6:30am.

Here's the upshot of "Help!": Editor has a book that needs to be complete by the end of the month, a mere two weeks away. There is no deadline reprieve, and the Editor does not care if he has to "give three pages to seven different artists."

What does this mean for Space Goat Productions? It means it's time to source some damn talent, that's what it means. After sending the Editor three potential pencilers, two inkers, and a colorist to choose from, we get two pencilers and one colorist on the book (pretty good %, in my mind). Artists are locked in, pages are assigned, scripts are emailed, reference is uploaded to the etubes...and it's time for a shower...

7:24am – I'm standing in front of my desk thinking about all the crap I have to do and how much I do not want to do it at my desk, because my desk is a pigsty that never quite recovered from my recent clash with the tax man. I throw on some workout attire, sling my laptop, hop on my bicycle, and ride off towards the not-closest internet café 3.64 miles away. Sound track: The Decemberists' -- The Crane Wife.

8: 17am – Sweaty and rocking out, I secure a table at the "office" and setup my laptop. I'm flipping through emails and thumbing out replies with the speed of a Greek god that would have providence over such things. The broista (that's a male barista; not a type-o) takes pity on my busy ass and brings me my normal drink. Drip. Black.

I drink coffee. Sweet, sweet coffee. As the caffeine begins to work its wondrous spell on me, I start jamming out some edits to a custom comic script that needs to be sent off to an artist down in Brazil before noon. But "Help!" is not done with me. No, no. Never done.

Artists and page assignments are locked down, but there are always questions and always people to keep in the loop from editorial to talent and, increasingly, a layer of talent managers. Especially when multiple artists are working on a single issue. Plus, there was a script revision that changed the pages around a bit...and made everyone's head implode into quantum singularities.

Here's the upshot: Emails are like Tribbles. If you feed them, they will multiply. I have two Gmail tabs open on my browser. One of those tabs has a chat window open and I am bouncing back and forth between tabs to write emails (sometimes it's easier to cut and paste info like this, fyi), alternately replying in-chat. Meanwhile, Windows Live Messenger wants to chat with me! This time about another rush job we just landed...Confirming/Clarifying/Talking-Off-The-Ledge-ing/Repeat.

10:43am – "Help!" crisis averted for the time being. I sip coffee and silently remind myself that there is a reason I have high blood pressure at the (Still!) tender age of 37. The 9am Monday morning IM chat with my Brazilian studio manager has been pumped a day, much to his relief as he's trafficking pages for the two pencilers on the "Help!" project. The second chat has been rescheduled to an 8pm phone chat. Another IM chat has been added to tomorrow's schedule with an Indian studio I've been talking with…International, remember?

I still need to finish up that custom comic script, but before I get to that I need to clean up my inbox, upload some approved files to Marvel's ftp, and deal with a few things, like:
• Forward interview questions to a few artists for interviews over at [redacted].
• Setup Jheremy Raapack with everything he needs to start his new WildStorm gig.
• Setup page rates for another artist new to Marvel.
• Checked in on a few payment thingies on some small press books (sure to be good times!).
• Find a new webmaster for the Space Goat site.
• Other junk and stuff.

Sometimes days like this make me feel like a hamster on meth in one of those runny wheel things. [shrug]

12:15pm – The latest draft of the custom comic script is done and mailed off to the artist. I realize I have not eaten, and did not care, because I had to take care of some other things, like:

• Review Jason Metcalf's Comics Bulletin interview and began culling images for same.


• Got some more Avengers: Initiative #26 script pages back from the translator and forward them on to Rafa.


• Forward new Eternal Descent inked page to client.


• Got news that a Marvel pitch of mine got passed on...checked the site stats of my webcomic while I silently pouted.


• Update my Facebook status, as I am wont to do. Chronically.


• Other junk and stuff.

1:47pm – It's time for a soundtrack change, and I curse myself for not having anything by Regina Spektor loaded onto my BlackBerry. Maybe Queen? Yeah. Soundtrack: Queen: Greatest Hits.

I deal with more interviews, mail out new portfolios to 95% of the senior editors in the biz (plus assistants), buy some ad space for my webcomic, and realize that I've just worked eight straight hours.

I sling my laptop, hop on my bicycle, and ride into the face of the sun on wax tires.

3:23pm – I sit down for a quick break brought to you by Trail Park Boys Season 3, the power of brown rice, and the letter B, and the letter B...because I break with my BlackBerry in my hand. While I "break" I get an email from Marvel telling me a few pages for an online book we're doing didn't load correctly to the ftp. We get them reloaded, then newly minted Marvel Artist Agreements for Gabriel (The Guz) Guzman and his inker Mariano Taibo roll in. Must review, and [nap].

4:55pm – AWAKE! I finish reviewing the Artist Agreements and email them off to the respective artists. Questions ensue. While I have slept, 46 unread emails have blossomed in my inbox. But I'm an emachine, so I ain't buggin.

Emails are dealt with in turn, mostly follow-ups from earlier email threads. Now it's time to catch up on some writing, but I don't want to write at home! So...

5:43pm – A 3.64 mile ride back to the internet café later, and I am ready to work on a few project pitches. But more Tribbles...I mean, EMAILS...have infested my inbox. Fortunately, they are quickly dispatched and I am able to work on some personal writing for a bit. Soundtrack: Death Cab for Cutie with some Pixies thrown in, just to be a smart ass. Yes, miscellaneous emails and a call from my dad are dealt with while I do this.

8:13pm – I'm reminded I have a phone chat scheduled with Space Goat's new talent manager when my BlackBerry nearly vibrates off the table. We plot world domination.

8:55pm – I look up while plotting world domination to see the café closing around me. I am momentarily confused to watch my "office" closing, then remember I am actually a customer at an internet café and my sense of proprietorship has grown too big for its britches.

I trick myself into thinking that it's time to call it a day, so I sling my laptop "one last time," hop on my bicycle, and ride off into the night. Soundtrack: Muse: Black Holes and Revelations.

9:37pm – I'm home and ready to turn in. Oh, wait! I still have some energy, so I might as well clean my desk a bit, right? Books, number crunching, and filing ensue. I remember I have to mail off some of my old comics to a publisher I want to write for, then...

12:07am – Damn you, linear time! Someday I will CRUSH YOU! But for now, it's time to respond to some emails, while re-watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 7 for the glukillion time and drifting off to sweet, sweet sleep...

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