MY FAVORITE COMICS OF 2009

2009 was a particularly strong year for comics, especially Original Graphic Novels, so in no particular order here are some of my favorite comics of the past year:

3 STORY: THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE GIANT MAN: MATT KINDT:
This is the very best work of a VERY good cartoonist. I was fortunate enough to read an earlier draft of this stunning graphic novel by my good friend Matt Kindt. I loved it then, and I love it now even more. Matt may be too close to see it himself, but I can see all the love he has for his wife and daughter poured into these pages.

ASTERIOS POLYP: DAVID MAZZUCCELLI:

What else can you say about this book that hasn't already been said. Mazzucchelli's career has been amazing, co-creating some of the best "mainstream" comics of the last 25 years with Daredevil Born Again and Batman Year One. And his Rubber Blankets was a huge influence on me when I first started cartooning. He is a master of the medium, and AP his masterwork.

GEORGE SPROTT: SETH:

Speaking of the best work of a great cartoonist...I love Clyde Fans, I love It's A Good Life...and I Love Wimbelton Green. Having said that, GEORGE SPROTT trumps them all. Seth is clearly one of our finest living cartoonists, and he is firing on all cylinders with this gorgeous oversized account of the melancholy moments that make up a man's life. It also drips with small town southern Ontario nostalgia, something I can't resist.

THE HUNTER: Darwyn Cooke:

Darwyn Cooke is really, really good isn't he? This book is so hard to put down. The art is gorgeous, the cartooning impeccable. I can't wait for more Parker.

THE LAGOON: LILLI CARRE:

This is a strange, haunting and beguiling book. I can't explain it, nor do I want to. It just needs to be read and experienced. Lilli Carre is a wonderful cartoonist with her own, truly unique voice.

I KILL GIANTS: JOE KELLY AND LM KEN NIIMURA:

When I read this it reminded me a lot of some of the themes and moods I was trying to capture in Tales From The Farm, and I loved it. NIIMURA's expressive scratchy art is brilliant and I was genuinely moved by Kelly's script which knew when to be big and loud, and when to be quiet and restrained.

SCALPED: Jason Aaron and RM Guera:

The best monthly comic being produced right now. Scalped is in a league all of its own, and it just keeps getting better and better. Jason Aaron solidifies himself as the best writer to emerge from the "big two" in a long, long time.

STITCHES: DAVID SMALL

A lot of my hoity-toity comic book friends were slagging this book off as over-hyped. Well, I don't care how hyped it was, I still really enjoyed it. I thought the art had a really great loose inky feel and it used comics in some really interesting ways

INCOGNITO: ED BRUBAKER AND SEAN PHILLIPS:

I've been a devoted fan of Sean Phillips since his stunning run on Hellblazer with Paul Jenkins. But he's never as good as he is when he's drawing a Brubaker script. They are one of those rare writer/artists teams that blend into a third, brilliant cartoonist when together. Ingognito is an addictive pulp mash-up. A bit lighter than the also excellent CRIMINAL, and a hell of a lot of fun.

EMITOWN: EMI LENNOX:

My favorite web comic. Portlander Emi Lennox's two-tone comic memoirs are whimsical, clever and very engaging. She's one of the brightest young cartoonists I've come across in a long, long time and if Emitown is any indication of things to come, she'll be making a lot of new fans very soon.

The Montreal Gazette Selects Essex County!

Ian Gillis of the Montreal Gazette recently chose ESSEX COUNTY as part of his spotlight on Candian Graphic Novels.

The Complete Essex County, by Jeff Lemire (Top Shelf Productions, 512 pages, $31.95). In this family saga set in an imagined version of the author’s native southwestern Ontario, Lemire taps into some of the deepest wellsprings of Canadian mythology: hardscrabble farm life, long winters, stoicism, solitude and, as well as anyone has ever depicted, the central role of hockey. The result is a book that achieves an epic sweep even though it’s relatively light on text.

Lemire’s fluid, expressionistic black-and-white style – he’s especially effective with faces and how they echo across generations – speaks volumes by itself. As a storyteller, he’s bold enough to walk the thin line between melancholy and sentimentality, never quite succumbing to the latter. Essex County packs an enormous emotional punch.

