Lemire Announces End of ‘SWEETH TOOTH’ With December’s Issue #40. Frown.
I didn’t see this one coming. Jeff Lemire has announced that his creator-owned title Sweet Tooth will be concluding with issue #40 this December.
CBR:
Fans of “Sweet Tooth” awoke to a bittersweet announcement this morning on the Vertigo blog: Jeff Lemire plans to conclude his creator-owned series when “Sweet Tooth” #40 hits stands this December. However, Lemire was very clear about the circumstances of the series’ completion, stating wrapping the series was a personal decision and not a cancellation by DC.
“The decision to end it at #40 is entirely my choice,” Lemire said via the Vertigo blog. “Truth is, I always knew what the ending of ‘Sweet Tooth’ would be. It was one of the first ideas I came up with when writing the pitch for the book. The beginning and the end of this story were always pretty much written in stone, it was the middle bit that was fluid, and grew and changed as I went along. So, for me it’s incredibly gratifying to finally get to the end of the journey with Gus and Jepperd. Everything I’ve done with the series so far, everything I’ve built month after month, has all been about this, the final story.”
Lemire’s longtime collaborator and colorist on the series, Jose Villarrubia, also commented on the conclusion via the Vertigo blog, saying the experience has been “a career and personal highlight” for him.
“After the first couple hesitant issues, where I was trying to find a coloring approach that was right for the series and Jeff’s art, it has all been smooth sailing,” said Villarrubia. “I feel that Sweet Tooth almost colors itself, the art is so bold, the storytelling so clear, the characters and environments so consistent, that I can see the pages in color in my mind’s eye when I first receive them. Because of this advantage, I have had room in this series to do more color that emphasizes emotional states than in any other project I have been involved with so far…. Jeff and our three editors have all been a dream to work with. And, no surprise, I am crazy about the story and characters…. It is almost painful to color when something bad happens to one of them… This is a testament to the integrity of the work within a medium that is flooded by gratuitous (and unaffecting) violence. I am so thankful to Jeff for this opportunity… and look forward with great anticipation to our next collaboration.”
Lemire further stated “the best is still to come.” The final “Sweet Tooth” arc, entitled “The Wild Kingdom” begins with “Sweet Tooth” #36 and builds to the final double-sized and fully painted “Sweet Tooth” #40 in December. The creatorelaborated on his personal blog saying, “I’m confident in saying that it will be the best work I’ve ever done!” and revealed “The Wild Kingdom” will feature four interlocking covers that create one big “Sweet Tooth” image.
Almost all of my favorite comic series of all time have a finite run. A beginning, a middle, and a conclusion. It keeps the gut taut! Provides a payoff. So while I’m saddened and surprised that Sweet Tooth is ending so soon, I’m happier than if Lemire dragged the son of a gun out for an interminable amount of time.