When Jeff Lemire developed his 2009 comic book Sweet Tooth, he had a passion for dystopian fiction. Lemire wanted to apply his own mark to the genre and introduce fans to a never seen dark and gritty post-apocalyptic world. Lemire tells Tara Bennet of Syfy that the main character, Gus, the boy with antlers, “kept popping up” in his sketchbooks before the comic book actually materialized.
When the story of Gus was finally coming to fruition, Lemire was particularly influenced by fears around his unborn child at the time and “this world that [his] son would grow up in.” Gus turned out to represent “everything that’s good about humanity,” innocence and hope, in a world bogged down by the worst of humanity. And Lemire’s comic doesn’t hold back. Violence and tough subjects aren’t suggested, they’re shown. So that’s why when Jim Mickle’s screen adaptation of the comic emerged in 2021, readers of the original comic were surprised.
Sweet Tooth From Comics to Netflix
Netflix
Put simply, in the comics, the deer-hybrid child Gus is motivated to move through a violent, apocalyptic world to find a sanctuary where people like him are unharmed. In the screen adaptation, Gus leaves his deceased father’s home to try to find his mother. Netflix’s Sweet Tooth is a lot more scenic and softer than Lemire’s stark illustrations. There are a couple of reasons for this move.
When Lemire spoke to Polygon, he explained that since 2009 there had been an abundance of dystopian and post-apocalyptic stories in film and the bleakness seemed a bit played out. He and Mickle wanted to approach the story at a new angle. There is also the reality of living through a real, global pandemic and so the two creators attempted to produce a lighter product.
In his discussion with Polygon, Lemire says that Netflix’s Sweet Tooth shows a “post-post-apocalyptic world” where “you’re coming out of ugliness and the world is returning to nature.” Here is how Jim Mickle’s screen adaptation of Sweet Tooth takes a dark comic and makes it light-hearted.
Netflix’s Sweet Tooth is Optimistic
Netflix
As Lemire said, Mickle’s adaptation of Sweet Tooth is more of a post-post-apocalyptic world, where people have already been through hell but are finding a hopeful normal. Whereas Lemire’s comics featured some bleak and helpless characters (even Gus didn’t know much about survival), in the show Gus is intelligent and has some helpful, caring people around him. The series shows Gus learning survival skills from his father and also receiving help from a man called Tommy Jeppard, or “Big Man.”
Tommy takes on the responsibility of protecting Gus and is only briefly reluctant to help the boy. The situation is different in the comics. Although Tommy does help Gus in the original story, he does it only after betraying him. The same is true about Gus’ adoptive father, Pubba. In the comics, Pubba is quite clinical and cold and does not teach Gus any survival techniques.
So, the Netflix adaptation is not only optimistic about the direction of Gus’ world, but the goodness of people as well. This is true again for Lemire’s “animal army.” In the comics, the army is more similar to a cult, while in the show the group is a bunch of heroic teens. Jeff Lemire told Polygon that he found the adaptation refreshing and a “welcoming place to go."
Netflix’s Sweet Tooth Features a Hopeful Journey
In the comics, Gus was motivated to embark on his adventure because he is desperate to be safe. He hears of a safe haven for hybrids, free from violent attackers, and this is why he moves towards Alaska. In the Netflix series, Gus has a more heartfelt, less fear-based goal: he wants to find his mother, Birdie. While it’s hinted that Birdie may not be Gus’ mother, Gus is still motivated by love and hope.
In addition, Netflix’s Sweet Tooth avoids heavy, mature subjects that are frequent in the comics. In Lemire’s comics, Gus discovers harsh, unspeakable things happening to other children including abuse and sexual violence, that aren’t in the Netflix show. Although drastic, these changes create the refreshing fantasy world that viewers need. Lemire admitted in a conversation with Slate that he didn’t have it in him to recreate the comic’s unpleasant world on screen; he feels we’re already “in the dark mirror. We can’t get a darker mirror.”
While the screen adaptation of Sweet Tooth is very different, it is a light-hearted and interesting success. Although it is unclear when additional episodes to Sweet Tooth will be available, it has been confirmed that Netflix has renewed the series for Season 2.