Frankenstein Lives!

A warm up sketch I did yesterday...

Sweet Tooth #4 Review

Gus might be the answer to the world's problems.

by Bryan Joel IGN.com

Jeff Lemire's Sweet Tooth is a monthly revelation, but it's not the fresh take on a post-apocalyptic world where the true genius of this book lies. Rather, it's in Lemire's brilliant character work and the seamless integration of it into his artwork. Sweet Tooth is far and away my favorite monthly comic, and issue #4 perfectly demonstrates why.

This issue finds Jepperd and Gus stumbling into a prostitution operation. It's the first time that the duo have really run into non-hunters in the outside world, and it's a chilling indication of how twisted the world has become. Sweet Tooth has more than a few childrens' storybook qualities to it normally, and the prostitutes are another example of this. On the surface they seem like one-dimensional figures intended to serve a specific purpose, but by the end of their story they've grown into something else and serve a new agenda. The simplicity of their one-issue story arc is genius.

But the real meat of the issue for me is the same as it has been in the previous three: the effect Gus and Jepperd are having on one another. Jepperd is positioned as the grizzled, jaded soldier figure and Gus as the timid, innocent neophyte, and every passing issue, each character drags the other further into their respective state of mind. This issue, it's Gus's naive, simple notion of right and wrong that alters Jepperd just enough that he's willing to help the prostitutes. Likewise, it's Jepperd's brutal handling of their pimps that brings Gus out of his sheltered mindset to appreciate the reality of their situation. Ultimately it seems to be leading towards the characters meeting somewhere in the moral middle, but the journey there is the true joy of Sweet Tooth.

Neither of these character movements would have come off quite as brilliantly if it weren't for Lemire's artistic cues. Whether it's Gus's (literal) doe-eye peeking around the corner to witness Jepperd's extreme violence, or Jepperd's clenched fist at the realization that Gus's black and white stance on morality is probably more admirable than his loner tendencies, Sweet Tooth #4 represents the zenith in art/script fusion. Even when the action dies down as the issue ends, Lemire treats readers to some stunning visuals, even when it's simply some rain falling, or the dysfunctional duo riding horseback. Lemire's artwork tells the story just as much as the words do, and this issue of Sweet Tooth is a true visual experience to be had.

This title continues to prove what the comics medium is capable of outside of spandex and muscles, and issue #4 is probably my favorite installment yet. Lemire is creating a fantastic world full of mystery, grit, and deceit, and a team of characters with real synergy and charisma.

BEHIND THE PANELS: SWEET TOOTH #4

Issue #4 of my monthly Vertigo comic SWEET TOOTH was released this week. This issue is the penultimate chapter in the first story-arc "Out of The Deep Woods". The issue also introduces a few new characters who will end up playing a big part in the overall story. I thought I'd select a scene from the issue and outline my creative process, from script to final art...

1. Script: I have the entire saga of Sweet Tooth outlined in one master document that I wrote when I pitched the book to Vertigo. This master outline, or "series bible", contains all of the major story points, character arcs and the overall plot. As well as more detailed notes on key scenes and even ideas for important dialogue here and there. At this point Sweet Tooth is projected to be 5 or 6 story arcs long (aprox. 30-40 issues), with a lot of room for the story and characters to expand and grow as I go along if need be.

From this master outline, I then break each story arc down into roughly 6 issues each. Then of course break each issue into 22-page outlines. From these I write my full script for each issue before I start drawing. These scripts are probably a bit sparser than an average comic writer's, because I don't have to spend time explaining the visuals for another artist to render, that's already in my head as I write. So, it's mostly to block out all the dialogue and make sure everything I want to do fits into the alloted 22 pages. I use a program called Movie Magic Screenwriter to do my scripts. It already has a couple of comic book templates built in, and lets me focus on the writing and not mess around with any formatting issues. Here is a four page (pages 2-5) excerpt from the 4th issue (click to enlarge):

2. Breakdowns: From these scripts I then thumbnail out a very rough page layout. These are really rudimentary doodles, probably so much so that only I could decipher them. But they just let me work out the panel structures and layout as well as the visual flow of the page. I take my script and reinterpret it, pacing out the beats of a scene or a conversation over panels. I often end up with a finished page that is very different from the script, as I tend to "write" best when drawing. The script is only a jumping off point :

