Online prankster David Thorne

David Thorne doesn’t believe in sacred cows. But as a marketing designer, there are lines to be toed and defined boundaries of creativity. So he created the virtual playground 27b/6, where nothing and nobody is safe; co-workers, landlords, police officers and his son and his school’s “fat-headed” chancellor are sufficient comedic fodder. He blends merciless wit with shock humour and has won a bet that he can make a viral blog at a drop of a hat. He also has the word ‘SHEEP’ tattooed on his bicep.

Darren Pauli: I am currently in a state of sleep deprivation that cannot be broken by caffeine. This has been caused by my insomniac wife who laughs at your book at 3am. Will you release a lengthy non-fiction novel to remedy her condition, which surely is suffered by others?

David Thorne: I have been working on a novel for the last six months. I have kept it pretty hush hush but as the novel is nearing completion now, it can’t hurt to announce its imminent release. It is about a black car that fights crime and can talk. I am very excited about the possible television and movie offers that will no doubt be pouring in. In fact, I have been working on a non-fiction novel for the last six months which does not contain any crime-fighting-talking-cars but due to interruptions including beer, the internet (it has a lot of stuff I like on there) and things I have to do to pay the rent, it should be available in stores early 2026. Look for the book with a robot cat entering a time machine on the cover.

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David Thorne doesn’t believe in sacred cows. But as a marketing designer, there are lines to be toed and defined boundaries of creativity. So he created the virtual playground 27b/6, where nothing and nobody is safe; co-workers, landlords, police officers and his son and his school’s “fat-headed” chancellor are sufficient comedic fodder. He blends merciless wit with shock humour and has won a bet that he can make a viral blog at a drop of a hat. He also has the word ‘SHEEP’ tattooed on his bicep.

Darren Pauli: I am currently in a state of sleep deprivation that cannot be broken by caffeine. This has been caused by my insomniac wife who laughs at your book at 3am. Will you release a lengthy non-fiction novel to remedy her condition, which surely is suffered by others?

David Thorne: I have been working on a novel for the last six months. I have kept it pretty hush hush but as the novel is nearing completion now, it can’t hurt to announce its imminent release. It is about a black car that fights crime and can talk. I am very excited about the possible television and movie offers that will no doubt be pouring in. In fact, I have been working on a non-fiction novel for the last six months which does not contain any crime-fighting-talking-cars but due to interruptions including beer, the internet (it has a lot of stuff I like on there) and things I have to do to pay the rent, it should be available in stores early 2026. Look for the book with a robot cat entering a time machine on the cover.

Last year you created a fake McDonald's letter signed by so-called managing director ‘Robert Trugabe’. It was widely reported. Are journalists stupid?

In defence of journalists, that particular article was first distributed by social networking sites and reported on by blog writers before the media picked it up and questioned its validity fairly quickly. Subjects that most people can relate to — in this case, finding items missing from your takeaway drive-thru order — will generally result in the article being picked up quickly. Unfortunately, a few days after admitting to the fabricated memo, I was arrested, questioned and had my laptop taken for evidence under e-crime legislation. Luckily, when they asked for my laptop, I pointed to an old one that hadn't been used in 10 years and they took that. When they search through it, they will find only photos of me at the beach, bad 90s mp3s and fan emails to Winona Ryder.

Who are you going to impersonate next? (Or just tell us so we don't cover it)

I never know what I am going to write prior to the time I sit down at the keyboard. The premise will usually be based on a situation that has happened recently and the content from previous related situations. The emails I post are not impersonations and apart from spelling corrections, which is my prerogative, name changes if I feel it is appropriate and the occasional grammar fix, the correspondences are verbatim. After posting a recent article regarding a camping trip with a friend named Simon, not to be mistaken with cheaparse clients of the same name, I have been threatened with "a serious bashing, possibly broken bones" so the next 10 will probably feature him.