Gonzo: A Graphic Biography of Hunter S. Thompson

This diamond-sharp graphic biography is a witty, thoughtful book that pays about as much attention to chronology and the strict reportorial truth of the matter as Thompson ever did himself. The early years of roustabout freelancing are covered in brisk fashion, as the acid-tongued writer was briefly at home among the beatniks and covering outlaws like the Hell’s Angels. The rise of hippiedom and his getting worked over by said Angels put an end to that, leading to the bug-eyed phantasmagoria that would become Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Throughout, Thompson’s self-doubt is plainly, sweetly evident—on the opening page of his Vegas odyssey is stamped this pained quote: “I’d just as soon not be dismissed as some drug-addled clown.” The rest of the book illustrates his descent into that same clownish, blocked self-parodic figure he wanted to escape. In a bravura move, the 1980s and 1990s are each handled by exactly one, very similar page. Bingley and Hope-Smith’s portrait of the man is brave and badass, taking the kind of chances Thompson would have appreciated, with buckshot impressionism, crisply scripted and drawn with Loony Tunes panache. (Apr.)