Take one gonzo journalist, his lusty attorney, and a large red convertible loaded with booze and pharmaceuticals and point them to Las Vegas to cover a motorcycle race and an antidrug convention. Thompson's manic satire on the American Dream—seen as mindless consumer hedonism—applies just as well today as in its original post-1960s context. Little's (
Angora Napkin) visualization of this manic road trip comes off as more accessible and engaging than Ralph Steadman's original illustrations while preserving much of Thompson's personality. It's also flat-out hilarious. Polka dot pterodactyl-bats dive bomb the speeding car, casino furniture bends dizzyingly, and boozed-up reptiles munch on blasé starlets. Inevitably, aficionados of the semifictional novel will find favorite riffs missing, although Little has retained the overall narrative and Thompson's trademark prose: chaotic, intense intellectual cynicism spiked with obscenities.
VERDICT Approved by Thompson's estate, Little's madcap portrayal goes a tad light on the darker side of Thompson's indictment, while offering his incisive, corrosive critique to a new generation. Best for older teens and adults. See also Will Bingley and Anthony Hope-Smith's Gonzo: A Graphic Biography of Hunter S. Thompson.
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