Episode 20 - Writer and Artist Jeff Lemire on Comic Influences, Sweet Tooth Success, and Staying Close to Your Roots

Through his graphic novel works like Sweet Tooth (now a Netflix original), Black Hammer, Gideon Falls, Essex County, and more, Jeff Lemire creates new worlds with distinct styles while representing a myriad of identities and experiences. In this month's episode of The Other Pod, Jeff gets candid with host Chloe Aftel about his career, from making up stories as a child in rural Ontario, to writing Essex County during the day while working night shifts as a cook in Toronto, to now expanding his creative world into film and television with international acclaim. He shares about the process of having his work translated from art to live action in Sweet Tooth and creating the miniseries Essex County. Coming of age is a strong theme throughout his work, and the pair discuss the ways Jeff's own coming of age continues to be reflected in his work as he navigates recent parenthood in works like "Underwater Welder." Highlights: - Jeff's process for world-building and creating relatable, multi-faceted characters;- Writing for DC and Marvel comics and having two careers;- Jeff's artistic influences. Special content from the Lightening Round is available through Patreon!Keep up with Jeff on Instagram and with his Substack newsletter, available here. About the host: Chloe Aftel has spent her career working in commercial photography, photojournalism, and film. She’s an established name in modern photography with work featured in The New York Times, Mother Jones, Playboy, Dazed & Confused, Vogue Germany, The Hollywood Reporter, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue Italia, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Teen Vogue & more. Chloe has photographed victims of sexual violence, reported on Covid’s impact on the trans community, and gained access as the first reporter in the Covid wards of the West Coast’s hardest hit hospitals. She has covered underground abortion providers, the impact of gender pronouns on daily life, and clergy abuse. Her first book, “Outside and In Between,” is an award-winning anthology covering gender non-conforming people across America.Support The Other Pod on Patreon for episode extras and The Other Questions lightning round!Follow Chloe on Instagram @chloeaftel to stay up to date on new work.Find all episodes of The Other Pod here.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-other-pod-with-chloe-aftel--6567483/support.