3. Pencils: I then start on my pencilled artwork using these thumbnails as my skeleton. I used to pencil VERY loosely while working on Essex County and The Nobody. But, for whatever reason, my pencils have become increasingly tighter and more finished with each issue of Sweet Tooth. I do a rough, loose pencil draft with a blue pencil first, just getting all the basic composition and anatomy down, then go over this with a fine mechanical pencil, working out details and any drawing problems. I then take these pencils and trace them onto my bristol art board using a light box. The result of which can be seen below:

(Recently, I finished the artwork on Issue 9 of Sweet Tooth, and my pencils had gotten so tight that all the work and spontanaeity was gone by the time I went to inks. So, I've decided to go back to looser pencilling from now on, just go at the page with ink and have fun, take more risks. For me that's the real joy of cartooning.)

4. Inks: I then start inking these pages. I use Speedball India Ink and a steel point Hunt #2 pen tip for most of my linework, then go in with an Escoda 1212 Sable Hair Brush (usually a #1 size) and do my blacks and add accents to the linework where needed.

Once I have my pencils set, and I know there are no major drawing problems left to figure out, I start inking. And I like to ink VERY fast, and very loose. Let that energy translate onto the page. If I make a mistake (and I often do) I just keep going and go back later to fix it with white out, or I just redraw it.

5. Colors: From there the pages go to Jose Villarubia and he works his magic. I don't have to give Jose many color notes. He's a real pro and an accomplished artist in his own right, and I just let him do his thing, which is always beautiful.

USA TODAY Calls SWEET TOOTH "Spellbinding and Offbeat"!

'Sweet Tooth' like Mad Max with antlers

Vertigo/DC Comics Vertigo/DC Comics Vertigo/DC Comics Vertigo/DC Comics

By John Geddes, USA TODAY

What if a post-pandemic world devolved into a population of human/animal hybrid children being hunted by paranoid humans? That's the question Jeff Lemire proposes to readers in his new spellbinding and offbeat Vertigo series, Sweet Tooth.

Lemire is the critically acclaimed author/artist of the Essex County graphic novel trilogy, a devastatingly beautiful series of tales that led readers through the intertwined lives of characters in rural Canada. Essex was a story that highlighted the human experience from the magic in a child's imagination to the sorrowful regrets of old men.

So, how did the writer-illustrator go from quiet domestic drama to a story about the survival of human-animal hybrid children during the end of the world? Look no further than Dr. Moreau, Kamandi and Mad Max.

"The idea came when I was working on my recent Vertigo series called The Nobody— a reinterpretation of H.G. Wells' The Invisible Man," Lemire explains. "That involvement with Wells got me thinking about, and subsequently reading again, The Island of Dr. Moreau. I love the idea of these half-human/half-animals running around."

So much so, in fact, that Lemire had actually pitched the idea of doing a reinterpretation of Jack Kirby's Kamandi, the classic series recently redone by Dave Gibbons and Ryan Sook for DC Comics' Wednesday Comics. Like Kamandi, Sweet Tooth also follows the adventures of a lost boy, Gus, through a world devastated by a single, calamitous event. One key difference between the two series, however — Gus is an 11-year-old boy with deer antlers growing from his head.

The story of Sweet Tooth opens with Gus being protected and sealed off from the world by his father in a desolate woodland cabin. If he ventures out in the world, the boy is told, he'll be hunted and killed by men. Due to circumstances beyond his control, he finds himself no longer able to remain hidden away in the woods. A grizzled old brawler named Jepperd promises to keep Gus safe and take him to a place where he will be accepted and protected for the rest of his life. So begins the adventure.

"I'm a huge fan of post-apocalyptic stories —Mad Max and so on. Sweet Tooth is my version of a post-apocalyptic tale. It's a surreal fairy tale for adults. The series tries to solve the mystery of why the few children who are being born after this worldwide pandemic are all human/animal hybrids."

Expect some major plot twists along the way, specifically involving Jepperd's real intentions and the way Gus begins to develop as more of an adult character. "We'll see some big-time developments involving Jepperd. Readers will see how his motives are questionable, to say the least. He's going to play a huge part in the outcome of the story."

