Hunter's Final Wish

[Freeker]

Thompson's Ashes May Be Shot From Cannon

By DAN ELLIOTT

DENVER (AP) - Hunter S. Thompson, the "gonzo journalist" with a penchant for drugs, guns and flame-thrower prose, might have one more salvo in store for everyone: Friends and relatives want to blast his ashes out of a cannon, just as he wished.

"If that's what he wanted, we'll see if we can pull it off," said historian Douglas Brinkley, a friend of Thompson's and now the family's spokesman.

Thompson, who shot himself to death at his Aspen-area home Sunday at 67, said several times he wanted an artillery send-off for his remains.

"There's no question, I'm sure that's what he would want," said Mike Cleverly, a longtime friend and neighbor. "Hunter truly loved that kind of thing."

Colorado fireworks impresario Marc Williams said it's doable.

"Oh, sweet. I'd love to. I would so love to," said Williams, 44, owner of Night Musick Inc. in suburban Denver and a fan of Thompson's writing.

Thompson's wife, Anita, and son, Juan, are looking into the cannon scenario, said Brinkley, who has edited some of Thompson's work.

Brinkley also said Thompson did not take his life "in a moment of haste or anger or despondency" but probably planned his suicide well in advance because of declining health. The author of books including "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" was in pain from a host of problems that included a broken leg and a hip replacement.

"I think he made a conscious decision that he had an incredible run of 67 years, lived the way he wanted to, and wasn't going to suffer the indignities of old age," Brinkley said. "He was not going to let anybody dictate how he was going to die."

Thompson had spent an intimate weekend with his son, daughter-in-law and young grandson, the spokesman said.

"He was trying to really bond and be close to the family" before his suicide, Brinkley said. "This was not just an act of irrationality. It was a very pre-planned act."

Family members had no hint that Thompson planned to take his own life, Brinkley said, and he did not leave a note. "There was no farewell salutation," he said.

Williams, the fireworks impresario, said it is not uncommon for families to have their loved one's ashes scattered across the sky in a fireworks shell, though his company has never done it.

If the Thompson job were his, Williams said, he would probably blast the ashes from a 12-inch-diameter mortar 800 feet into the sky. Then a second, window-rattling blast would scatter them amid a blossom of color 600 feet across.

"If you were going to light up a flash-bomb worthy of Hunter S. Thompson, you'd want to make it an earth-shaker," Williams said.

Sales of "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" and other Thompson favorites have soared since his death. "Fear and Loathing" was No. 15 on Amazon.com as of Wednesday and publisher Vintage Books has ordered a sizable reprinting.

"We usually sell about 60,000-70,000 copies a year of that book and our next printing will be close to that total," Vintage spokesman Russell Perreault said.

Other Thompson books selling well include "Hell's Angels,""Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail '72" and "Hey Rube."

[timouse]

if HST had done a third of the deviant activities he claimed, then i'm sure he wore out all his parts, and maybe faced with the slow downhill slide of things failing him, elected to make a quick end of things by gunshot.

and what better way to finish it all then to have his earthly remains scattered all over owl farm by cannon?

i don't think he thought of the other people in his life though...i'm not sure i would have wanted to be the one to discover the body. as someone else on a HST thread opined, gunshots are a messy way to go. there's a lot of blood and sh!t. you'd think that someone who has done every pharmaceutical known to science would have sussed out the right combination to take him out quietly, but i suppose that was his whole point.

and as has been pointed out endlessly, if you want his books get them now before the commemmorative double price editions come out.

rant>

timouse

[Vermontdave]

Doesn't that read like an Onion story?

I mean, c'mon, shot out of a cannon?

....err, wait a sec

I guess, when you think about it, it would be pretty cool to be shot out of a cannon(dead or alive)

ps I'm still bumming over HST's death.

He was a hero.

peace

[meggo]

still bumming too!

he is one of those folks i always hoped to meet one day.

[Steve from Cleveland]

Saw on (I think) Yahoo! News that the family is in talks with various pyrotechnics outfits, and one in particular is especially interested. There was a write up on how they would do it if given the chance, something about shooting a XXXlb shell 800 feet+ into the air and blasting a 600foot splash of color across the sky (Along with the remains of HST). Made some comment about the explosion being reminiscent and worthy (and earth-shaking)as HST was himself.

Also, I have read in several different places where HST had spoken of suicide up to 10 years ago, and that the family, although surprised about the timing, was NOT surprised by the method at all, as he had claimed for years that that was precisely how he was going to go whenever he decided it was his time...

S

[Im going home Donny]

Well it was his life to do with what he wished as I think was his way all along. Mabey his family did know...I don't think you can admit to knowing someone was planning on killing themselves without winding up in a world of shitstorm.

I do feel better thinking he was sick physically not just sad and world/life weary.

I fu©king LOVE the cannon idea...brilliantly fitting in my opinion. Awesome just like the man himself.

RIP Hunter.

My mum has a great quote above her computer that reads-

Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, tottally worn out, shouting

"HOLY sh!t.......WHAT A RIDE!!!"

Good job on Mr.Thompson for pulling that off!

What Style.

[Kaidy Mae]

Hehehe, my Dad has the same saying on his office wall. Like minds, my friend, like minds.