born in Louisville, Kentucky on July 18, 1937.
Also known as "Raoul Duke" or "Dr. Gonzo", Thompson originated as a sports journalist for numerous publications. He went on to
work for Rolling Stone during the late 60s and 70s. He has also published several very popular and critically acclaimed books, including "Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas" which was turned into a film by Terry Gilliam in 1998, starring
Johnny Depp as Thompson himself and Benicio Del Toro as well. He has been known to stretch the truth at times, usually the result of self-proclaimed usage of heroic amounts of hardcore
drugs. Many critics dismiss his unusual style due to his mixture of fact with fiction at times, but he is widely considered a literary genius and an icon of outspoken, unapologetic social commentary.
here is an example of his writing from "Fear & Loathing On The Campaign Trail '72"...
"There are only two ways to make it in big-
time politics today: One is to come on like a mean
dinosaur, with a
high-powered machine that scares the shit out of your entrenched opposition (like Daley or Nixon) . . . and the other is to tap the massive, frustrated energies of a mainly young, disillusioned electorate that has long since abandoned the idea that we all have a DUTY to vote. This is like being told you have a DUTY to buy a new
car, but you have to choose immediately between a
Ford and a Chevy."