The main character of Gus also changes in significant ways. "He goes from being an innocent to being thrust into a violent world and needing to learn to survive."

The first five-issue story arc for Sweet Tooth will come to an end in January, with the second arc launching in February 2010. Lemire has the story plotted well into the future, though. "Right now, I have it planned out to be 20 to 30 issues, but it could go even further depending on the response it gets."

Given today's headlines concerning swine flu and other potential pandemics, Lemire's Sweet Tooth is certainly well-suited to capture the attention of a much larger audience. If the emotionally charged writing and subtle-yet-powerful art displayed in this first story arc are any indicator of what's to come, Lemire might just find himself creating Sweet Tooth books for a long, long time.

To find a comic-book shop in your area, go to www.comicshoplocator.com or dial 1-888- Comic-Book.

SWEET TOOTH 6 AVAILABLE FRO PRE-ORDER! NEW STORYLINE BEGINS!!

Written by Jeff Lemire; Art and cover by Jeff Lemire

"The new 'must-read' book." – Geoff Johns

"Like a Coen brothers road trip drama… a fantastic post-apocalyptic comic." – AM New York

"In Captivity" part 1! A new storyline begins for one of the most talked about new series. After the twisted conclusion to the previous issue, take a look back at the first days of the apocalypse and the lengths to which Jeppard is forced to go in order to survive. Plus, discover more details about the disturbing fate of the young hybrid boy Gus.

On Sale February 3, 2010

SWEET TOOTH 3 Review at IGN

Vertigo's latest keeps on going strong.
by Jesse Schedeen

November 4, 2009 - On a surface level, Jeff Lemire's Sweet Tooth seems to borrow from numerous sources. The basic concept of a young boy and his grizzled protector crossing a post-apocalyptic wasteland evokes images of Cormac McCarthy's The Road. Comics like The Walking Dead and Y: The Last Man also deal with similar subject matter. But the difference lies all in the execution. No matter how many times we might have seen the post-apocalyptic tale in comics, Lemire makes it seem fresh again.

The story might have moved a little slowly in the first two issues, but now that Gus and Jepperd are out on the road the pace picks up a bit. Lemire devotes some time to building on Gus' character this month, proving again that he's more than a simple country hick with no practical knowledge of the world. One positive quality this series shares with The Road is the slowly building sense of tension. Gus and Jepperd spend most of the issue alone, but it's difficult not to feel a growing sense of foreboding with each passing page. Lemire has established this world as a dark, scary place, and the reader is now left to wait and wonder when tragedy will strike again for Gus. It's tough to know whether to even accept Jepperd as a companion for Gus or just one more threat to confront. A powerful and haunting dream sequence certainly casts doubt on Jepperd's motivations and Gus' safety.

More than anything, though, it's the fusion of Lemire's art and writing that make this series function so smoothly and elegantly. The best writers and artists may achieve that long-sought creative synergy, but it's hard to top a creator who can do both and do them well. Lemire knows his craft well. There's never a case where the storytelling falters or Lemire's intentions become cloudy. Lemire is skilled at building mood and tension in his scenes, be they set in a barren room or in the tortured landscape of Gus' dreams. It's not the most detailed book in the Vertigo lineup, but I'd go so far as to say that Sweet Tooth is the best-looking one.

Vertigo has launched numerous books in 2009. Their track record with these new releases is very impressive. But as much as I'm drawn in by complex, winding projects like The Unwritten, the captivating, elegantly sparse world of Sweet Tooth represents one of Vertigo's finest new books in years.

THE NOBODY NOMINATED FOR YALSA AWARD!

The Nobody has been nominated as one of The American Library Association's "Breat Graphic Novels For Teens"! Click here to see the entire list.

OUT TOMORROW SWEET TOOTH #3

By Pamela Mullin

Hunters, cultists, mutants and shantytown pimps all want a piece of Gus and all that stands between them, is Jepperd. As the little boy with antlers heads out into what’s left of the world, he’ll find out that no one is quite what they seem. Or are they? Jeff Lemire continues to amaze in SWEET TOOTH issue #3.

