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Scarfolk

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Scarfolk
Type of site
Graphic design/internet humor blog
Available inEnglish
Created byRichard Littler
URLscarfolk.blogspot.com
Current statusActive

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. It was first released as a blog of fake historical documents parodying British public information posters of the 1970s, and a collected book was published in 2014, and the Scarfolk Annual was released in 2019.[1]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

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Scarfolk, which is forever locked in the 1970s, is a satire not only on that decade but also on contemporary events. It touches on themes of totalitarianism, suburban life, occultism and religion, school and childhood, as well as social attitudes such as racism and sexism.

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."

Aesthetic

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The aesthetic is utilitarian, inspired by public sector materials in the United Kingdom such as public information films and posters issued by the Central Office of Information and British Transport Films during the 1970s. Digitally altered photographs and illustrations parody publicity campaigns of the period such as Protect and Survive, Charley Says and The Finishing Line, as well as contemporary Penguin and Pelican paperback book covers and children's toys, such as Action Man. Images are altered to convey a sinister or potentially violent message and are deliberately distressed to appear worn and dog-eared.[3][2][4][5]

Writing in The Daily Telegraph author Richard Littler stated that his Scarfolk style was the product of several influences, including George Orwell, television programmes such as Monty Python's Flying Circus and The League of Gentlemen, satirist Chris Morris, and the work of cartoonists Gerald Scarfe and Ralph Steadman. Littler considers Scarfolk as part hauntology, an aesthetic movement that draws on "the darker aspects of the 1970s".[3] Littler also drew on the satirical 2002 television science series Look Around You.[4]

Littler has said "I was always scared as a kid, always frightened of what I was faced with. … You’d walk into WHSmith... and see horror books with people’s faces melting. Kids’ TV included things like Children of the Stones, a very odd series you just wouldn’t get today. I remember a public information film made by some train organisation in which a children’s sports day was held on train tracks and, one by one, they were killed. It was insane. … I’m just taking it to the next logical step."[6]

Media controversies

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In January 2014, the London Evening Standard published an article[7] by Charles Saatchi, which accidentally included the cover of a Scarfolk book called Eating Children: Population Control & The Food Crisis instead of the intended Jonathan Swift publication A Modest Proposal (1729).

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

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Scarfolk has received positive reactions from the public and media in the United Kingdom and abroad. GQ Magazine called it one of "The 100 Funniest Things in the History of the Internet".[10] Reviews and interviews with Littler have appeared in publications such as Creative Review,[11] The Independent,[2] The Telegraph,[12] Stylenoir,[13] and The Honest Ulsterman,[14] and have been featured by popular online sites such as Boing Boing[15] and Dangerous Minds.[4]

Design Week called Scarfolk "a queasy, unsettling provincial place".[16]

Associated works

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Discovering Scarfolk

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Discovering Scarfolk
Front cover
LanguageEnglish
SubjectScarfolk
Genre
  • Guide
  • Satire
PublisherEbury Publishing[17][18]
Publication date
16 October 2014[17]
Publication placeEngland
Media typeHardcover
Pages192[17]
ISBN0091958482 [17]
Followed byScarfolk Annual 

A book called Discovering Scarfolk, which tells the story of a family trapped in the town, was published in October 2014 by Ebury Press.[18][19] It is a guide to all aspects of Scarfolk and covers the "frenzied archive of Daniel Bush, whose sons 'disappeared' in Scarfolk in 1970."[18] Littler has said that the book "attempts to guide you through the darkness by making light of the contradictions and it promises not to unnerve you. Well, not too much anyway."[3]

Boing Boing's co-editor Cory Doctorow said "[Discovering Scarfolk] looks to be absolutely genius."[20][21] Digital Arts reviewed Discovering Scarfolk favorably with "We've seen so many blogs turned into books that it should probably be its own genre, but Discovering Scarfolk is one of the few to stand on its own and deserve to be more than a [sic] ill-conceived Christmas present."[19] Starburst gave Discovering Scarfolk nine out of ten stars, calling it "a hilarious novel filled with so-creepy-it’s funny illustrations and a relentlessly silly back story."[22]

In his review of The Advisory Circle's From Out Here (2014), musician DJ Food remarked both From Out Here and Discovering Scarfolk define "a good portion of the visual stimulus associated with the hauntological genre."[23]

Scarfolk Annual

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Scarfolk Annual
LanguageEnglish
SubjectScarfolk
Genre
  • Guide
  • Satire
PublisherWilliam Collins[24][25]
Publication date
17 October 2019[24]
Publication placeEngland
Media typeHardcover
Pages136
ISBN978-0008307011
Preceded byDiscovering Scarfolk 
Followed byScarfolk & Environs 

