Hunter Thompson's Ashes to Be Shot Out of a Cannon?

Posted on February 24, 2005

Just when you thought Hunter S. Thompson didn't have any more surprises left for us, we find out yet another bizarre funeral request made by the Gonzo Journalist himself. Apparently, Mr. Thompson wanted to be cremated, then have his ashes shot out of a cannon. "If that's what he wanted, we'll see if we can pull it off," said long-time friend and historian Douglas Brinkley, who is acting as the family's spokesman. The AP article quotes a fireworks expert and Hunter S. Thompson fan describing how he would perform the ceremony if chosen to do the job. "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." Since his suicide, Thompson's books have seen a spike in sales on Amazon.com. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is selling especially well; it was No. 15 on Amazon.com as of Wednesday and the publisher has ordered a large reprint run.