Jones Of Colorado

by Ralph Steadman

From the duct "Whether you are a cat lover, a Ralph Steadman fan, or simply delight in a marvellous book, Jones of Colorado will enchant you. Rarely has a book portrayed so directly the exquisite fascination of the feline, whilst capturing on paper something of truth and beauty".

Genres: Art, Cats, Nonfiction

80 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Ralph Steadman (born Wallasey, May 15, 1936) is a British cartoonist and caricaturist.

Born in Wallasey, Cheshire, and brought up in Towyn, North Wales, Steadman attended Ysgol Emrys Ap Iwan (high school), Abergele, East Ham Technical College and the London College of Printing and Graphic Arts during the 1960s, doing freelance work for Punch, Private Eye, the Daily Telegraph, The New York Times and Rolling Stone during this time.

Steadman is renowned for his political and social caricatures and cartoons and also for illustrating a number of picture books. Awards that he has won for his work include the Francis Williams Book Illustration Award for Alice in Wonderland, the American Society of Illustrators' Certificate of Merit, the W H Smith Illustration Award for I Leonardo, the Dutch Silver Paintbrush Award for Inspector Mouse, the Italian Critica in Erba Prize for That's My Dad, the BBC Design Award for postage stamps, the Black Humour Award in France, and several Designers and Art Directors Association Awards. He was voted Illustrator of the Year by the American Institute of Graphic Arts in 1979.

Steadman had a long partnership with the American journalist Hunter S. Thompson, drawing pictures for several of his articles and books. He accompanied Thompson to the Kentucky Derby for an article for the magazine Scanlan's, to the Honolulu Marathon for the magazine Running, and illustrated both Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72. Much of Steadman's artwork revolves around Raoul Duke-style caricatures of Thompson: bucket hats, cigarette holder and aviator sunglasses.

Steadman appears on the second disc of the Criterion Collection Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas DVD set, in a documentary called "Fear and Loathing in Gonzovision", which was made by the BBC in 1978, of Thompson planning the tower and cannon that his ashes were later blasted out of. The cannon was atop a 153-ft. tower of Thompson's fist gripping a peyote button; Thompson demands that Steadman gives the fist two thumbs, "Right now."

As well as writing and illustrating his own books and Thompson's, Steadman has worked with writers including Ted Hughes and Brian Patten, and also illustrated editions of Alice In Wonderland, Treasure Island, Animal Farm and most recently, Fahrenheit 451.

Among the British public, Steadman is well known for his illustrations for the catalogues of the off-licence chain Oddbins. He also designed the labels for Flying Dog beer and Cardinal 'Spiced' Zin', which was banned in Ohio for Steadman's "disturbing" interpretation of a Catholic cardinal on its label.

Steadman also illustrates Will Self's column in The Independent newspaper. Johnny Depp's anthology of songs, "Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys" (2006) surprisingly contains two contributions from Steadman. He sings lead on "Little Boy Billee", and sings backing vocals on Eliza Carthy's song "Rolling Sea". Depp played Raoul Duke in the film adaptation of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

Steadman currently lives with his wife in Kent, England.

Reviews

[Evan · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Emotions depend on your frame of mind at a particular time. Even a cathedral is simply a bunch of big stones if you are feeling bloody minded. Maybe Jones filled an empty space majestically at the right moment."
-Ralph Steadman

Sometime in the 1980s illustrator Ralph Steadman traveled to Woody Creek, Colorado, for a two-week stay with author Hunter S. Thompson to work on the art for the latter's book, The Curse of Lono (see my review of that, if you are able). Amidst the hubbub that only Thompson could engender in the middle of nowhere on a remote farm 7,500 feet/2290 meters above sea level, with outsiders coming and going like a big city bus station, there was one fellow at hand who seemed to regard it all with an oblivious and superior feline bemusement. That fellow was Jones, a feral cat who wandered into Thompson's house one day and decided to stay, and the moxie of it could only earn the writer's respect. To paraphrase Steadman, Jones' fierce regard for his own personal space and bent of not suffering fools provided both cat and "master" a spiritual link.