Noir Review

From The "BC REFUGEE BLOG":

NOIR: Crime done correctly . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

NOIR: A COLLECTION OF CRIME COMICS anthology, various writers and artists, trade paperback October 2009 (Dark Horse)

Wow!! This is extremely well done. If you were not exactly fond of crime comics before, you might be after reading this. It’s the best collection of any kind that I’ve come across in a good long time. All the stories are premium quality. All the art is deserving of your attention. Noir is “all thriller, no filler.” This is the kind of quality I was hoping to see in the new CREEPY series, which I gave praise to for it’s ambition but expressed disappointment for it’s execution. NOIR does not disappoint. It satisfies. Most of the stories have twist endings that you expect to see in the horror anthologies - - - and they are mostly clever and somewhat unexpected rather than predictable.

Dark Horse has assembled an army of stellar writers and artists to contribute to this anthology, of which I sincerely hope there are more to come: Brian Azzarello, Eduardo Barreto, Ed Brubaker, David Lapham, Jeff Lemire, Fabio Moon & Gabriel Ba, Dean Motter, Tom Orzechowski, Sean Phillips and Clem Robins. I’m also glad to see for my first time the works of Alex de Campi, Matthew & Shawn Fillbach, Stefano Gaudiano, Rick Geary, Paul Grist, Joelle Jones, Kano, Ken Lizzi, Chris Offut, M. K. Perker, Hugo Petrus and Gary Phllips. Every single one of them made a favorable impression on me. I kid you not. There is a baker’s dozen of stories in NOIR, and not a single one is a blank - - all silver bullets.

“Open The Goddamn Box’ opens the collection, and takes us to David Lapham’s world of Stray Bullets. Stray Bullets is one of those titles that I admire, especially for Lapham’s ability to portray all-too-realistically the degenerative side of human nature - - with grit and shocks galore and usually with a depressing ending. It’s that darkness that makes me avoid it and keeps me from being a regular reader. I’m relieved to report that this story at least ends in a positive fashion for the only character worth caring about. Two 15-year-old male perverts decide to kidnap, rape and kill a neighborhood female who they bear a grudge against for an incident in third grade. One is a budding psycho and the other is a common thug, content to be bossed around and always getting caught up in misdeeds. Credit Lapham for his disgusting but accurate portrayal of these characters - - they even remind me of some creeps I shared the same high school with. Sex is never about love or longing with these types - - it’s all about the machismo and domination, a real power trip. (For an audio-visual experience, read this story while listening to “Boys Who Rape Should Be Destroyed” by The Raveonettes.)

First with the new SWEET TOOTH series, and now with “The Old Silo” story in NOIR, Jeff Lemire impresses me with his ability to depict characters with seeming little effort. Just a few facial lines and angles and you get a clear impression of the struggling farmer that this story centers around. This story would have been a perfect selection for the recent CREEPY revival and seems more in tune with the spirit and tone of the original series than some of the actual features that made it into that first, disappointing issue.

“Yacht On The Styx” features Dean Motter’s creation, Mister X - - and this story is one of several featured in NOIR that really hits the mark in terms of paying homage to pulp fiction, classic detective yarns and the EC style of crime stories. Same goes for “The Last Hit” by Offutt & Kano/Guadiano about a veteran hit-man now entering his senior years and being set-up on his final mark. “Fracture” centers around a subway station encounter and is one of the more challenging stories in this collection, as it leaves the dialogue behind and resorts to caption-less mini-panels to move the story along - - albeit down several different paths leaving us to determine which is reality and which is fantasy. Very interesting.

That is just a small sampling of what’s in store in this collection. The art styles will remind you of many classic works from the past as well as classic illustrators, including Wally Wood and Jack Davis. There are a variety of stories and themes with no two stories seemingly alike. A night janitor stumbles across a suicidal accountant in the middle of taking down an entire office staff. A “playing-card” burglar picks the wrong household to steal from. A jealous man hires a hit-man to eliminate his wife’s no-longer-secret lover with an unintended outcome.

