In July 2018, a parody Scarfolk poster was mistakenly featured in the UK government's in-house magazine Civil Service Quarterly as part of a serious article about the history of government communications. The inclusion of the poster, which bore the slogan "If you suspect your child has RABIES, don't hesitate to SHOOT", attracted some media attention. [8] [9] Reception [ edit ] Cory Doctorow (16 October 2014). "Scarfolk: creepy blog is now an amazing book - Boing Boing". Boing Boing . Retrieved 2 November 2014. Scarfolk is a fictional northwestern English town created by writer and designer Richard Littler, who is sometimes identified as the town mayor, L. Ritter. It is trapped in a time loop set in the 1970s, and its culture, parodying that of Britain at the time, features elements of the absurd and the macabre. First published as a blog of fake historical documents parodying British public information posters of the 1970s, a collected book was published in 2014, and the Scarfolk Annual was released in 2019. [1] Scarfolk is depicted as a bleak, post-industrial landscape through unsettling images of urban life; Littler's output belongs to the genres of hauntology and dystopian satire; his psychologically disturbing form of humour has been likened to the writings of George Orwell and J. G. Ballard. [2] [3] Description [ edit ] Though the charity raised awareness, it had little impact on the number of people impacting the valuable concrete from great heights.

Discovering Scarfolk: a wonderfully witty and subversively

Now, Scarfolk has made the transition from blog to book, and in the process has both gained and lost something in translation. Are you amongst us, spirit? Wake up, be bright, be golden and light. Bagpuss, oh hear what I sing..." What also seems clear is that an unidentified but enthusiastic council employee took it upon themselves to extend Plan C to almost every eventuality, in effect making the nuclear Plan C simply the only plan.

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Anorak (25 April 2014). "Inside Scarfolk: An Interview With The Mayor Of Dystopia UK, Richard Littler". Anorak.co.uk . Retrieved 14 October 2014. The RRP is the suggested or Recommended Retail Price of a product, set by the publisher or manufacturer.

1970s was the most terrifying decade - The Telegraph Why the 1970s was the most terrifying decade - The Telegraph

Based on the darkly hilarious Scarfolk blog, which presents odd items from the archives of an insular, paranoid, medically unsafe and supernaturally haunted town in the northeast of 1970s England, Discovering Scarfolk attempts to understand what happened to a man who may or may not have been named Daniel Bush, and who may or may not have lost two children who may or not have been his, and may or not have subsequently been held captive in Scarfolk itself. A town which may or may not exist. Ian ‘Cat’ Vincent was born on Imbolc-Groundhog Day in 1964. He is a lifelong student of the occult, and a former professional combat magician and curse-breaker. His writing and talks on Forteana and magic can be seen at catvincent.com, tinyurl.com/catvtalks, and occasionally in Fortean Times. He lives in Yorkshire, England with his wife, the artist Kirsty Hall. Worried citizens gathered in secret to discuss the poster campaign. Knowing that most homes contained surveillance devices, they debated the poster non-verbally, using hand gestures. Unbeknownst to the clandestine groups, however, specially-trained police mime experts had infiltrated the meetings and reported everything they saw to Scarfolk's police commissioner who, keen to outdo his predecessor's record, had created the public information campaign to boost arrest numbers.At the end of the decade, the council decided that because of a small handful of troublemakers, the whole town would have to be punished: Everyone would have to resit the 1970s. a b c Simon Usborne (17 April 2013). "How to wash a child's brain: Designer Richard Littler creates fictional world based on terrifying public service films – Features – Films – The Independent". The Independent . Retrieved 14 October 2014. Littler: I have a couple approaches. The first is to scour the Internet or my own books for an image that appeals to me and then improvise an idea around it. I collect digital imagery of the period for reference—my folder of 1970s images has about 20,000 items in it. In terms of physical objects, I don’t actively collect anything, though I own many publications from the period, particularly comics and books. Once the heart had been placed in its new host body, over which a medi-legal incantation had been recited, the object would become imbued with the personality of the deceased. However, there were often side effects, for example not being able to say certain words such as 'artichoke', 'help' and 'please kill me, I did not give my consent for this', to name but a few. Scarfolk was initially presented as a fake blog which purportedly releases artefacts from archive of the fictional town council, Scarfolk Council. Artefacts include public information literature, out-of-print books, record and cassette sleeves, advertisements, television programme screenshots, household products, and audio and video, many of which suggest brands and imagery recognisable from the period. Additionally, artefacts are usually accompanied by short fictional vignettes that are also presented as factual and that introduce the town's residents. The public information literature often ends with the strapline: "For more information please reread."

