Broken Frontier

Some comic fans hardly realize what goes into producing a seemingly simple 22-page comic book. Often dismissed by the broad public as mere ‘floppies’, the production process behind the monthlies we all hold dear is a stressful one. So stressful, it’s even difficult for creators to focus on much beyond honing their craft. One may be the next Brian Bendis or Jim Lee, but being able to write or draw someone’s socks off, doesn’t mean you know how to sell your game.

That’s where Shon C. Bury comes in. As the man behind talent agency Space Goat Productions, he’s all about putting his creators in the best situation possible, allowing them to focus on what they do best: be creative.

Shon let us have some insights into his way of working here and here and now it is up to his artists to speak! First up is Gabriel Guzman, artist on Cable.

BROKEN FRONTIER: When did you first get interested in comics?

GABRIEL GUZMAN: Since I was a boy. An aunt of mine had a magazine and newspaper store, and every time we visited her I used to pick up some comic books and read them on the way back home. Batman used to be my first choice. Jim Aparo was the first artist that caught my attention and the first whose name I could remember, and then Norm Breyfogle.

BF: How did you know you wanted to become an artist?

GG: When I was a teenager I tried to sketch my first comic stories, but I would get tired after the first panel and I couldn’t figure out how someone would be able to do such an effort in each and every panel on all the pages that make up a comic book. I was sure there had to be a well-kept secret, a trick I didn't know yet. But I kept on drawing unrelated sketches in notebooks, lots and lots of them. Later I had hepatitis and I had to stay in bed for some 20 days, so during that time a friend of mine brought me aeromodelling airplanes for me to build and kill time.

So when I was 15 I tried to get into an army high school to study Aeronautics. Thank god I didn’t make it. Then I would realize that I was only interested in drawing airplanes, and that I could do just that without having to endure a military education. Then I studied Arts and did some exhibitions, but soon I learned that I wasn’t suited for the artistic-academic environment. I found there was a lot of hypocrisy, mediocrity and lots of arrogance. I started to draw some illustrations for various magazines in my country and I set up an art studio with Javier Tartaglia. I had more time in those days so we would spend hours and hours concocting sci-fi stories, one of which ended up turning into a fully fledged comic. We started having the idea of making a living out of comics.

BF: Who are your artistic influences?

GG: There is a neverending list, but I'll just mention some of them:  Joe Quesada, Carlos Pacheco, Brian Hitch, Mike Mignola, Dave Finch, Greg Capullo, some other European artists such as Enki Bilal, Eleuteri Serpieri, Alfonso Asipiri and Argentinian artists such as Horacio Altuna, Alberto Breccia, Jorge Zafino, Garcia Seijas, Chichoni, Eduardo Risso, Carlos Meglia and many many more.

BF: Is there a specific piece, issue or run you’re most proud of? Like, if you want fans to go check out your work, what should they pick up?

GG: Cable #18. Usually, an artist works with the deadline, the references, the editor demands and loads of other things in mind. With Cable I mean to enjoy what I'm doing, the process of drawing each and every page, without worrying about what happens after that of about what people say in forums. Besides, Cable and Bishop were the characters I've been wanting to start with at Marvel. I'm going through a terrific time drawing these episodes, so I guess this has to show in the end product.

BF: How has having Shon Bury as your talent agent helped your career?

GG: Well, an artist has to do a lot of things besides just drawing, and sometimes it can get tedious and hinder the artist’s work. I’ve been working in comic books for several years now, I did Lady Death a couple of years, a graphic novel called Alius Rex and the miniseries Amory Wars by the band Coheed and Cambria, and luckily I've always worked with very good people that were able to help me a lot. But I came to a point where I needed a steady person to handle the cumbersome part of the job. I mean, after drawing, I no longer felt like spending hours in front of the PC screen, sending e-mails to editors, looking for new contacts, thinking what I was going to do when I finished a project. So that’s when Shon comes in.

BF: How do you feel you’ve grown as an artist since you first started working in comics?

GG: I think that in an artist’s career everything is a process. I don’t think you can ever say “ok, I’ve made it, this is the top”. Bearing this in mind, I consider myself a much better artist now than when I began. And I definitely think I have a long way to go. I guess now I'm being myself more than ever. This is one of the things I value the most. I mean, I want people to be able to identify my work, to recognize it as unique and not as a mere imitation of someone else’s work. Of course there’s always the influence of the artists that you grew up looking up to. Nobody is born with a style of its own. But I think it's important to reach a point where you’re able to blend all influences and express them in a language of your own. It's difficult, but, like I said, it's part of the process.

BF: How did you first started working in comics?

GG: Currently, I’m drawing Cable. If you like my work you can see me there. The story by  Duane Swierczynski is great, full of action and suspense, it’s a real pleasure to be able to work on Cable, and I hope the reader feels the same way about it. What the future will bring, I don't know. I guess people's opinions will determine my future to some extent. But right now, I'm only focused on Cable (#22-23).

Space Goat Productions is currently searching for more pencilers to represent. If you think you have what it takes to work for Marvel and DC and are willing to work under exclusive representation, please contact Space Goat Productions.