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JULY 1, 2004 at 1:51 AM
Posted by CHEESER
Source: HPANA
After making international headlines and enduring the wrath
of Harry Potter author JK Rowling herself, the person responsible for releasing a false title -- Harry Potter and the Pillar of Storgé -- for the series' sixth book offers an apology and explanation in an interview with HPANA.
The real title of book 6 -- Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince -- popped up on Rowling's official site just days after the hoax (perhaps because of the hoax?). It has since been confirmed by the author.
The prankster, a 19-year-old male student at the University of Florida, speaks:
Firstly I would like to offer two apologies. I owe an apology to all of the Harry Potter fans that I lied to; I never thought my hoax would go so far and I felt awful when some of you got so excited about knowing the title. I am sorry. I also would like to apologize to J.K. Rowling, as I did an awful thing by impersonating her. I consider her a literary genius.
In the end, the hoax was all in good fun. I thought the title was rather funny and had hoped that at least some people would get a good chuckle out of it.
And now, explained in full, here's what happened -- straight from the horse's mouth:
Do you have any official connection to JKR, Warner Bros., or the book publishers?
No, I have no connection to them whatsoever.
What made you think of doing this, and specifically, the timing of it?
I had recently finished a re-reading of Order of the Phoenix and it got me excited about the Harry Potter series again. As a result of that excitement, I stumbled upon JKR's website for the first time and was fascinated by the unopenable door. I also thought it was great that she was dispelling some of the rumors about the series. Somehow I put two and two together and the hoax clicked in my mind.
The timing of the event was never planned; it was simple dumb luck on my part that I released the hoax at the start of a weekend so that it [became] more effective.
How did you do it?
A hobby of mine is computer graphics/video editing, so I knew I could produce a realistic video. I realized that this was exactly what I needed to make the hoax believable.
I used two programs: Adobe Photoshop and Adobe After Effects. In Photoshop I edited and manipulated pictures from JKR's site, and in After Effects I animated them into the finished video. I did not use [Macromedia] Flash at all. The blue bars (see image) at the bottom and top are a result of me changing the aspect ratio of the video without distorting it so that I could compress it into an MPEG file. I whipped the video up in about two hours.
As far as the "message" was concerned, I just tried to mimic JKR's style as much as possible. I came up with the title Pillar of Storgé, trying to formulate something with a hidden meaning that people would be able to figure out. It's an ugly title, but I'm quite fond of it.
What did you expect as a result of the hoax? Did you think it would receive the worldwide press it garnered?
I NEVER expected this much attention. I even wondered if anyone would believe it at all. My original goal of the hoax was that a rumor about the title would slowly creep through the Harry Potter community (much like the Green Flame Torch rumor), and that JKR would eventually dispel it as a myth (perhaps releasing some real information while doing so) on her site.
I never wanted the attention of all the Harry Potter fans; there was a clear and specific reason for the hoax and it involved the attention of only one woman. I was highly amused by the fervent guessing of the meaning of the title by eager fans and by the international press that it received.
Finally, a closing thought from the anonymous mountebank: "If I had not started the hoax, would we all know the real title to book 6 right now?" Read The Leaky Cauldron's analysis of that question. In the meantime, consider what an astute reader over there observed: Rowling said on her site that "as a little bonus, and compensation for having been messed around by Mr. or Ms. Storgé, I shall tell you one thing without making you shift any bricks at all: the HBP [half blood prince] is neither Harry nor Voldemort."
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Squib
Points: 193
Hermione Jane ; ) says:
What I want to know is how he thought that he could get away with just a "creeping rumor" or whatever he called it, not a huge catastrophe, when he put it on Jo's site! How did he think that he could keep it small when it was so public? Nutter. Well, at least we got some info out of Jo for that one, but we would have known by now anyway, so was it really worth it?
Posted Jun 15, 2005 at 11:06 AM EST
Gutter Girl Fabulous
Points: 8707
SamhainWitch7 says:
That was not a very nice thing to do. But you can only take so much from what you hear on the internet. Atleast JKR set everyone strait!
Posted Jun 15, 2005 at 4:29 PM EST
Witch
Points: 699
Toph Rox!!! says:
The hoax wasn't a very nice thing to do. But I'm really not angry with him. He didn't hurt me or anything. But just because I'm not angry doesn't make practical joking ok. He obviously didn't think of the consequenses, not just for him, but for everybody. It is a little funny though. I guess I sort of ride on the fence on this one. I can see both sides of the story.
Posted Jun 16, 2005 at 11:12 PM EST
Muggle
Points: 76
lauren23857 says:
Many people guess as to what is going to go on in all of the books, this guy just did it in a very public, and very wrong way. But even though I don't agree with what/how he did this I wonder, just like he does, that if he hadn't done this hoax would we know as much about the book as we do...
Posted Jun 17, 2005 at 1:10 PM EST
Mrs. Roonil Wazlib
Points: 2492
weasleyskeepingme says:
Although i concider it dishonest that the hoax was created- he received so much because of it!! we got the real title and the best piece of info- the the HBP isnt harry or voldemort- all from J.K. Rowling herself! Isnt that te more important thing?
