Another successful April Fools Day comes and goes. I couldn’t have asked for a better response than the one that was given by the amount of press that we received from our three major April Fools Day jokes this year.
For our wrap up this year, Jonathon and I are collaborating on this story. We’re both weighing in on the response to the stories that I can take no credit for. Jonathon is a genius, and he is THE genius behind the April Fool’s Day jokes this year and last.
Reading the comments on the stories is really fun, as people express thoughts of dread, the idea that it might well be an elaborate ruse, and more gems of incredible emotion.
By far, my most favorite mention, however, is on the blog of a movie magazine that I never expected to get a mention in:
Cinefantastique! It even made the front page!
Thank you, Steve Biodrowski, your write up made it all worth it.
Jeffrey Overstreet called our Twilight story his “Favorite April Fool joke of the day so far” via Twitter, and goes on to call it “wonderfully painful” on his blog.
These stories spread around the Twitter world very quickly, and brought in a huge spike in traffic, more than doubling our usual visitor traffic, and we had a great time with them.
As a round up:
- Twilight scribe Stephenie Meyer is not writing The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. ( or The Hobbit.)
- Cast members from The Princess Bride are (sadly) not really in the cast (yet?) And for that matter, neither are Andy Serkis or any Muppet performers ( past and present) as voices of the Dufflepods.
- Mel Gibson and Kirk Cameron have not signed to an Untitled Inklings Movie, nor have any of the other actors.
Jonathon’s response:
Most of my thoughts are the same as Paul’s. As Paul said, I was the man behind all of these jokes both this year and last year. It has often been told to aspiring authors to “write what you would want to read.” In this case, I went with jokes I’d be inclined to believe as well. Clearly, that has been achieved.
Seeing all the press we got for this was amazing. (I’m wondering if this will make Wikipedia.) It is just as much fun to read some of the responses to the jokes as it was to actually come up with them. At some responses I’d laugh, and at other’s I’d muse to myself, “why so serious?”
All of you loyal NarniaFans readers have been great sports as usual, and I thank you for endulging in our tomfoolery.