There’s a short and clever illustrated text piece in the center of the book that could easily be found in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. In “21st Century Noir” (a Criminal emission) Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips remind us that lonely men will always be persuaded by beautiful but bad women to do the wrong things. It’s all over in six pages as we meet The Lover, The Wife, and The Husband and then the surprise. I love all these tales, but my favorite is “The Bad Night”, the final story by Brian Azzarello with art by Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba. A thug petitions to join a crime family and gets his audition, assigned to steal a valuable necklace. It’s the who, what, and when this occurs that will make you smile with appreciation for Azzarello’s creativity, especially the caption in the final panel.

NOIR is a keeper. Make a space on the book shelf.

This new painting of Wolverine will be part of an auctuion to help raise money for the SHUSTER AWARDS. Keep an eye on thier site for more details.

Cover Art for SWEET TOOTH #5 Revealed:

What could this mean for Gus!?

Sweet Tooth #1 Promotional Offer Now Over

The Sweet Tooth #1 Promotional Sketch offer has now ended. I would like to thank everyone who sent their copies of Sweet Tooth #1 along!

OUT THIS WEEK: DARK HORSE NOIR

This week sees the release of Dark Horse's NOIR anthology, featuring an brand new 10-page story, "THE OLD SILO" by myself as well as folks like Brian Azzarello, Ed Brubaker and many other top talents. Click here to Preview!

SWEET TOOTH 2 Review at IGN

http://comics.ign.com/articles/103/1032937p1.html

"It's always a pleasure to read a comic where the writer is drawing as well. There's a connection there that isn't often as tight in a team situation. Sweet Tooth #2 is proof of that, as Gus's overt horror and quiet fascination at basically everything Jepperd stands for is palpable on each panel with very little outright mention of it. By the same token, there's a begrudging affection for Gus that's born within Jepperd over the course of the issue, and even though he's mostly surly to the young boy, Lemire's artwork betrays the hard exterior. It also raises the question of why Jepperd may not want to get close to Gus, what his true intentions are, and whether the Preserve really is what he claims (or if it exists at all). These layers and opportunities to pick them apart only make Sweet Tooth a more enjoyable read.

DC's Vertigo imprint has gotten a big push lately, but Sweet Tooth has quickly become my favorite of the new offerings. Its deceptively simple premise is backed up by Jeff Lemire's entrancing vision for the title's world and complex, emotive artwork. If you were enticed by the $1.00 first issue, you'll be happy to know that the full-priced issue #2 is just as much of a bargain for all its fantastic material."

House Of Mystery 18 On Sale Today...

Friday, October 2nd, 2009

By Pamela Mullin

And for fans of Jeff’s work, he’s the artist on the insert story “The Tale of Brutus the Bold” in this month’s HOUSE OF MYSTERY #18 (also on sale 10/7). This issue also features guest artist Werther Dell’ Edera (DARK ENTRIES).

Two New Comics This Week!

» View Larger Image

Written by Jeff Lemire; Art and cover by Jeff Lemire

"I would crawl over broken glass to read this." –Jason Aaron (SCALPED,Wolverine )

Vertigo's most unusual and terribly cool post-apocalyptic road-trip epic is unstoppable. The innocent deer/boy Gus is forced from his forest sanctuary into the almost annihilated world of men where he's desperately led by a different kind of force of nature: A cold killer who promises the only chance of salvation. Get onboard the buzz bandwagon with the ongoing series mash-up of horror, high adventure and friendship by Eisner-nominated storyteller Jeff Lemire (THE NOBODY, Essex County Trilogy).

• Vertigo
• 32pg.
• Color
• $2.99 US
• Mature Readers

On Sale October 7, 2009

» View Larger Image

Written by Matthew Sturges ; Art by Werther Dell'Edera and Jeff Lemire ; Cover by Esao Andrews

"The Beauty of Decay" Part 3! Fig, Peter and Jordan venture out into the city of ghosts to visit the long-abandoned Pathfinder's Academy where the most desperate specters wail and gnash. But the Pathfinder's Academy holds more than ghosts – it also contains ancient dark secrets that will change Fig's life forever. Featuring guest art by Werther Dell'Edera (LOVELESS) and a special tale of Fig Keele: "Teen Detective" by SWEET TOOTH creator and Xeric, Alex and Shuster Award-winner Jeff Lemire (THE NOBODY, The Essex County Trilogy).

