DF Interview: JT Petty’s one-issue comic may be coming to TV

By Byron Brewer

USA Network recently announced a pilot pick-up for Brooklyn Animal Control. The project is written and executive produced by JT Petty (Splinter Cell). David S. Goyer (Batman v Superman), Circle of Confusion’s Rick Jacobs (Spare Parts), David Alpert (Walking Dead) and IDW Entertainment’s David Ozer and Ted Adams (30 Days of Night) also executive produce. Brooklyn Animal Control is based on the IDW comic book created by Petty.

To get the behind-the-scenes story of this comic-to-TV possibility, Dynamic Forces sat down with Petty and ran him through our interview gauntlet.

Dynamic Forces: It is well known that you are also a filmmaker, JT, but how does it feel to have your comic book creation made into a pilot for the USA Network?

JT Petty: I'm over the moon! This is something I've been wanting to do forever.

DF: It has been publicized, but tell us how this deal came down from your perspective.

JT Petty: I had the idea for Brooklyn Animal Control ages ago, wrote the first issue of the comic back in 2010. IDW picked it up and hired Stephen Thompson to do the artwork. I got roped into some other projects and we only did the first issue, but by that time I had done a lot of work on backstories and arcs and mythology and all that. I developed it for TV with Circle of Confusion and IDW, then we took it out, got David Goyer on board, then landed at USA. 

DF: You will be exec producing as well as writing Brooklyn. How closely would you like the television series to follow the comic if the pilot is picked up?

JT Petty: Well, there's only the one issue of the comic, and even the pilot deviates pretty significantly from that. The TV show is its own animal, and I don't want to be precious about anything. 

DF: For the uninitiated, tell us about Brooklyn Animal Control and its werewolves.

JT Petty: BAC is an underfunded New York City agency that serves as something between social services, parole officers, and law enforcement to a small community of werewolves deep in Brooklyn. The joke around the production is “The Wire with werewolves,” which isn't that far off. We're trying to keep everything as grounded as possible, so our werewolves are as realistic as possible. We're not messing around with full moons or silver bullets or any of that. It's as much a culture as a monster mythology. 

DF: Who are the main protagonists?

JT Petty: On the BAC side, we're following long-time BAC officer John Crean, who's kind of got a Walter Mattheau in Taking of Pelham 1, 2, 3 vibe about him. He's got a deadbeat son named Finn who's going to make life hard for everybody. 

DF: Horror is an element of most of your works, JT. Why do you like this particular genre?

JT Petty: There's something deeply wrong with me, probably a combination of poor genetics and a terrible childhood. 

Dynamic Forces would like to thank JT Petty for taking time out of his busy schedule to answer our questions. The pilot is moving forward!

For more news and up-to-date announcements, join us here at Dynamic Forces, www.dynamicforces.com/htmlfiles/, “LIKE” us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/dynamicforcesinc, and follow us on Twitter, www.twitter.com/dynamicforces

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