Discovering Scarfolk | Richard Littler

The orphans were children of disgraced artists, academics and other intellectuals who disappeared during the New Truth Purges of September 1977**. Although we can now no longer be entirely sure what Plan C consisted of, the image of a nuclear mushroom cloud offers us a clear indication of the council's intention. Our archivists have postulated that the council might have thought it simpler and more cost effective to remove all living things than to target specific vermin and/or undesirable microscopic pathogens. Mark Sinclair (27 March 2013). "Creative Review – Have you been to Scarfolk?". Creative Review. Archived from the original on 27 April 2015 . Retrieved 14 October 2014. While the illustrations achieve that Orwellian body with Kafkaesque aftertaste, it's the written accompaniment that brings the Monty Python flavor notes, and this is not nearly as successful. The tragic conspiracy/horror of Daniel Bush and his children is slathered Pythonesque absurdity, and this absurdity spreads to the narrator's asides as well, outside of Scarfolk. It mars the presentation and makes the work like those extra-rich desserts that you can never finish.But look closely, and each has a macabre twist. A public service leaflet warns that “People are dangerous,” and instructs “if you know any people, report them at once to the authorities.” A toy called “ Mr. Liver Head” is exactly what it sounds like. A Scarfolk “Pelican Science Book” looks just like the real thing—but instead of physics or chemistry, teaches you “ How to Wash a Child’s Brain.” The Advisory Circle's 'From Out Here' album". DJ Food. 15 December 2014 . Retrieved 20 February 2015. The Under-7s Fire Service was one of several children's emergency services in Scarfolk. There was also a mountain/volcano* rescue team and an SAS-style toddler regiment. The children received little training but they did get a lolly if they were good and/or survived their first week of active duty. This is a rather comprehensive tourist guide (for those tourists who have NOT been quarantined), featuring all of Scarfolk's attractions, such as the police flea market which sells forensic evidence, Scarpark, where all foliage is constructed of the finest British concrete, the Outsider's Zoo and Slaughter Gardens and the Scarfolk Drop, a popular destination for despondent visitors, it is open more than 7 days a week, 367 days a year. (Please avoid the Kill Bush underground station which was recently closed due to poltergeist activity.) Scar Toys exploited this expanding market opportunity and created a range of toys aimed at the many children in the process of being orphaned. One such toy, the Breath Mirror Set, aimed at young girls, was designed to accompany their more traditional beauty/vanity toys. The deluxe set (see picture above) included one mirror for each parent, colour-coded as per gender convention: pink for girls, blue for boys.

Discovering Scarfolk by Richard Littler | Waterstones

Although there are some parallels to other fictional towns draped in the Weird, Scarfolk is very much its own thing. Comparisons to the Welcome To Night Vale podcast are commonly made, especially when trying to explain Scarfolk to Americans: but whereas Night Vale has a folksy cute-weird inclusive charm that might tempt the fan to consider living there if it existed, nobody in their right minds would want to visit Scarfolk, let alone live there… it makes Royston Vasey seem positively inviting by comparison. The Opportunity Doorway scheme for women was launched in 1976. Here's an excerpt from the council's literature:I haven’t satirised the Yewtree child abuse cases of the 1970s and Savile et al, though I have referenced the general subject indirectly in dark, surreal ways, such as the post about a demonic spider TV presenter called Charlie Barn. I’ve also avoided some of the more overtly sleazy, sexual aspects of the 1970s. Not because of prudery, I hasten to add, I’ve wanted to maintain a child’s perspective to some extent and young kids aren’t really aware of any of that. The nearest I’ve come to this area is a post about pornography for fans of Brutalist architecture and town planning.” Paranormal subjects were treated as fact by the media,” he says. “There were unsettling reports of violent poltergeist haunts in suburban homes… as a child, there seemed to be—to me at least—scant difference between the natural and the supernatural.” A Scarfolk Council-issued card to remind you you’re always being followed.