Lots of links in that wikipedia article except for the creator Richard Littler..Scarfolk is a fictional northern English town forever locked in the 1970s. It was created by writer and designer Richard Littler, who is sometimes identified as the town mayor, L. Ritter. First published as a blog of fake historical documents parodying British public information posters of the 1970s, a collected book was published in 2014, and the Scarfolk Annual was released in 2019.[1] Scarfolk is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]
A television series co-written by Will Smith was described as "in the works" in 2018.
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...
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][5][6]
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..
Media controversies
In January 2014, the London Evening Standard published an article[8] 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 poster, which bore the slogan "If you suspect your child has RABIES don't hesitate to SHOOT", attracted some media attention
How to wash a child's brain: Designer Richard Littler creates fictional world based on terrifying public service films https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-ente ... 77418.html
Seems to have an unhealthy focus on children, doesn't he? I smell intelligence services...2013:
Richard Littler is a graphic designer and screenwriter fascinated by the darker side of the decade and place in which he grew up: 1970s suburban Manchester. His blog, which has gained a cult following since it launched in February, is a repository for items retrieved from Scarfolk Council's newly opened archives. All fake, they include public-information posters, tourist literature and adverts that create a dystopic vision of an England that would have given Orwell the heebie-jeebies....
Littler, who was born in 1971, is thinking about The Finishing Line, a 20-minute film made in 1977 by British Transport Films. It's as horrific as he suggests (watch it at ind.pn/railfilm) and the product of an era in which the stick of fear was used to whack children into behaving, to hell with their nightmares. Littler also recalls an obsession with the occult and medical procedures such as appendix removals and circumcision. "I'm just taking it to the next logical step," he explains. "What if people learned that it was a good idea to have your legs removed, or wash your children's brains? I'm pushing reality into absurd horror but, because life was already absurd and terrifying, it only takes a nudge."
The dark humour often comes in the way Littler posts his images. An "extract" from the guide to literal brain-washing reads: "Always wear woollen gloves (or mittens) [...] After the child's brain has been removed with the two brain spoons, rinse it in a solution of vinegar, ammonia and curry powder, then rest the brain on a soft cloth or tea towel for a few minutes, or for as long as is convenient."
In the meantime, he's devoted to the blog and the retro-satirical blurring of the lines between the real and the absurd. They're sometimes too blurry. His second post was a mocked-up cover for a Penguin Guides book called Children & Hallucinogens: The Future Of Discipline. There were no words or Scarfolk Council branding. "I had emails from people saying they'd phoned Penguin trying to get a copy," Littler says. "I like that."
scarfolk.blogspot.com