• Vertigo
• 32pg.
• Color
• $2.99 US

On Sale October 7, 2009

Essex County on "Attack Of The Show"

Video Games - E3 2009 - Attack of the Show

New Podcast Interview: INKSTUDS

I was recently interviewed on the Inkstuds podcast, check it out. Inkstuds Interview

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: 3 STORY by MATT KINDT

3 Story: The Secret History of the Giant Man HC

By MATT KINDT

What would it be like to stand head and shoulders above everyone else -- and to keep growing? Unable to interact with a fragile world that isn't built to withstand your size? To live in a house that doesn't fit you anymore -- with a wife who doesn't either?

Craig Pressgang's life is well documented in his official CIA biography, Giant Man: Pillar of America, but the heroic picture it paints is only half the story. The continuous growth caused by Craig's strange medical condition brings a variety of problems as he becomes more isolated and unknowable. Told in three eras by three women with unique relationships with Craig, 3 Story follows his sad life from his birth to the present.

Top Shelf Sale!

There is a big sale on over at Top Shelf, including slashed prices on a few of my books.

ZOMBIES ATTACK!!

SWEET TOOTH: THE OFFICIAL BLOG LAUNCHES

The Official Sweet Tooth Blog is now up!

ANNOUNCING SWEET TOOTH: THE OFFICIAL BLOG!

Tomorrow I will be launching a seperate, official blog for all things Sweet Tooth!

It will be your place to check out all the latest news and reviews on my new monthly Vertigo series, Sweet Tooth.

In addition, every month, on the day a new Issue comes out, I will post exclusive, never before seen pencils, inks, design and developmental work for that issue!

I will also be commissioning a bunch of my cartoonist friends to create Sweet Tooth inspired artwork, and posting it here along with reader sketches! That's right, if you send me any of your artwork depicting Sweet Tooth characters I will post it on the new blog as well.

I also miss the old letter columns in comics, so I will be using The Sweet Tooth blog to post your letters as well.

So check back tomorrow for the official launch, and details on the Top Secret Sweet Tooth Fan Club!

J

Recent Commissions...

Sweet Tooth Promotional Offer Update

I seem to be getting a lot of the same questions thrown my way in regards to the Sweet Tooth 1 Sketch Promotion, so rather than respond to everyone individually, here we go...

1. I know it's impossible for U.S. and International readers to affix Canadian return postage, so just include $5 in the package along with a self addressed envelope, and I will use the money to affix the proper postage when I mail them back.

2. The sketches I will do will be quick head sketches of characters from Sweet Tooth. These are not full commissioned pieces, and I am not accepting character requests. As much as I'd like to do a fully realized piece for everyone, I just don't have the time.

3. There is no time limit on the offer, as long as you can find copied of #1, I'll be more than happy to sign them and send you a sketch. Also, many of you have asked about sending The Nobody as well, I'd be more than happy to sign those as well.

Thanks everyone, and thanks for supporting my work!

Sweet Tooth #1 Promotional Offer!

In celebration of the launch of my new monthly Vertigo series SWEET TOOTH, I am offering a special promotional deal:

Anybody who sends me their copy (or copies) of Sweet Tooth #1 along with a self addressed return envelope. I will sign the book(s) and return it along with an original sketch! You will get a sketch for each copy sent, (so if you send 2 copies, you get 2 sketches back, 5 copies=5 sketches, 100 copies=100 sketches!).

Note: Please include money for the return postage with your package.
Canadian Residents include $2
U.S. Residents Include $5
International Residents$5

Send the books and return envelopes to:

Jeff Lemire
763 Craven Road
Toronto, Ontario
Canada
M4L 2Z7

Signed copies of Sweet Tooth 1

Signed copies of Sweet Tooth #1 will be available at both The Beguiling and Comics N More in Toronto later today!

SWEET TOOTH 1 ON SALE NOW!!

SWEET TOOTH #1 ships to comic book stores everywhere today and it is only $1, so get out there and grab a copy!

"From out of the deep woods and the mind of acclaimed indie cartoonist Jeff Lemire (THE NOBODY, The Essex County Trilogy) comes a new Vertigo monthly ongoing series like no other! After being raised in total isolation, Gus – a boy born with deer-like antlers – is left to survive in an American landscape devastated a decade earlier by an inexplicable pandemic. Even more remarkable is that Gus is part of a rare new breed of human/animal hybrid children who have emerged in its wake, all apparently immune to the infection.

