The joke (type)writes itself: Tom Hanks—two-time Academy Award winner, beloved star of Nora Ephron rom-coms, tweeter of messages signed "Hanx"—is following the footsteps of Kim Kardashian and entering the 21st century of app-making by releasing an app for... typewriters.
It's called Hanx Writer, and it mimics the features of a typewriter onto an iPad screen. After all, Hanks is a noted typewriter enthusiast, and has proven himself quite adept at the skill of punching keys.
"No longer must you surrender modern luxuries, like the DELETE key," Hanks said in a press release. "With Hanx Writer, you'll hear the rhythm of your work with SHOOK SHOOK or FITT-FITT."
Of course, there are many typewriter apps available on the iPad. But none have Hanks' stamp (SHOOK SHOOK) of approval—or spirit, according to Stuart Westphal, VP of Games and Interactive the app's development studio Hitcents.
"It was Tom's energy and enthusiasm that made an impression on me," Westphal said in a statement. "I wanted to capture that spirit with this app. Nostalgic...yes! But also a tool that composes well and is enjoyable to use more than once."
Indeed, the artist known as Hanx is thrilled with the app's release, as evidenced by this tweet. But upon closer inspection...
...Is that a Macbook, Tom? Tsk tsk.
Now, please enjoy The Wire's own David Sims experiencing life as Tom Hanks, through the modern magic of Instagram:
