The Gonzo is dead, Long live the Gonzo-Dr. Hunter S. Thompson

All the news that gives you fits. Few writers have affected my writing and life as did Dr. Hunter S. Thompson. My first exposure to Gonzo, journalism was @ SUNY Stony Brook in the wild and crazy late 60's or was it the early 70's. I was taking a sociology class called "Deviancy and Delinquency" which we affectionately called "Nuts and Sluts." It was taught by a radical professor, Erich Goode, who had written a book, The Marijuana Papers, hence why I was drawn to this course. One of the books on the required reading list was Hell's Angels, by Dr. Hunter S. Thompson. Wow--I was totally enveloped by the versimilitude in this writing. Then came Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. What a slice of life about Americana!!?!?!? My college buds and I attempted to re-enact many of the encounters of this book. "As your attorney I recommend that you take two hits of the blue acid and suck on a little nitrous." Many of these buds have actually become attorneys-life mirrors art, huh? Then came Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail 1972. I just devoured everything that Hunter wrote, even his collection of letters. In the late 70's or was it the early 80's (my mind is clouded by mists of purple haze) my buds and I were a tad disappointed with the film, "Where the Buffalo Roam" which was loosely based on Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. On our way up to a Frank Zappa concert in Boston we stopped at a theater to see it. Bill Murray did not capture the essence of the Gonzo man. Later on after the show we went to see the film again and even the blue and green capsules of pure pharmaceutical quaaludes did little to make this horrid film any better. Finally Johnny Depp saved the day with his dead on balls accurate portrayal of Dr. Gonzo in the film aptly titled, "Fear and loathing in Las Vegas." Even the sound track was excellent...in fact it is one of the few movie soundtracks I own. Later on I had to buy the deluxe version DVD. Over the years I have written a "Stewed News and Skewed Views" article for my local union newsletter and I have tried to keep this form of Gonzo Journalism alive. I bought into this whole blog thing to keep on Gonzo-ing. It was with great shock and regret that I learned of Dr. Thompson's untimely death a few weeks ago. In fact I have been so upset with the passing of one of my icons that this is my first attempt to try to put into words my feeling of great loss. There is a vacuum in the journalistic world. Certainly I do not have the hubris to imagine that I can carry on Dr. Thompson's Gonzo legacy, but I hope that in some small way, I can keep his spirit alive in my meager ramblings. Hunter, you are still my muse and I hope to do you justice. Long live the Gonzo King.