Back in 1993, fuelled by the success of titles such as Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns, a new DC Comics imprint called Vertigo, was launched to allow writers and artists more creative freedom. The imprint went on to deliver such seminal titles as Preacher, Hellblazer, Sandman and Sweet Tooth.
Created in 2009 by Canadian writer-artist Jeff Lemire, Sweet Tooth followed the story of Gus, a young hybrid deer-boy, who has lived in the woods with his father ever since ‘The Great Crumble’—a cataclysmic virus that changed the world forever.
While pandemic-themed plots are sure to be the arriving thick-and-fast now that the entertainment industry is getting back to some semblance of normality, what makes Sweet Tooth so memorable its blend of magic realism and social-commentary.
Ten years have passed since The Great Crumble and the hybrids — babies born part human, part animal—are feared and hunted by humans who believe they’re responsible for the virus. In that time, society has become a grossly magnified version of itself. Those ‘with’, live in gated-communities where surface niceness hides a multitude of sins. Those ‘without’ do what they must, allowing others keep their hands clean, while fear replaces the rule of law.
When Gus (Christian Convery) unexpectedly befriends a wandering loner named Jepperd (Nonso Anozie) they set out on an extraordinary adventure across what’s left of America in search of answers. But nothing—and no one—is as it seems.
The Producers of Sweet Tooth started adapting the comic in 2016, and shot the pilot in 2019, little knowing what was to come. When, in March 2020, the writers suddenly found themselves confined to Zoom, they started to feel as though they were creating a show that was more like reality than fiction.
However, while Sweet Tooth has its dark underbelly, at its heart is an adventure, in a world that is rife with new life and new possibilities. The Producers say that they “never imagined just how much viewers would be able to relate to the show” but their one wish is that, when people watch, they feel hopeful about for future. They’ve certainly succeeded. Sweet Tooth is a sweeping story about those the things that are most important in life: beauty, friendship, and family.
Sweet Tooth premieres globally on Netflix, Friday, June 4th 2021 at www.netflix.com/sweettooth