Posted Jun 19, 2005 at 4:30 PM EST
Muggle
Points: 18
Hedwig91 says:
WoW a good hoax indeed nearly everybody fell for it..
...good hoax bad person...
Posted Jun 21, 2005 at 2:37 PM EST
Muggle
Points: 19
calm_gryffindor says:
OIuch.............. my God!!! Why Sirius Black must be death on harry potter 5
Posted Jun 22, 2005 at 9:20 PM EST
Muggle
Points: 19
Harry Diggory says:
Well.. I think it is nothing to get angry about and Rowling should not sue him!
Posted Jun 25, 2005 at 8:12 AM EST
Muggle
Points: 19
calm_gryffindor says:
I never like to read some of book.but 4 years ago i get my harry potter's first book ,i'm very like it and read and read again.i never borring,I just think what's there in JKR's brain so she can make the great book and make me like read some of book where I never like before.
Posted Jun 26, 2005 at 9:32 PM EST
Squib
Points: 128
vibrantlyVIVID says:
Im glad it all got out in the open. I think it taught everyone to stop listening to stupid rumors. I mean, hello people, you should only believe if you see it come from the author's mouth.
Not that I agree it was a right thing for him to do. But it was a joke. He apologized, which I find a great and curageous thing to do.
Posted Jun 29, 2005 at 5:56 PM EST
Witch
Points: 543
HogwartsAhistory says:
Wow somehow I missed this artical but I am glad I read this. I can't believe what this guy did to the new book and to JKR. Sad, just sad.
Posted Jun 30, 2005 at 9:51 AM EST
Squib
Points: 137
li_ke92 says:
Wow, he must have been totally brilliant to have made such a thing where everyone believed him. Disturbed, too.
Posted Jul 4, 2005 at 4:41 PM EST
Student
Points: 222
The Pheonix Phlyer says:
WOW..... That was interesting..... I really have nothing to say about that..........
Posted Jul 7, 2005 at 10:55 PM EST
Head Boy
Points: 454
Voldemort's Enemy says:
It Was a pretty dumb joke. But hey we have the real title now
Posted Jul 8, 2005 at 7:07 PM EST
Muggle
Points: 79
Malster5 says:
Serves him right, he deserves attention, expected or not there are also concequences. He made up for it though, at lest we know the name.
Posted Jul 9, 2005 at 8:38 AM EST
Muggle
Points: 31
Carmina (",) says:
That's no a good thing to do, well at least we know the real title...
Posted Jul 10, 2005 at 12:41 AM EST
Order of Merlin, 3rd Class
Points: 1547
erin4HP says:
Well I think it was a fairly lousy thing to do but I'm sure he didnt mean any harm by it. What shocked and amazed me the most was how good the video was. He had the unopenable door on JKR's site down to a t! Isn't it a shame he's wasting his talents pissing us off!
Posted Aug 24, 2005 at 12:59 PM EST
Muggle
Points: 16
sabbyzworld says:
I Forgive him!...now that the book has been out for a while.. as long as i got to read the book eventually i dont really care.. but now im just anxious to get book 7..
Posted Mar 7, 2006 at 8:00 AM EST
Witch
Points: 859
hwhitesi says:
Wow, I never knew the whole story behind the hoax. As wrong as it was that is some talent. And I do not condone it in any way shape or form. But wow that is totally nuts. I hope NOTHING like that comes around with 7.
Posted Aug 22, 2006 at 12:58 AM EST
Head House Elf
Points: 2755
Dobby says:
Hah! I don't remember reading this. Quite funny now... I remember this whole fiasco.
Posted Dec 31, 2006 at 9:56 AM EST
Witch
Points: 603
Book-worm says:
Only one word that is not a curse word (I dont hate him that much) is......
L-O-S-E-R!!!!!!
It wasnt nice lots of people actualy believe him.
Posted Dec 31, 2006 at 1:21 PM EST
Prefect
Points: 368
Prince of Slytherin says:
Dude, that guy must be a computer genius. you can give him my highest remarks
Posted Dec 31, 2006 at 3:33 PM EST
Prefect
Points: 327
LovingGeorgeWeasley says:
Hahaha. This just makes me laugh.
Posted Dec 31, 2006 at 8:59 PM EST
Dumbledore's Muse
Points: 2959
Alchemical Auror says:
Oh my god, I have never read this article before! The whole Pillar of Storge thing is absolutely hysterical, pity they didn't do one for HPDH
Posted Jan 1, 2007 at 12:01 AM EST
Hermione's Twin
Points: 5063
*Miss Hermione Granger* says:
hehe..........to think this was so long ago..and I believed him as I was on the COS forums all the time!!
What he did was good and bad....without him, would we have gotten it so quick? compare the release date to HP and the DH and you`ll think about it......
Posted Jan 1, 2007 at 4:18 PM EST
Auror
Points: 3027
Xystus says:
I didn't see this article before. Probably cause I wasn't a member of HPANA then. But this is really funny. And if that made JK release the name, that's pretty good. And it wasn't his fault that almost everyone jumped at the hoax.
Posted Jan 3, 2007 at 5:58 PM EST
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