Inspired by Jones, Steadman began to think about the relationships of cats to people, what we project into them when we see them but also what we learn about ourselves in the process, and also about the mysterious ways of love of fellow creatures. He bought a new sketchbook and penned a series of lightning sketches of Jones while on breaks between the work sessions with Thompson. His sketches are bare, meant to catch the essence of Jones, to depict his poses and attitude without additional embellishment. As usual with Steadman there are masses of wild squiggles that suggest a time-lapse frenzy, even when Jones is more or less supine but ever alert to pounce. In one sketch Jones is simply one opened wary eye buried in tousled fur.

Steadman's lightning sketches suggest just enough; they seem appropriately fleeting in nature, like the life of a cat, or of transitory relationships, or life in general. As Steadman says, "Jones gave everything he had to himself without even expending an erg of energy."

We've all had our moments with one kind of Jones or another. Sometimes it's a furry friend, or a blue sky and a soft breeze after a storm or the way the sun strikes the landscape at the end of the day -- one of those Zen moments where nothing else matters and nothing that worries you seems very big or important anymore. What matters is the lovely moment that reminds you that life can be so inexpressibly sweet.

It's hard to rate a book like this. It's a heartfelt ode; a slight book but certainly a lovely gesture. Ralph Steadman has turned his talents often to books about endangered animals, and his concern is palpable and his heart seems true. I enjoyed his reflections and impressions about his brief moments with Jones. And the following pictures are not of Jones, but of a cat I knew for awhile when I was living in Nashville in 2014-2105, whose name I never learned. The cat lived in the house next door, and mainly wandered outside all day long, ignored pretty much by its owners. I simply referred to him/her as "my cat buddy." Although cat buddy seemed well enough fed and groomed, I felt she was starved for some attention. So even though I was a stranger, she took to me right off, coming right to me for pettings. When I had to move from the house in December 2015 I was hoping to say one last goodbye to Cat Buddy, but as I was packing my car the cat never appeared. I felt much the same kind of sadness that Steadman did after leaving Jones in the book.

Cat Buddy:








kr,eg '19

[Jacca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Steadman stayed with Hunter for a few weeks and in that time got to know his cat. Mostly because Thompson sleeps all day, so Steadman had hours to get acquainted with the character of Jones. This book features a variety of scribbled etchings of Jones, representing his various mannerisms, moods, and general superiority above everyone.

The art here is much less sophisticated than Ralph often is. He takes it back to basics with ink and sometimes charcoal with no colour - cover excepted. They are really just scribblings; quick sketches made in a moment. The characteristics of this cat that Steadman can portray through these hasty scrawlings are impressive. The face of Jones often protrudes with elegant beauty out of a chaotic body of frenetic lines representing a mess of fur.

The art is accompanied by brief accounts of the cat that is Jones. I feel like I knew Jones somewhat for having read and looked at this.

[Miguel S. Calonge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Para quienes les gusten los gatos y los dibujos de Ralph Steadman, este librito es un regalo. Se trata de un relato breve que acompaña a los dibujos que Ralph hizo de Jones, el gato de Hunter S. Thompson, cuando se quedó unos días en la cabaña del escritor Gonzo. Quienes conozcan la personalidad caprichosa de los gatos, bien porque tienen uno o se han rodeado de ellos de una manera u otra, reconocerán las descripciones que Steadman hace del comportamiento de Jones y en ellas se muestra una comprensión, una empatía hacia la forma de ser de estos animales (de Jones, concretamente) que hace disfrutar aún más del relato.

[Sharon Zink · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book that someone wrote when they didn't have anything else to do. It is simply sketches and notes made while looking at a cat. When I first opened it up and saw the sketches, I thought a little kid had scribbled in it. It is amusing.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jones is a cat that decided it wanted to live with Hunter S. Thompson. Steadman stayed with them for two weeks and was clearly taken with Jones.
This is a collection of pencil sketches of Jones done at the time. They are simple but convey an enormous amount about Jones and his nature. The accompanying notes and thoughts display a deep affection for the cat. Both delightful and achingly moving, it is little less than a love letter to an animal who he barely knew, but as cats will, had a profound affect on him.

[Jeffrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe close to a kids book, as none of the drawings are particularly dark like usual, nor is the content or dialogue. None the less, I enjoyed reading it a few times and it's about the drawings

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A meditation on art, time, friendship, fur, claws and self.