Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Every so often I find a new 'thing' which consumes my every thought and often distracts me from more pressing and immediate matters or makes me miss my stop on the bus. When this occurs, my nearest and dearest must sit through hours of my babbling over its amazingness or controversy or aesthetic appeal. Here I must take a moment to thank them for their patience and sometimes convincing grunts and nods of interest. 

However if it is they who opened the door to a new interest, then I feel they are wholly obliged to sit down comfortably, sip away at the tea I just made them and listen intently. So sit down Sean. You brought this upon yourself.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Written by Hunter S. Thompson

Illustrated by Ralf Steadman

 It reads like the road they're riding. It's over in a second. On first thought, I'm not quite sure what has happened. I feel like someone just kicked me in the stomach and I kind of liked it.

One of the most amusing books to cross my path. By a long shot. Almost a report, but surely fiction, most of it hallucination, what i believe to be my first encounter with Gonzo journalism. A wild first-person account, a piece of writing that is not quite fiction but clearly not fact, characters that are real but amplified, in order to show the truth of life and reality by telling lies. Gonzo is what it is, whatever it is.

My Favourite review: "No hood or cop could be as unbuttoned, as obscene and sensitive and open, as Hunter, motherfucking his way over the typewriter keys like an attentive secretary to his own subconscious."

Jonathan Raban

Hunter S. Thompson ended his own life in 2005. His ashes were shot out of a cannon at his funeral. Every account of his life I've read has been fascinating.

But Thompson had a partner in crime, who intrigues me more so.

Pen and ink. Thompson riding his Ducati. By Steadman.

Ralph Steadman went to London College of Communications in the 60's, known as the London College of Printing back in the day. This is a relatively new piece of information and has left me what I can only describe as giddy. To think his brilliant, destructive and influential mind worked and created under the same roof as myself almost (i say almost) makes my desire to be something more and break boundaries with my work, bubble and boil. But as I look around at the university's white lab walls and cold stares and I am brought back down to steady simmer of desire and realise that it's probably not even the same roof anymore.

"God invented mankind because he loved silly stories."  

Ralph Steadman

Kinetic, beautiful and raw. 

Nothing quite compares to Steadman's grim and grotesque, firearm style of illustration.

I will now endeavor to read every manuscript Hunter S. Thompson ever wrote (except maybe his suicide note), and view every image Ralph Steadman creates until his last.

I hereby declare this to be the beginning of what Sean described as "that Hunter S. Thompson phase that everyone goes through when they read that book".

I'll hold on tight, i reckon it's going to be quite a ride.