Comic Spotlight - The Property of Hate
Had a lot of trouble deciding what to write about for today's blog post, but really to trying to push myself and fight off the impulse towards perfectionism, which is where I think it's stemming from! In honour of that, I'll do a little write-up on a work by an artist that often inspires me with their abundance of creativity, and their general determination to just get the thing made and tell the story they want to tell.
The Property of Hate by Sarah Jolley, who is perhaps better known by their online moniker/username "modmad", is a weekly webcomic that is somewhat category-defying (in the best way) but could be described as a fantasy adventure story. It's... honestly really hard to describe, particularly without giving anything away! The most I'll say about the plot is that it begins with a young human child being offered the chance to "be a hero" by a strange man with a television set for a head, and after she accepts they embark on a journey through a fantastically bizarre yet lively realm so that she may fulfill this new role.
That description hardly does it any justice, so checking it out really is the easiest way to get a better idea of it, but I digress. Just know that every page is gorgeously illustrated in vibrantly full colour, and also includes deeply thoughtful and wildly dynamic composition in everything from its panelling and layout, to the distinct character designs and fluid sense of motion infused into every scene. With extensive experience as a storyboard artist and animator, it's no surprise that Jolley excels at comics as an inherently sequential art form, with highly readable character poses and an eye for overall flow throughout every page. All the references to the film-making and animation process are also super fun, and honestly just entertainingly informative, too. The comic's writing is delightfully clever (including lots of excellent wordplay, puns, and sensibilities that break the fourth wall or sometimes even the format itself) with an excellent sense of emotional and narrative weight in just the right moments. The comic is plentiful with humorous and lighthearted moments, but whenever other moments in the story call for a bit more gravity, it makes sure to bring the necessary weight.
In multiple ways, the comic feels like a complex and beautiful exploration of stories and creativity itself, and it accomplishes this through its writing, themes, and art in such imaginative ways. I hold another layer of appreciation for it, as well, with the understanding that Jolley has spoken openly about how they manage to persist in working on the comic while navigating their disability, including how having Ehlers–Danlos syndrome (EDS) especially impacts their ability to draw. Also, random bonus appreciation to Jolley for being extra cool as an aroace creator, as well! Outside of working on The Property of Hate, Jolley also finds a way to still be a prolific creator of additional art, including illustrations and multi-page comics for things they're a fan of, alongside other original works like prose stories or other illustrated narratives. A number of these illustrated works are done in a looser sketch style, with Jolley referring to the comic projects done in this style as "doodle comics", taking the pressure off for them to be perfectly polished. All of this to say that Jolley's determination to create, from the numerous side projects they make to the wonderful long-running webcomic they continue to sustain, is heartening and encourages me to find that kind of creative drive in myself whenever and however I can, too.