Rob Price
Gutbrain Records
rob + gutbrain.com = email

2012 April 18 • Wednesday

This Hunter S. Thompson biography in comic-book form first came out in England in 2010 but the first US edition appeared here about a month ago, I think.

After an interesting, affectionate and illuminating introduction by Hunter's editor Alan Rinzler, the book presents an overview of Hunter's life, told in the first person as if by Hunter himself.

It's gratifyingly unsensationalized, concentrating on Hunter as a writer, an observer and a participant in a number of memorable historical and cultural events. Despite the title, the emphasis is not on gonzo behaviour. This is not the place to find story after story about Hunter getting wasted and acting crazy, though neither is this side of him overlooked.

The artwork and writing are both very impressive, the former alternating between cinematic techniques and a visual vocabulary probably unique to comics, while the latter is surprisingly delicate and restrained, attempting a portrait of a mythic figure's soul without being swept away by the myth itself.