HOME, Manchester’s centre for contemporary art, theatre and film, is launching Our Plague Year – a brand new, weekly comic strip by illustrator Nick Burton.
An alternative retelling of life in the Derbyshire village of Eyam during the plague outbreak of 1665-66, Our Plague Year is a provocative, funny and thoughtful take on human behaviour and global pandemics.
“It draws a parallel between the plague that hit Eyam, Derbyshire in 1665/66 and the virus we’re all experiencing today,” says Nick. “More importantly, it features entitled children, wretched husbands, vinegar, toads, treacle, a wise-woman and plenty of complaining!”
Our Plague Year will be made available on HOME’s website each week from 27th May, with email subscribers able to receive the latest strip two days early, on a Wednesday.
Nick Burton is an illustrator and storyteller living in Manchester, England, who works on both personal and commercial projects. His comics and illustrations have been featured in Wired, The New York Times, Ride Journal, GQ and more.
Nick’s recent comic tale of a lost bicycle, Lily (told from the perspective of the bicycle), was a finalist in the recent Manchester Open Awards 2020 at HOME.
HOME – currently closed due to lockdown restrictions – is a place for curiosity seekers, for lovers of the dramatic, the digital and the deeply engaging, for radicals and reciprocators, in the heart of Manchester. Its two theatres are a playful platform for new, commissioned work and its five cinema screens light up with challenging, independent, provoking films. The gallery space is home to the very best in contemporary art.
And, from personal experience, the food is delicious! It will be great to see it reopen in due course.
• If you’d like access to the first 12 Our Plague Year strips, sign up here on the HOME web site
• Nick Burton is online at nickburtondraws.com | Instagram
- About the Author
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The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
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