A follow-up book to Discovering Scarfolk entitled Scarfolk Annual was published by HarperCollins on 17 October 2019. It satirises the British comic annual format and the cover resembles the BBC Publications annual based on the children's TV show Play School.[5]

Scarfolk & Environs: Road & Leisure Map For Uninvited Tourists

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Scarfolk & Environs: Road & Leisure Map For Uninvited Tourists
LanguageEnglish
SubjectScarfolk
Genre
  • Guide
  • Satire
PublisherHerb Lester Associates Ltd[26]
Publication date
17 October 2019[26]
Publication placeEngland
Media typePaperback
ISBN9781838216702
Preceded byScarfolk Annual 

A folded map entitled Scarfolk & Environs: Road & Leisure Map for Uninvited Tourists was published by Herb Lester Associates Ltd on 2 November 2020.

Unproduced television series

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A Scarfolk television series, co-written by English writer and comedian Will Smith, was described as "in the works" in 2018,[9] but ultimately did not enter production.[27]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Littler, Richard. "Scarfolk Annual". HarperCollins. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ a b c d Littler, Richard (16 October 2014). "Why the 1970s was the most terrifying decade - Telegraph". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  4. ^ a b c Martin Schneider (23 April 2013). "Welcome to Scarfolk, the most twisted English village of the 1970s". Dangerous Minds. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  5. ^ a b Seven, John (6 December 2019). "Syndicated Comics". The Beat. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  6. ^ Anorak (25 April 2014). "Inside Scarfolk: An Interview With The Mayor Of Dystopia UK, Richard Littler". Anorak.co.uk. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  7. ^ "Saatchi is Scarfolked - Imperica - arts, technology, and media magazine". Imperica. 30 January 2014. Archived from the original on 18 October 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  8. ^ "Government admits rabies poster gaffe". BBC News. 21 July 2018.
  9. ^ a b "Gaffe as civil service magazine prints poster telling parents to shoot rabid children". Sky News. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  10. ^ Jeff Johnson; David Roth; Drew Magary; Mark Byrne; Andrew Richdale; John Surico; Alex French; Jennifer Schwartz & Lu Fong (May 2013). "The 100 Funniest Things in the History of the Internet". GQ Magazine. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ Beverley Turner (25 April 2013). "It's time to toughen up kids. Start terrifying them 'Scarfolk' style – The Telegraph". The Telegraph. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  13. ^ Stylenoir (10 June 2014). "Check out Scarfolk Council if you haven't already. – Stylenoir Magazine". Facebook. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  14. ^ Darran Anderson (June 2014). "The Creeping Terror of Childhood". The Honest Ulsterman. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  15. ^ Cory Doctorow (23 April 2013). "Wyndhamesque missives from Scarfolk, an English horror-town trapped in a 1969-79 loop – Boing Boing". Boing Boing. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  16. ^ Angus Montgomery (6 October 2014). "We Like: Discovering Scarfolk". Design Week. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  17. ^ a b c d "Discovering Scarfolk: Amazon.co.uk: Richard Littler: 9780091958480: Books". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  18. ^ a b c Carpenter, Caroline (25 November 2013). "Ebury to publish Scarfolk story". The Bookseller. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  19. ^ a b Neil Bennett (13 October 2014). "Discovering Scarfolk is a mock 70s guidebook with creepy, funny posters and book covers". Digital Arts. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  20. ^ Cory Doctorow (14 August 2014). "Scarfolk: creepy blog will be an amazing book - Boing Boing". Boing Boing. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  21. ^ Cory Doctorow (16 October 2014). "Scarfolk: creepy blog is now an amazing book - Boing Boing". Boing Boing. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  22. ^ Fortune, Ed (22 September 2014). "Discovering Scarfolk". Starburst. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  23. ^ "The Advisory Circle's 'From Out Here' album". DJ Food. 15 December 2014. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  24. ^ a b "The Scarfolk Annual: Amazon.co.uk: Richard Littler: 9780008307011: Books". Amazon.co.uk. 17 October 2019. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
  25. ^ "Sanctioned "Scarfolk Annual" On Its Way". downthetubes.net. 8 August 2019. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
  26. ^ a b "Scarfolk & Environs: Amazon.co.uk: Richard Littler: 9781838216702: Books". Amazon.co.uk.
  27. ^ "Scarfolk – TV comedy drama that was never made – 2018". Retrieved 19 June 2022.
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