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Althought I'm not a fan of so-called "practical jokes" (what's practical about them?), I do quite enjoy hoaxes - but only those that aren't mean-spirited and in which people don't get hurt.

And, of course, today (April 1st) is the day when all the great hoaxers come out of the darkness.

There's a guy in the US (name escapes me now) who for years sent out fake press releases to all the newspapers and TV channels advertising the New York Annual April Fool's Day Parade... Which never existed. Gradually they began to catch on, and stopped printing the press releases.

And then one year the guy played a brilliant switch: he sent out press releases announcing that the Annual Aprill Fool's Day Parade had been cancelled at the last minute, leaving scores of would-be participants seriously out of pocket having spent a fortune on their floats. Most of the newspapers ran the story.

Anyway, I've compiled a comprehensive list of April Fool's Day hoaxes, which you can see by clicking on the link below...

Cheers,
Mike

Link: http://www.iol.ie/~carrollm/qp/chargelist.htm" target="_blank">Mike's Huge List of April Fool's Day Hoaxes!

All going well, I'll be on Sean Moncrieff's show on Newstalk 106 tomorrow afternoon to talk about 2000 AD's thirtieth anniversary...

So if you're in the Dublin area, tune and have a listen!

Cheers,
Mike

I decided it was about time I showed off some of the 3D models I've put together over the past few years...

In a blatant attempt to also pimp some of my books, the link below is part of my website for my New Heroes series.

Aside from vanity, one of the other reasons I'm putting the pics on-line is because I'm looking for suggestions for other 2000 AD-based models. (I'm toying with the idea of tackling the ABC Warriors, but I don't think I'm quite up to such a mammoth task yet!)

It's a graphics-intensive page, so dial-up users beware!

-- Mike

Link: http://www.iol.ie/~carrollm/qp/graphics.htm" target="_blank">Mike's 2000 AD models

Over on John Higgins' website (of which I am the webmaster) we're now selling a limited number of rather rare Watchmen portfolios, signed by Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons and John Higgins.

Check out the Studio Shop, and while you're there check out the rest of the website too...!

Cheers,
Mike

Link: http://www.turmoilcolour.com" target="_blank">John Higgins' website

http://www.turmoilcolour.com/wm-folder-2.jpg">

Just wondering whether anyone here has had their eyesight corrected by laser eye surgery... I'm thinking of getting it done sometime in the new year.

I'm short-sighted and need glasses pretty much all the time. I tried contact lenses a couple of years back but they were a disaster (took ages to get the buggers in and out: the last time I tried it took me about three quarters of an hour to get the lens out of my left eye, by which time I was seriously considering trying to prise the damn thing out with a screwdriver).

Anyway, I'm interested in hearing any actual experiences you might have had. I say "actual" because I'm kind of squeamish about my eyes and I really don't want to read anecdotal experiences of "a friend of a friend"...

Cheers,
Mike the Myopic

Link: http://cgi.ebay.com/Unproduced-Kenner-prototype-Judge-Dredd-and-Lawmaster_W0QQitemZ130055711974QQihZ003QQcategoryZ153QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem" target="_blank">You know you want it...

So, who[backslash]'s coming along to Octocon, then?

For those not in the know, Octocon is the national Irish Science Fiction Convention (see the link below).

There[backslash]'s a pretty strong comics theme this time around: this year[backslash]'s Guest of Honour is none other than comics artist extraordinaire J.G. Jones. Other guests include Harry Harrison (who should need no introduction), Robert Curley (creator of the Eagle-award-nominated Freakshow), Bob Byrne (Shiznit and Mbleh!), Adam Law & Darryl Walker (webcomic Press Start to Play), and some guy called Richmond Clements (FutureQuake, MangaQuake, Dogbreath, Wild West Wendy).

Plus there[backslash]'ll be film-maker John Vaughan, and writers James P. Hogan and David Murphy.

And, last but not most, me. I[backslash]'ll be there pushing my new book Sakkara (see my Octocon 2006

Hello...?

-- Mike C

This works on the PC version, but should probably work on the console versions too...

