It’s been almost a decade since the launch of I hate fairylandthe bestselling fantasy comedy series from award-winning comic book creator Skottie Young and published by Image Comics. Relaunched in 2022 after a short hiatus, I hate fairyland follows Gertrude, a girl who begins to resent the fantasy world of Fairyland after being trapped there for decades without physically aging and constantly bombarded by its cheerful environment and inhabitants. Although Gert initially set out to decimate Fairyland, she has since been positioned as its unlikely savior in the face of a greater threat seeking to wipe out this joyous world for good.
In an exclusive interview with CBR, I hate fairyland creator Skottie Young reflects on the series’ ongoing story, discusses the growth of the world and Gert over the course of the story, and shares some of the influences that made I hate fairyland such a lasting success.
CBR: Gert went from Fairyland’s biggest threat to its ultimate hero over the course of the series. Why did you reverse Gert’s journey as I hate fairyland progressed?
Skottie Young:
It’s always fun to play with the reader’s expectations. And even myself. I’ve been writing Gert for almost 40 issues now, and I have to keep it up to date for myself and for them too. She was cursed to be “good” in the early years, but this time what made her terrible was the thing [that] will be the biggest help. I mean, she’s the one responsible for the horde trying to take over Fairyland, so we’ll use the word hero loosely here.
We are approaching a decade of I hate fairyland. Looking back on this series, what are the biggest surprises you’ve had along the way or deviations from the original story you set out to tell?
Honestly, it all came as a surprise. I figured I would tell this first story over five issues and then figure out what my next step would be. I didn’t know if people were going to engage with a book like this, so I was ready to finish it at #5. Luckily, I was wrong and Gert is the perfect character to slip into any adventure, no matter the genre, and wrap herself in a cute Fairyland blanket! I didn’t think I would be able to continue telling stories for almost a decade and building a universe! It’s been a great experience and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.
The story certainly has elasticity, from subverting iconic fairy tales to even introducing a kaiju into the mix recently. What was it like seeing what fun and new directions you can take I hate fairyland?
It’s very liberating. There really is no end to the kinds of stories I can tell in this book. To me, that’s exactly the point of the comic.
Brett Bean has been doing fantastic work on this book for some time. How did it go with him? I hate fairyland in this dynamic world you have created?
Brett is an amazing designer and can literally do anything. It’s a dream for me and for the world I’ve created here. I love seeing his energetic view of the world and am delighted with every page he turns. I’m always excited to see what he does next! We’re the same age and come from the same inspirations, so we have a great shorthand that makes collaboration effortless.
Much of 90s animation is in the DNA of the look and humor of I hate fairyland. Could you talk about these influences and what you would like to see from I hate fairyland if it was ever adapted into animation?
Yes, I grew up with cartoons from the 80s and 90s.
Looney Tunes
,
Ren and Stimpy
well, every other cartoon you can think of.
I hate fairyland
would make a great animated series, live-action, video game, tabletop game, card game, etc. It’s a very versatile world that would accommodate all forms of entertainment.
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The other major influence was your work on The Wizard of Oz at Marvel before creating I hate fairyland. NOW I hate fairyland brings its own versions of Wizard of Oz characters. What led you to come full circle with this story creatively?
When I started
I hate fairyland
I intentionally avoided adding classic characters. I wanted to tell stories and see if they connected with people on their own without having to rely on the familiarity of OGs like Dorothy, Alice, Goldilocks, etc. But after almost 40 issues, I thought it was prudent to play around with these classic characters. now and see what kind of problems I can create.
I Hate Fairyland #17 goes on sale November 6 from Image Comics. The series is written by Skottie Young, illustrated by Brett Bean, colored by Jean-François Beaulieu and written by Nate Piekos.