Oscar “Zeta” Acosta, a.k.a. Dr. Gonzo

Ever hear of Oscar “Zeta” Acosta? Maybe you know him better as Dr. Gonzo in Hunter S. Thompson’s 1971 book, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. In life, Acosta was a Mexican-American attorney, author and activist in the Chicano Movement in Southern California. Acosta wrote somewhat semi-autobiographical novels about himself, as well as appearing with Dr. Thompson.

Thompson wrote about him:

“Any combination of a 250 lb Mexican and LSD-25 is a potentially terminal menace for anything it can reach — but when the alleged Mexican is in fact a profoundly angry Chicano lawyer with no fear at all of anything that walks on less than three legs and a de facto suicidal conviction that he will die at the age of 33 — just like Jesus Christ — you have a serious piece of work on your hands.”

Acosta disappeared in Mexico in 1974 and is presumed dead.

Come check out these titles by Acosta:

Autobiography of a Brown Buffalo (1972) – Filled with uninhibited candor and manic energy, Autobiography of a Brown Buffalo is Acosta’s account as a Chicano in the psychedelic sixties who takes on impossible cases while breaking all tile rules. If you’ve seen the movie Where the Buffalo Roams, that’s a pretty close interpretation of who Thompson referred to as “The 300-pound Samoan.” Get the Autobiography of a Brown Buffalo by Oscar Acosta at Amazon.com.

The Revolt of the Cockroach People (1973) – In his sequel to The Autobiography of a Brown Buffalo, Acosta takes us behind the front lines of the militant Chicano movement of the late sixties and early seventies. Acosta fought the establishment, with bombs as well as writs, and was an accidental hero who store down danger not only from the powers that be, but from the vatos locos he championed in the first place. Find out more in The Revolt of the Cockroach People by Oscar Acosta, available at Amazon.com.