What was the April Fool's Day joke that occurred here?

[4zack]

I've heard of it, but don't know what it was. Could someone give me the skinny?

[theredsun]

OH GOD, long long story. Ill let the joksters tell ya all about it. LOL you cant acces the old site?

[rowand]

My Best Don Adams impression --

-- spit take --There's an OLD site!?!

No, wait, that was a Don Rickles voice!

[habib]

I've heard of it, but don't know what it was. Could someone give me the skinny?

#explode#

[marvelguy]

Maybe it's best if it's left alone. #gross#

[marvelguy]

BTW, I wasn't there when it happened, I had some issues that required me to stay away fom the computer for about 2 or 3 weeks at that time.

[cluelesscomicnewbi]

I have done my best to forget it, but I do remember that I was so afraid to post because I didn't want to "choose sides". I was so confused at the time because everyone here is awsome, and I thought it might be the end of the Corral.

[mordo]

It was an April Fool's joke that took its course in the three weeks leading into April. I might have missed some key details and mixed some things up, but this was how I remembered it:

Charlton Guy, being the Charlton-obsessed fan he is, creates several image-heavy threads dedicated to the company's more forgettable 2nd tier characters (like Judo Master).

Hoss protests and tells him the pages were usurping too much bandwidth and slowing down the system.

Habib chimes in and demands that CG put a stop to these kinds of threads.

CG fights back and essentially tells them he is going to do what he wants no matter what anyone says.

All of the new Charlton threads are deleted by Habib with the blessing of Hoss.

CG rightfully throws a fit and tells off Habib and Hoss in his inimitable style.

During the Grade Gary's Avengers thread and elsewhere, CG implies that some of Gary's books are trimmed. This brings Chaos (both the moderator and the general noun) into the fold.

CG gets mad at Habib because he is not keeping up with the Grading contest thread, and Habib is mad at CG because he knows Habib had a break-in at his house.

CG continues to verbally attack the Corral moderators and gets himself a one-week suspension from the board.

Regular posters question Hoss' judgment in suspending CG.

In spite of the suspension, CG shows up using an alias i.d. and flaunts the fact he can come in and out of the board regardless of his membership status.

(At this point I suspected this was a hoax, but changed my mind when things took a dramatic turn.)

CG serves out his suspension and continues to trade barbs with Hoss and the mods. The harshness of the insults get worse. In my book he has become the bad guy due to his unreasonableness and aggressive manner towards the mods.

Maybe a week later Hoss has enough and serves up a lifetime ban to CG.

Like before, the regular posters question Hoss' decision. After all, CG is a founding and key member of the Corral. You can tell there is now more seriousness to the posts and a sense of urgency.

New posters like "lightningrod" and "mighty thor" go after Hoss too.

Hoss sticks with his decision.

Somehow, either CG slips or purposely allows everyone to discover he is lightningrod and mighty thor. Some posters, including myself, are irked that CG led us on with his alties, alties that had become well-liked personas that we thought were actual new members.

One day soon the Charlton Guy takes over the board and proclaims himself its owner. Hoss, Habib, and Chaos are basically banned for life. He explains he is able to take over the board because previously Hoss naively left him his log-on info, password, phone number, and other key info to him.

The board is renamed the Charlton Board (something like that) and everything afterwards for the next two or three days became surreal.

With a few exceptions, activity in the Corral becomes almost non-existent. I think it was because people were confused, angry, and/or like CCN, didn't want to choose sides.

The Corral takeover news spills into the eBay board as people wonder what happened.

The hoax is revealed a few days after the takeover and CG, Hoss, Habib, and Chaos reveal they're still friends and that there was never harbored any ill will towards each other. Corral members slowly trickle back to the board.

In the post-mortem thread most of the mods apologized and admitted the April Fool's joke didn't turn out the way they expected.


Personally, at the time I was confused by the CG takeover and banning. Events were out of control and not proceeding at a logical manner, and I couldn't understand how formerly reasonable individuals could resort to such drastic actions and name-calling. I'll admit that for the period of time the joke was unfolding I tuned into the Corral like a soap opera and wondered what would happen next. After it ended I did see some humor in the whole affair but soon felt bad that there were Corral members who felt duped or left out.

The April Fool's Joke of 2006 was the key event during the Corral's first year (which ends in August?). I don't know if anything like it has ever been attempted and pulled off in any message board.

[chaosus]

Mordo nailed it just about perfect. Then I got to the end of his post and realized...

OH GOD...

The first big event attempt and it turned into our very own CLONE SAGA!

:oops:

Gary

[mordo]

Hi Gary! #hello#

One correction: mighty thor might have been Hoss, not CG.

