Less than 48 hours to go before this year’s competition is over. Who got game? Send your entries here. Don’t wait, or it’ll be too late. The minutes are falling away faster than the bombs drop in Kaboom!

In other news, there’s going to be a modest redesign here at joehillfiction, both to prepare for the American publication of 20TH CENTURY GHOSTS in early October, and to update a few things that needed updating. Things might be a little bumpy around here for a few weeks, but keep checking back. We’ll get our shit together eventually.

The hero of DRAGON’S LAIR, Dirk the Daring, often found himself with a desperate choice between two options: Go one way and find riches and the Princess Daphne. Go the other and get his ass baked by an angrier, stupider version of Pete’s Dragon.

You too are faced with a similar decision between dual options, although in this case the right choice is obvious: enter the chalkoff for a chance to win amazing prizes, or don’t and be haunted for the rest of your days by a terrible what-if.

Tick… tick… tick… the clock is running. Less than two weeks to go before the game is up. Get your entry in by e-mailing it here. I’m waiting.

And if it’s inspiration you need, just remember the bold words of Dirk the Daring himself: “Glurrrk! Arp. Heh. Wazoooo!”

Only two and a half weeks to go before the August Arcade Chalk-Off is over, and this year’s works of art are nothing more than dust in the wind (cue Kansas, my wayward sons and daughters). Where’s your entry? You can’t win unless you post a picture of your masterpiece here.

Just finding out about the chalk-off now? Scroll down to the July 30th entry for full details. It’s not too late to make your mark.

Chalk-off continues. Bonus points to this contestant for including me in the picture… and points taken away for not putting me in first place.

Someone is going to win. Many are going to lose. You can get nothin if you don’t send in a drawing. 24 days to go before the chalk settles once and for all.

And we’re off! The above image of TEMPEST, the classic tube-shooter from 1981, is the very first entry in the chalk-off. Just looking at it makes me want to rollerskate to Kim Carnes.

Here in the heady first days of the August Arcade chalk-off, I thought I’d take a second and answer a few questions I’ve been asked about the contest.

Q: CAN I SEND YOU MORE THAN ONE ENTRY?

A: Yes – but you will be judged only by the most recent entry you’ve sent in. So if you do one illustration of CENTIPEDE, and then a couple weeks later send us a chalk rendering of DIG DUG, DIG DUG is the one we’re going to consider when it comes time to separate the winnahs from the losahs.

Q: I DON’T HAVE A DIGITAL CAMERA AND CAN’T SEND YOU A DIGITAL PICTURE FILE. CAN I STILL PLAY?

A: email Shane here and he’ll give you an address to send your entry.

Q: CAN I POST MY IMAGE ON FLICK’R, MY BLOG, OR SOME OTHER PHOTO SITE, INSTEAD OF SENDING IT IN TO YOU DIRECTLY?

A: Absolutely. Just e-mail us a link to the place where your picture is posted, and we’ll check it out.

Q: HOW DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE REALLY DREW THE CHALK PICTURE THEY SENT YOU?

A: We don’t. Honor system. However, if we discover someone is using art fraudulently lifted from somewhere else on the web – www.oldvideogamesinchalk.com? – they get disqualified.

Okay, that’s all for now. Now, c’mon, who’s got the balls to attempt Donkey Kong jr.? I’m waiting.