Enter Jepperd, a violent, hulking drifter who soon takes in Gus and promises to lead him to "The Preserve," a fabled safe-haven for hybrid children. Along the way they'll have to contend with science militias, deadly scavengers, rival bounty hunters, and hybrid worshipping cultists as they fight to make it to safety and solve the mysteries of this deadly new frontier.

This bizarre and haunting new series is boldly written and illustrated by Eisner-nominated creator Jeff Lemire and elegantly colored by fellow Eisner nominee Jose Villarubia. A little boy with antlers, a big man with guns, a world without hope – SWEET TOOTH #1 ships in September for only $1.00!"

OUT TOMORROW SWEET TOOTH #1 ONLY $1.00!

I'm really excited for my first ongoing series SWEET TOOTH! (on sale this Wednesday).

And I'm not alone:

“Writer & artist Jeff Lemire has created the new ‘must read’ book with SWEET TOOTH. It’s a fairy tale turned on its ear-or antlers-that takes you on the road trip through an America slightly more fantastical and just as frightening as ours.” —GEOFF JOHNS (Blackest Night)

“I would crawl over broken glass to read this.” —JASON AARON (Scalped)

“Lemire’s next great work is a shockingly original cocktail of the surreal. A candy-colored nightmare of family, violence and the end of the world.” —MATT KINDT (Super Spy)

“Sweet Tooth is a dark, moving, and intriguing story, and Jeff Lemire’s gentle writing and raw, expressive art work perfectly together.” —FRANK QUITELY (Batman & Robin)

“A remarkably strange story, drawn in an appropriately expressionistic style. I need to know what’s going to happen to Gus!” —PETER BAGGE (Everybody is Stupid Except for Me)

"A cross between Bambi and Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, it’s a post-apocalyptic journey full of quiet intimate moments, powerful emotion and an edge that is unlike anything you’ve ever read"

Today’s WALL STREET JOURNAL Weekend Journal Section features JEFF LEMIRE and SWEET TOOTH. Read the story and preview here.

Fan Expo Update

Due to some last minute deadlines, I will not be able to attend Fan Expo on Friday. I will only be at the show on Saturday, so please come see me early if you want a sketch!

I will be appearing at Fan Expo Canada this weekend, August 29-30. I will have great deals on
The Complete Essex County (Hardcover and Softcover) as well as my Vertigo debut graphic novel The Nobody and will be there to sign books all weekend. I will also have a special sneak peak of Sweet Tooth 1 and 2 on hand!


I will also be taking commissions at the show. This year I will be offering both my regular 9 x 12 Black and White sketches for $30 (above) as well as 9 x 6 watercolor paintings for $50 (below)!

I will not be taking advance requests, so come see me early at the show to get on my sketch list! Hope to see you there!

In Stores This Wednesday....The Collected Essex County

The Collected Essex County ships this week to comic book stores everywhere/


Where does a young boy turn when his whole world suddenly disappears? What could change two brothers from an unstoppable team into a pair of bitterly estranged loners? How does the work of one middle-aged nurse reveal the scars of an entire community, and can anything heal the wounds caused by a century of deception?

Critically-acclaimed cartoonist Jeff Lemire pays tribute to his roots with Essex County, an award-winning trilogy of graphic novels set in an imaginary version of the Ontario county where he was born. In Essex County, Lemire crafts an intimate study of one community through the years, and a tender meditation on family, memory, grief, secrets, and reconciliation. With the lush, expressive inking of a young artist at the height of his powers, Lemire draws us in and sets us free.

This new edition collects the complete Essex County trilogy (Tales from the Farm, Ghost Stories, and The Country Nurse) in one deluxe volume! Also included are over 50 pages of previously unpublished material, including sketches, promotional art, and two new stories. -- Softcover Graphic Novel with French Flaps, 512 pages, 6 1/2" x 9"

IN PRINT! (PUBLISHED AUGUST 2009)

$29.95 (US)
Diamond: JUN091069 - ISBN 978-1-60309-038-4