…Exploring the role of the prankster as artist, activist and social observer and the significance of the prank in society.
A look at conspiracy theories, “official truths”, political spin, propaganda, tall tales, urban legends, magic, and illusion, all as they relate to the Art of the Prank. When truth intersects with a personal agenda, established facts are challenged, or human gullibility is preyed upon for ulterior motives, we hope that skepticism, logic, reason, and facts have a balancing effect.
60 years ago, in 1966 on Easter Sunday, Joey Skaggs dragged his iconoclastic sculpture of a naked and decayed figure of Jesus Christ on a crucifix into Tompkins Square Park on the lower east side. It was his personal statement about the war in Vietnam and the hypocrisy of religion.
This was the beginning of Skaggs’ career as an artist who used the streets as his theater.
New York City’s greatest pranks, from fantastical parades to a phony Mets star, by Samantha Max, Gothamist, April 1, 2026
Artist and activist Joey Skaggs has been inviting members of the New York City media to his annual April Fools’ Day parade along Fifth Avenue since 1986.
Press releases archived on Skaggs’ website describe the event as an attempt to “bring people back in touch with their inherent foolishness” and celebrate “the public’s right to laugh in the face of authority.” Past parades have included a President Donald Trump look-alike contest and a Y2K-themed end-of-the-world party. This year’s press release invites participants to ponder “what’s real and what’s not” at a parade led by the president himself, followed by a screening of the “Melania mockumentary” and a reading of all redacted names in the Jeffrey Epstein files, other than victims.
The New York April Fools’ Committee Proudly Announces
NEW YORK CITY’S 41st ANNUAL APRIL FOOLS’ DAY PARADE, 2026
“What’s Real and What’s Not”
WHAT:
An emergency civic drill disguised as a parade. The public is invited to participate in or out of costume, with or without a float.
WHEN:
Wednesday, April 1, 2026
Noon Assembly | Step-off shortly after
WHERE:
– Assembly: Fifth Avenue & 59th Street
– Route: Fifth Avenue (brief stop at Trump Tower)
– Finale: Washington Square Park
WHO:
– Self-appointed Grand Marshal: President Donald J. Trump
– Theme Song: “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”
– Marching Band: Recently pardoned January 6 participants
WHY:
Because truth is optional, elections are negotiable, and democracy is now a limited-time offer.
VISUALS:
– Collapsed Statue of Liberty float
– Rusted “Drill Baby Drill” oil derrick
– AI oracle dispensing nonsense
– Barbed-wire cage to collect illegals along the route
– Flyover confetti drop of shredded Constitution
– Demolition Derby with celebrity and political look-alikes on e-bikes
WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK FINALE:
– Crowning of the King of Fools
– Recalled Food BBQ
– Immunization Lottery
– Greenland Resettlement Kiosk
– Public reading of all formerly redacted names from the Epstein Files
SPONSORS:
Select billionaire members of the President’s Board of Peace
PARADE ANNOUNCEMENT
PARADE ANNOUNCEMENT VIDEO
CONTACT:
Joey Skaggs, Committee Chair
212-254-7878 | info@joeyskaggs.com
aprilfoolsdayparade.com
May your dick look just like Trump’s
Guerrilla artist Banksy finally unmasked — along with the remarkable way he hid in plain sight, by Stuart A. Thompson and Anthony Blair, New York Post, March 15, 2026
The infamous graffiti artist known as Banksy has finally been unmasked — after changing his name to something so generic, he could hide in plain sight..
The notorious guerrilla street artist, whose polarizing works have sold for millions of dollars, was identified as Robin Gunningham, 51, from the English city of Bristol, in a detailed investigation by Reuters on Friday.
The report found that Gunningham changed his name to David Jones — one of the most common British male names — in 2008 to avoid identification. Read the whole article here.
Now, with AI, you can have one.
Cascade of A.I. Fakes About War With Iran Causes Chaos Online, by Stuart A. Thompson and Alexander Cardia, The New York Times, March 13, 2026
A torrent of fake videos and images generated by artificial intelligence have overrun social networks during the first weeks of the war in Iran..
The videos — showing huge explosions that never happened, decimated city streets that were never attacked or troops protesting the war who do not exist — have added a chaotic and confusing layer to the conflict online.
The New York Times identified over 110 unique A.I.-generated images and videos from the past two weeks about the war in the Middle East. The fakes covered every aspect of the fighting: They falsely depicted screaming Israelis cowering as explosions ripped through Tel Aviv, Iranians mourning their dead and American military vessels bombarded with missiles and torpedoes. Read the whole article here.