Hunter S. Thompson dead at 67

[BigDeputyDog]

ASPEN, Colo. (AP) -- Hunter S. Thompson, the hard-living writer who inserted himself into his accounts of America's underbelly and popularized a first-person form of journalism in books such as "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," has committed suicide.

Thompson was found dead Sunday in his Aspen-area home of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, sheriff's officials said. He was 67. Thompson's wife, Anita, had gone out before the shooting and was not home at the time.
SOURCE (http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OBIT_THOMPSON?SITE=ININS&SECTION=HOME)
Love him or hate him, Thompson was a character...

RIP Hunter

BDD...

[RetFireCapt]

I've managed to make it to 49.5 without any idea who he is.

[Domh]

I've managed to make it to 49.5 without any idea who he is.

Thats a shame. He was one of the most brilliant and original American characters to live and an incredible talent.

RIP Gonzo.

:(

[Piobaireachd]

Well, he made it farther than I thought he would. I read several of his books when I was younger. He was the creator of "Gonzo Journalism". I recommend The Great Shark Hunt for anyone who hasn't read his stuff.

He sure was an original. I can't say I agree with much of his stuff anymore, but I kind of did when I was young (and liberal).

R.I.P.

[SixofNine]

I've managed to make it to 49.5 without any idea who he is.

That's because you're such a wide-eyed innocent. ;)

Thompson did some great writing, and he was also famous for his mass consumption of Wild Turkey and various drugs. He was assigned by Rolling Stone magazine to cover the 1972 presidential campaign. His book Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail is a compilation of his articles.

Parenthetically, another great read is the The Boys on the Bus by Timothy Crouse. Rolling Stone sent Crouse with Thompson as legman and babysitter. Crouse wound up writing an excellent book on presidential campaign coverage.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is another great book.

The Doonesbury character "Duke" is modeled after Thompson.

Brian

edit: Still sick, can't even spell my name.

[Stiofán]

Some I care about when they pass. He's not one of them.

[Piobaireachd]

I still loved Bill Murray's portrayal of Thompson in "Where the Buffalo Roam"