Inside The Strange Friendship Of Journalist Hunter S. Thompson And Johnny Depp

After some time spent serving in the military and hopping around the country from one small newspaper to the next, Hunter S. Thompson caught his big break when he was assigned to write an article about the Hell's Angels, but that article quickly morphed into a full-length book. According to Rolling Stone, upon its release

After some time spent serving in the military and hopping around the country from one small newspaper to the next, Hunter S. Thompson caught his big break when he was assigned to write an article about the Hell's Angels, but that article quickly morphed into a full-length book. According to Rolling Stone, upon its release in 1966, "Hell's Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs," became a hit because it gave first-hand insight into a group of people that the vast majority of journalists would be too scared to tap into. Adding to that was that Thompson's role as the author wasn't as an observer, as is typical for journalists, he was an active participant and one of the book's main characters. This combination, mixed with some substance-infused moments, launched a genre with which he became synonymous: gonzo journalism (via Biography).

After the success of the Hell's Angels book, Thompson started writing for Rolling Stone, which resulted in some of his most iconic work, including an account of his 1970 attempt to become the sheriff of Pitkin County, Colorado, where he had purchased a home. He ran on the self-created Freak Power ticket, foreshadowing his interest in politics. Then, again in 1970, Thompson wrote a first-hand account of attending the Kentucky Derby which became known as "The Kentucky Derby Is Decadent and Depraved," and, per NPR, was one of his first projects with frequent collaborator, artist Ralph Steadman.

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