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.