QuarkXPress Easter Egg - Killer Alien

I've tried this egg at my workplace (the only place that I have access to a Mac and Quark). I typeset all day on Quark so I am VERY familiar with all of the quick keys and the overall operation of that particular software. We just upgraded from Version 3.3 to 4.0 and I unfortunately have yet to make this particular egg work (on either version). I'm not sure if it is because we are working on an extended network or if something has been disabled that will not allow this egg to work. Anyone with any thoughts on how I could WOW my coworkers with this egg...let me know.

Here's how it REALLY works in Quark 4 (for Mac anyway): 1. Have at least 5 elements on page. 2. Have the Item tool selected in Tools palette. 3. Select 1 item 4. Hold down the Shift, Option and Command keys. 5. Hit Delete key 6. Watch out for alien!!! 7. Repeat steps 3 and 4. 8. When you get to the 5th item, something different happens.

Haven't tried it on 4.1 yet, but with 4.0X, if you keep trying, eventually a larger alien will come out and pull out a rocket launcher and blow up the smaller alien.

Is there a way to do this on a PC? There are no Command or Option keys; generally the equivelent would be CTRL and ALT---but these don't make this particular egg go. The Shift+CTRL+ALT+Delete can't be done on a PC because that sequence is already used for closing programs/rebooting. However: on a PC, make a picture box, select it, then hit Shift+CTRL+ALT+ the letter K and the box will do a sort of slow-dissolve with a water draining sound effect. Not as much fun as an alien, though... I also realize that if you're using Quark on a PC, you probably have bigger problems than e-eggs :)

Actually, I am not sure why is it posted as command+option+shift K to get the little alien. I make an object- looks cooler if it is colored box or circle- and then in the cross arrow selection tool mode, I press shift+option+delete and voila! I did not know about the big alien, but I just tried it and it is hilarious- it took me five deletions or so to have him come up. Quark 4.1

Control+Alt+Shift+K will melt an item in QuarkXPress for Windows (with sound effects). I learned about the alien when I was young and foolish and ran QuarkXPress on a Macintosh. Now I use it on a PC and spend a lot of time either fishing at the lake or hunting at the ranch.

The fifth time that you apply this egg appears a second alien, bigger than the first one. Try it!

I tried it on 4.1, and it works fine, big guy and all. Et23

This egg doesn't seem to work on my Powerbook, with Quark 4.1.