The Plague and Doctor Caim

By G.E. Gallas

A darkly humorous graphic novel about a doctor grappling against the Black Death.

Graphic novels & comics | History
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Publication date: TBC

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$15 
45 orders

Ebook

The ebook edition and your name in the back of the book.
$25  + shipping
144 orders

First Edition

First edition hardback, ebook edition and your name in the back of the book.
$50  + shipping
4 orders

Two First Editions

Two copies of the first edition hardback, the ebook, and your name printed in the back of the book.
$70  + shipping
2 orders

Bookplate Edition

A copy of the first edition hardback, the ebook, your name printed in the back of the book and a signed exclusive Doctor Caim bookplate.
$95  + shipping
5 orders

Postcard Edition

A copy of the first edition hardback, the ebook, your name printed in the back of the book, the bookmark and a set of exclusive Doctor Caim postcards.
$250  + shipping

Linocut Prints Edition

A copy of the first edition hardback, the ebook, your name printed in the back of the book, the bookmark, the bookplate, and a set of exclusive Doctor Caim Lino cut prints.
$1,250  + shipping
1 order

Plague Patron

Your name printed in the front of the book as a special thank you for your support, plus up to 10 books and all rewards offered for other levels.

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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.

About the Book

The Plague and Doctor Caim will be a 100-page, full-color, hardback graphic novel.

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About Cast Iron Books

Cast Iron Books is a new independent publisher of graphic novels, illustrated books and experimental fiction.

We believe in empowering writers and artists to create stories that stay with a reader long after the last page has been turned.

Most of all we believe that books should be things of beauty, that good storytelling should be an end in itself, and that if you want to make something that lasts, make sure there’s some graphite in it.

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