Here at Dolly Rogers HQ we recently hosted the first live Powerpoint Karaoke event ever to take place in Europe (that we know of).

We opened our Amsterdam studio for a day to second year graphic design students from Falmouth University, UK. This was not another one of those yawnable events where students sat back and listened to professionals waffle on about their own great knowledge.

No siree. Our unsuspecting guests were posed the challenge to give a 2-minute presentation on slides that they’d never seen before. These rotated without regard for the participants, and they had to give it their all-creative-best to come up with a coherent story AND relate it back to a given theme.

With strict judging criteria such as mileage gained, interpretive dance, karma sutra and wank-o-vation, this was one of the greatest education by immersion experiences… otherwise known as baptism by fire! Check out more photos here.

I love the cultural cosmos that is Amsterdam. For Museum Nacht this year I was invited to a special pre-screening of the program being shown at Artis Planetarium - a digitally animated alternative music show called SonicVision.

I can only describe it as sliding into a warm bath and submerging yourself into the silent coma of underwater-worldness… then to be suddenly wrenched out and thrust into the triple dipper rock n’ roller coaster ride at the local kermis. Finally, when the seat belts have been released you stubble out of the theatre to realise you’ve just been on a melding of all the thrill rides … sizzler twist, gravitron, bouncy castle, screaming swing, topple tower, megadrop free fall, super looper, top spin and house of mirrors. Thank you MN8!

2009 see’s the plucky duo celebrate their 50th anniversary on top. Renowned all over the world this fantastic wonderland is the brainchild of René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo both writer and illustrator respectively.

To celebrate Asterix and Obelix’s Birthday: the Golden Book’ has been published by Orion.