The Chicagoist will be launching later but in the meantime please enjoy our archives.

[UPDATE] It's Time To Let Your Chewbacca Roar Out

By Jim Bochnowski in Arts & Entertainment on Apr 2, 2015 8:20PM

[UPDATE BELOW] In what can only be described as "the best prank somebody ever played on their roommate/ex/former boss," one Illinois resident has taken it upon him or herself to host a Chewbacca Roar Contest. As one Redditor notes, this could be an annual thing, as it seems to occur every year around April Fools' Day. Since last year, the reward has doubled in size.

So go ahead, call up this enterprising human and give them your best greeting in Shyriiwook. Even if this is all a lie and there is no money, it can be cathartic to let out a guttural whimper into the void.

WOOKIE15roar.jpg
via Reddit

Note: the phone rings then goes right to voicemail, which doesn't instruct you in any way, so get ready to Wookie it up right away. Here is one full minute of inspiration—but we encourage you to go off-script.

There are Chewbacca Roar Contest hosted in other states as well, with other flyers spotted in Ohio, California and Texas.

Update 5:30 p.m.: Justin Allen, one of our friends over at TouchVision, tweeted at us that the phone number actually belongs to one of his coworkers and was the "best prank ever" from a thoughtful and hilarious girlfriend. Allen informed us that is was originally for April Fools' Day, but the pranked boyfriend is embracing it and has turned it into a real contest now. Apparently he's also already received more than 40 messages. Simply awesome.