[rowand]

I'm going to pull out all my old Bizarro World stories just so that I can get my head straight again!

Aren't April Fool jokes supposed to be funnier than that? And one of the perpatretors of this is judging funny on one of the threads? No respect, I tell ya, I don't get NO respect! Like I haven't tried something absurd just to see how it goes and have it go sadly off track!

[SatansProdigy]

Feelings were hurt....posters were confused.....apologies were issued....hopefully everyone realizes it was a mistake.....sure can't wait for next years! #popcorn# #rofl#

[4zack]

Mordo,

Thank you. I'm really glad I wasn't around for that.

[The Charlton Guy]

Mordo, I have been authorized to offer you a full time position with CNN.

What an awesome wrap-up.

My biggest mistake was trying to hard to make it all look authentic. Apparently it worked with some folks and some were offended. I will always regret that.

But I do have to admit that when I posted the worst of the slams against Chaos, Habib and Hoss, I was laughing so hard I could barely type. I think even Habib thought I was off the deep end, and he was IN on it...

I guess I am either a very good actor or a very bad actor, depending on your point of view. But you can all rest assured that even through the thickest of it all, I had the best intentions for the outcome, and for the Corral. Bottom line, I just wanted to get a laugh at the end of it all (which never really came of course...).

Another very hard part of the scheme was when several Members sent me PMs with very real concern for me and I had to shrug it off in order to keep up the ruse. That was very hard and I hope you will forgive me. It was VERY hard not to tell all of you that is was a ruse. But then, I figured my thread, "COMIC BOOK HEROES THAT MATTER: THUNDERBUNNY!" might have clued you in...but alas, it was not to be.

Anyway, next April Fool's Day? I'll just have a very happy (and quiet) birthday celebration...

Thanks again to all of the Members who put up with this elaborate and idiotic scheme.

And thanks again Mordo for summing it up so nicely.

[slucas76]

Those are the best April Fool's though.

It's too bad that feelings got hurt or feathers ruffled, because that was one doozy of a humdinger, I tell ya.

I remember a couple of years ago a popular tool website started a rumor that the band had died on a tour bus.

Again, feelings were hurt and feathers ruffled, but those are the best April Fool's if they end the right way.

Which they never do.

Nevertheless, huzzah for the attempt gentlemen.

[Greg]

At the time I thought it was all rather stupid and stayed as far from it as I could, but looking back it is actually pretty funny. 4zack, if you would like to get a better concept of the atmosphere check out the "Charlton Guy's Suspension" thread under general discussion at the outdated Corral.

[The Charlton Guy]

I almost forgot...

Perhaps the funniest twist came from JayDeeBee who raised a fuss about the madness here at the Corral, started the ebay thread and began thrashing me and the Corral, pulled his account at the Corral, then came back, and hit us where it hurts with his own "APRIL FOOLS!"

That was brilliant...

Really had me going...

[mordo]

CG, actually your acting was really good! I think you had practically everyone thinking you really went over the edge. Your new Corral banner featuring the Blue Beetle and others was also very memorable (and in retrospect, quite hilarious).

:smile:

[The Charlton Guy]

Reprise:

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a240/the-charlton-guy/CC-Logo.jpg

[rowand]

Thunder-Bunny rocks!

[The Charlton Guy]

He's my favorite...

[4zack]

How do I get to the old Corral?

[The Charlton Guy]

Take a left at Exit 12 in Ashtabula, turn right at the off-ramp. ask for directions at the White Tower on Route 56, hold your finger up in the air, turn right, breathe, and you're there!

[rowand]

I'd give him directions too but my version requires him to cut off his Slauson!

[Hoss]

http://hosscocomics.proboards51.com/ is the link to the old Corral. Lot's of great stuff there!

[theredsun]

I/we kinda knew it was coming but didnt know exactly what it was that was gonna happen. I didnt follow it as close as I should have but what I DID read was pretty crazy and funny. I especisaly liked it when CG took over the Corral and put up his own logo. now that was funny.. Im just sorry it upset anyone.

[Gallinator]

:?

It just hadda happen right when I was Member of the Month, eh? Like a knife, man, right through tha friggin' HEART!

:P

[jaydeebee]

My unfunny counter-prank had the unintended backlash of costing me all of my "karma" at the old corral, not to mention reducing my rank there back to "copper" or whatever the lowest rank was...wait...there was an old Corral...? I remember it! But how can that be? Another Corral, just like this one, but vibrating at a different dimensional speed? I hereby dub that old Corral "Corral-2" and this board will be known as "Corral-1".