On the third level - Nort Naval Base - there's a section at which you have to plant a micro-mine on the lift's control panel in order to destroy the lift to prevent it from constantly spewing out pairs of Norts.

So: don't destroy the lift, but instead drop a couple of micro-mines in front of the lift doors. The doors will open, the Norts will rush out and get blown up. You just have to run over, salvage the Norts, drop another couple of mines and run away. Repeat as necessary!

Each pair of Norts will give you about 190-200 salvage points. Keep doing this for, oh, an hour or so, and you'll have enough salvage points to last you the rest of the game. Probably. I got bored at about 23,000 points, but I imagine you could keep it up indefinitely.

Yay! That's the first computer-game tip I've discovered since the days of the noble ZX Spectrum!

-- Mike

Just caught the last ten minutes of this show... Oh dear God, that's one of the most disturbing things I've seen in a long time.

-- The real (non-Chav) Michael Carroll

Got a copy of prog 1210 in the post today, thus completing my prog collection!

I'm still missing a whole bundle of Megazines, but I'm getting there...

-- Mike the Chuffed

Just watched last night's Battlestar Galactica: so what did we all think of those ads for the Rogue Trooper game? Me, I think they looked great! I even cheered when the first one came on!

I think they missed a chance by not including the 2000 AD logo, though...

- Mike

Well, boys and girls... Today I'm 40.

Bloody hell!

Mike the Aged

Since quite a few other people are promoting their own works on this great website, I thought I'd have a go... Consider this a plug for my new YA novel, The Quantum Prophecy!

Follow the link below for all the details!

Cheers!

-- Mike Carroll

Link: http://www.quantumprophecy.com" target="_blank">The Quantum Prophecy

Registered IMDb members: vote for Judge Dredd in today's Internet Movie Database poll!

Okay, so it's the Stallone version of Dredd, but even so, let's all give the Judge our support!

Mike C

Link: http://www.imdb.com/poll/" target="_blank">Internet Movie Database

I have a few questions about the Pitchfest; perhaps someone who has participated in one before can answer them?

1. Do we need to put our names down in advance? If so, how and when do we do that? (I can't imagine that it's just some sort of frenzied free-for-all!)

2. How much time do we get?

3. Are they looking for a quick idea or a fully-developed tale with samples of dialogue and everything?

4. If my pitch isn't impressing the panel, can they stop me before I'm finished?

5. Are there any restrictions? I.e., Future Shocks only, no Dredd, etc.

6. Would it help if I brought along some sort of monetary or confectionary bribe?

Cheers,
Mike C
(Who, in a week's time, will be in Oxford! Yay!)

Greetings, all...!

Over at the Octocon 2005 site the current weekly poll is "Who's the best side-kick?", from which you can choose Robin, Chewbacca, Wulf Sternhammer, Commander William Ryker, Silent Bob or Patrick Star (no idea who that last one is myself). Right now, Wulf is way behind Riker, so our duty as 2000 AD fans is to all vote for Wulf! Let's help the Viking wipe the floor with that red-jumpered upstart!

Cheers,
Mike C

Link: http://www.octocon.com" target="_blank">Octocon 2005 website

Just back from a special preview screening of Serenity... Where not only did we get to see what is quite possibly the best science fiction movie ever made, but we also got to meet Jewel Staite (Kaylee) and Sean Maher (Simon Tam).

I highly recommend the movie, even if you're never seen Firefly! I won't give away any spoilers, but I will say this: Joss Whedon has surpassed all of our expectations, which were considerably high!

Yours smugly,
Mike C

Yay! Me and my good lady have just returned from a special screening of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy...

I won't spoil it for anyone, but I will say that it wasn't a bad movie at all. It deviates a lot from the other versions, but then they deviate from each other anyway.

Worth seeing, whether you're a fan or not.

Anyone else seen it yet?

Mike C

P.S. It's my wife Leonia's birthday tomorrow.

The first pic of Brandon Routh in his Superman costume!

Hope this works...!http://www.brandonrouth.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=994&fullsize=1">