Fear and Loathing in Miami: Old Bulls Meet the Butcher

I had the pleasure of purchasing a old Rolling Stone - RS 115 in fact, from Skyline Books* in Forest Knolls, CA. I knew it had a few illustrations by Ralph Steadman in it, but I didn't know it had that many, including a two page spread (would be great framed!) of George McGovern at the Democratic Convention, arms outspread and smiling while his supporters raise those box signs with states and cities printed on them. There are about six or seven illustrations, plus HST's article, which goes on for at least 12 pages.

Wrestling with 20 some year old paper is not easy. The issue is in gorgeous shape, except for a small drop stain on the bottom of the cover. Because I didn't want to hurt it, I scanned in three pictures that seemed the easiest to position on the scanner. It took several tries, as the paper moved at the last second and the pictures kept coming out crooked.

* not to be confused with Skyline Books in NY.


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This illustration features a victorious McGovern atop all his opponents - Nixon, a Vietnam vet, and a lizard person. There are other faces, but I don't recognize them offhand. It takes up half a page in the magazine.


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This picture also takes up half a page in the magazine. It also originally had a thick black border around it, but I had to crop it out. There are three figures in the swimming pool, two in the background with their bodies below water, and the third in the foreground who seems to be drowning, plus the sinking car. I believe this picture represents the journalists who lounged around the pool. I think I know how Ralph put the car in there; he didn't draw it. A popular way to transfer pictures is to use a xylene-based medium, spoon some on the back of the picture, then flip the picture onto the drawing, and gently rub and press the goop for a few minutes. Voila, the picture appears, although lightly and somewhat faded. I did this in art class, and I can tell you how it stunk! I was also working in a poorly ventilated room and I spent too long with my project - after a while, I couldn't stop giggling! I told everyone to stop making me laugh, then I would start laughing again.

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Ralph used the same technique to put the words on the newspaper the cameraman is looking at. Hey, I guess that's a pretty literal cameraman when you see the pic. This looks like the lobby of the hotel or convention, perhaps. The fold about two-thirds down is a fold from the newspaper. This picture took up about a quarter of the page.