In the spring of 1970, artist Ralph Steadman went to America in search of work and found more than he bargained for when he met Hunter S. Thompson at the Kentucky Derby. Their remarkable collaboration resulted in the now-legendary Gonzo Journalism, which would document the civil rights movement, the Nixon administration, Watergate, and the many bizarre and great events that shaped the second half of the twentieth century. When Thompson committed suicide in 2005, it was the end of a unique friendship filled with both betrayal and understanding. A rollicking, no-holds-barred memoir, The Joke’s Over is the definitive inside story of the Gonzo years. PRAISE FOR UNTRODDEN GRAPES  "Steadman has traveled to the world's finest wine-making regions and compiled a fabulously entertaining book about his journeys, full of his famously bizarre and amusing art. . . . To that--and to Steadman's wonderful work--we raise a glass." -- The Miami Herald  "And surely the unlikeliest travel book of the season is Untrodden Grapes, a volume of illustrations by Ralph Steadman, a book that is pure oxymoron. Mr. Steadman's famously anarchic style of drawing is brought to bear upon a global selection of vineyards. Mr. Steadman is on the trail of gonzo wine."-- The New York Times A "New York Times Book Review" Editor s Choice "New York Post" Required Reading "Enormously entertaining." "The Boston Globe ""A pleasant surprise." "The Tampa Tribune " "Bizarre and compelling." " Miami New Times " "A must read." "BookPage"" "The rollicking, no-holds-barred, definitive inside story of the Gonzo years from legendary artist Ralph Steadman. "Hunter Thompson s marvelously deranged illustrator, Ralph Steadman, gives us a terrific memoir with "The Joke s Over" . . . Both fitting and touching." "New York Post " "There can be no question that Hunter S. Thompson s pivotal works would not be the same without the accompanying artworks of his partner Ralph Steadman . . . [Steadman] recalls it all eloquently . . .A vivid, well-written paean to Thompson and, by extension, the character of the American rebel." "The Buffalo News " RALPH STEADMAN has illustrated many books, including Hunter S. Thompson s "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" and the fiftieth-anniversary edition of George Orwell s "Animal Farm." He is the author of" The Grapes of Ralph" (for which he won a Glenfiddich Food & Drink Award), "Still Life with Bottle," " The Book of Jones," and "Gonzo: The Art." He lives in England. Visit www.RalphSteadman.com." RALPH STEADMAN has illustrated many books, including Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and the fiftieth-anniversary edition of George Orwell’s Animal Farm . He is the author of The Grapes of Ralph (for which he won a Glenfiddich Food & Drink Award), Still Life with Bottle, The Book of Jones , and Gonzo: The Art . THE KENTUCKY DERBY May 1970 An innocent abroad & a meeting of twisted minds in Bluegrass country . . . Eating out with Hunter . . . Filthy habits & Mace gets in your eyes Scanlan’s magazine, for those of you who missed those nine wild months of publishing history, was the brainchild of Warren Hinckle III, who scorched through three-quarters of a million dollars of borrowed money in the pitiless pursuit of truth – not least the call to impeach Richard Nixon as early as 1970. The magazine was named after a little-known Nottingham pig farmer called Scanlan and it dedicated itself to maverick journalism and anything that seemed like a good idea at the time. Warren set about making sure everyone knew everything about anything that moved in America, from covert activities in high places to rats in a New York restaurant kitchen. His business partner was Sydney E. Zion, who later gained a reputation as the man who fingered psychiatrist Daniel Ellsberg as the source of the ‘Pentagon Papers’, which had made public in The New York Times the US military’s account of activities during the Vietnam War. They achieved their goal and made Nixon’s blacklist in record time. Unfortunately Warren’s excessive lifestyle and appetites outstripped the financial cornucopia that was there to begin with. After the ninth issue, the well dried up and the magazine sucked itself to death. When it happened we were out on a limb, covering the America’s Cup for them. Not the best news to learn over a bad line to New York while asking for more funds. Scanlan’s found me in Long Island in April 1970, not long after I had arrived from England to seek my particular vein of gold in the land of the screaming lifestyle. I was staying with a friend in the Hamptons to decompress. His name was Dan Rattiner and he ran – and, in fact, still runs – the local newspapers, Dan’s Papers and The East Hampton Other . Dan was young and in love with Pam. Dan and Pam treated me with great kindness and hospitality but after a week I began to feel I was getting in the way. It was time to make my trip into New York to look for work. D