A HOME Commission
Our Plague Year story has come to an end. For now…
Thank you so much to everyone who has come on the Our Plague Year journey with us these past nineteen months. The tale of Eyam’s inhabitants will continue over on artist Nick Burton’s Instagram account in 2022, which you can find here.
Meanwhile, scroll down to catch up on the story so far below.
We’ll be sharing some highlights of the comic and its creation here over the next few weeks, and in 2022, we’ll continue to work with different artists in the digital realm over on our Homescreen platform.
A message from Nick Burton:
In the meantime, big thanks to Bren O’Callaghan, Kate Royle and the rest of the HOME team for the opportunity to create and share Our Plague Year with a wider audience than would otherwise have been possible. Thanks to the many readers who followed along and for the kind messages sent my way. It’s all very much appreciated and I hope to see you over at @plagueyearcomic.
Our Plague Year is an alternative retelling of the Eyam Plague of 1665-66, conceived and created by artist Nick Burton in response to a provocation by curator Bren O’Callaghan.
Sent to subscribers on a weekly basis throughout the pandemic, the free weekly webcomic explores the many facets of human behaviour in the midst of a crisis – fear, anger, paranoia, bravery, and hope.
Let us take you back to 1665. A plague creeps ever towards a rural English village, Eyam, in Derbyshire.
Sounds familiar?
An isolated village in lockdown brings out the worst and the best in its people (mostly the worst).
Wise woman Granny Dankworth, speaks a muddled truth but holds no authority within the village hierarchy. Village gossip, George Gribble, blames the fairies for all misfortune. Young Godfrey Berrycloth, confined to a wheelchair, could be best positioned to ride out the inconvenience – his rich interior world within a moment’s reach…
In which characters will you recognise yourself? What similarities exist between their world and ours?
Please note: the preview shows the latest episode of Our Plague Year. If you would like to read from the beginning, use the directional arrows at the side of the preview.
We recommend viewing in full screen mode. To view click on the icon in the centre of the image to enter full screen mode.
More about the artist:
Nick Burton is a Manchester-born illustrator and storyteller. He spent the majority of his life in Canada (Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto), but for the past eight years has been living in Salford, England. His illustrations and comics have featured in Wired Magazine, The New York Times, Ride Journal, GQ and others. He was a finalist in HOME’s first Manchester Open and updates his Instagram feed on a frustratingly intermittent basis. https://nickburtondraws.com
Follow on Our Plague Year on Instagram: @plagueyearcomic
Press enquiries:
For further information including press release, visual material or interviews, contact communications@homemcr.org.