CROWDFUNDING NOW: Graphic Novel The Plague and Doctor Caim, written and illustrated by G. E. Gallas
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A darkly humorous graphic novel about a doctor grappling against the Black Death.
The Plague and Doctor Caim follows the life of a 17th-century plague doctor: an Everyman with a beak. One day, Doctor Caim is hired by a village to treat both the rich and the poor. The doctor readily accepts this position, but goes about the work with much trial and error. Doctor Caim encounters patients from all walks of life, experimenting with treatments while monitoring his own health and watching the stars for omens.
Research is the integral foundation of both the script and design of The Plague and Doctor Caim. Each medical treatment Doctor Caim tries and every situation Doctor Caim finds himself in is based on historical facts. With the aesthetic of a medieval illuminated manuscript, this graphic novel finds macabre comedy within the history of the bubonic plague.
I was inspired to make this book because people are fascinated by the plague doctor, his costume and beak mask (just as I am), but many are unfamiliar with the history behind them. The plague doctor appears in many supernatural-themed comics, is a favorite among numerous cosplayers, and adorns many bodies as tattoos. But none of these delve into the reality of the plague doctor’s life.
Furthermore, Doctor Caim is a compelling character to write and draw. I made a deliberate decision that the doctor should never be seen without a mask. This way, the character is truly an Everyman: an average human being that could belong to any race, ethnicity, gender and so on. But, at the same time, Doctor Caim is not anonymous. The doctor has a distinct personality, ethos, and set of habits, making Doctor Caim a multidimensional character that readers will care about.
unbound.com/books/the-plague-and-doctor-caim