Review Fix Exclusive: Jeff Lemire Interview

“Superman” #700 contained a sneak preview of indie superstar Jeff Lemire’s plans for the upcoming “Superboy” series. From Essex County, Canada, Jeff Lemire has won the hearts of indie and mainstream comic fans alike with his Vertigo title, “Sweet Tooth,” about a young boy with antlers in a post-apocalyptic world.

Taking time from his writing and drawing schedule, Lemire devoted as much phone time as he could to answer a few questions about “Sweet Tooth” and his personal journey into the comic industry.

Review Fix: Are you going to any cons this year?

Jeff Lemire: Yeah, I am going to San Diego and New York Comic Con in the fall. I got back from Seattle and Emerald City con. It was a great show.

RF: Where did the idea for “Sweet Tooth” come from?

J.L: It came from a bunch of different places. I was into a lot of post-apocalyptic fiction when I was a kid; I really liked “Mad Max,” so I always wanted to do my own thing. I was also working on a graphic novel called “The Nobody,” which was based on loosely H.G Wells’ “The Invisible Man” novel, so I think I also had his other novel “The Island of Doctor Moreau” in my head a little bit when I was doing that. It was just me wanting to do a little something that was more action-adventure and horror influenced.

RF: What do you have planned for the series? Is there a definite end to the series?

J.L: I definitely know the ending to the series already; it’s the matter of working towards that.  I would say the end is probably going to be 30-40 issues long.

RF: You also have another piece of work called “Essex County.” Can you speak about that?

J.L: Sure – “Essex County” was three graphic novels I did for a company called Top Shelf over the course of 3-4 years. It was set in a fictionalized version of a small town in Canada where I grew up. It’s a small farming community; the books follow one family over the course of a bunch of different generations. It shows the trials that push and pull the family together over that course of time.

RF: Do you have other creator-owned work coming out?

J.L: “Sweet Tooth” keeps me pretty busy since it’s a monthly book – that’s my main focus in terms of creator-owned stuff now. I am slowly working on a new graphic novel for Top Shelf but that won’t be out for another two or three years.

RF: So would they fall under the same timeframe or would you begin it after “Sweet Tooth” is done?

J.L: Well, I am working on them at the same time, but “Sweet Tooth” always comes first because I am working with a monthly deadline. So it’s more of me working on it when I have a chance, and it’ll take quite a while to get done.

RF: So how did you first get into comics?

J.L: Well, I have been reading comics and drawing them since I was young, probably 4 or 5 years old, so I have always loved them. As far as getting into it as a career, I started seriously drawing comics about 10 years ago. I started off by self-publishing mini comics. I did a book called “Lost Dogs,” which I self- published, then I hooked up with Top Shelf for the Essex County book. It’s a long process, slowly putting work together and getting it out there.

RF: What is on your pull list or in your reading pile?

J.L: I read a lot of indie books, but I also read a lot of superhero stuff. My favorites are the book “Scalped” that’s out, and “Criminal” by Ed Brubaker. That has to be some main titles I am reading right now.

RF: If someone wanted to purchase some original art of yours, could they? Or do you do any commission work on the side?

J.L: I’m usually too busy to do commissions right now, but I always do commissions for people at conventions. As far as art is concerned, I haven’t started selling “Sweet Tooth” art, but I am going to start selling it soon. I have a Blogspot, and all my work will probably go up there in a month or two.

RF: Are there any characters you want to work on?

J.L: I am actually working on “The Atom” for DC, and there are other characters I am looking forward to doing, so  I am pretty excited to do that.

RF: How did you end up pitching Sweet Tooth to the VERTIGO line, or did they end up approaching you?

J.L: Well, like I said, I had been doing one other graphic novel for them called “The Nobody,” and I think that was based on the strength of the Essex County books that they approached me about. I think I was getting close to done with “The Nobody” and I was wondering what I was going to work on next, and Vertigo had some spots opened up and asked me if I had any ideas, and it just all worked out.