Some interesting facts and anecdotes from the career of Michael Hockney .

Skullsplitter Beer

Michael was the model (inadvertently) for The Orkney Brewery Company's "Skullsplitter" beer label. The shot was taken in 1990 at Broch of Gurness in the north of The Orkney Mainland. The original model backed-out at the last minute, the man was a Shetlander working at Orkney Islands Council and had agreed to model a full Viking Jarl costume. At trhe last minute he changed his mind and Michael modelled the outfit. The brewery owner took the shots on a 35mm camera dispensing with the Fuji 690W that Michael Had set up. The deerskin moccasins were a size 7 and Michael had to force his feet into them. Originally the shoot was to make a small local poster for the celebration ale. Within a few months the picture became the new label for Skullsplitter Ale and survived until a few years ago when the label was sold to the North American distributor. Skullsplitter with the "old" label now adorns product in North America and is widely available. The beer has won many prizes internationally and is a favourite of real ale aficionados, including John Thaw (Inspector Morse) who knew a good tipple when he saw one. This has been Michael's one and only modelling shoot.

While in Helsinki in 2006 Michael was stopped by a gang of students who couldn't understand why they knew him. Eventually they figured it out after they questioned him where he had lived. "....London,Orkney" he said."Ah, Skullsplitter!!!)


The Orkney Island Brewery Company
The Home of Skullsplitter















Izdatelski Dom- Moscow 2008

Michael was the narrator for three children's CD's featuring famous American horror stories. The publisher selected Michael for his transatlantic accent and the recordings were done in an all night session at a Moscow sound studio.