Every once in a blue moon, Gary Groth likes to take the Fantagraphics up into the foothills of Seattle and fire weapons at inanimate objects like computer monitors. I know, it struck me as odd too, but apparently he does this on an almost-yearly basis.
Anyway, this year apparently their regular spot for shooting is now off-limits, as they got busted by the coppers. Matt Silvie has the details:
Police forces from the Snohomish County Sheriff’s department and the Sultan Police department swarmed on the semi-annual Fantagraphics Shoot-out party on Saturday, shutting down the festivities after only a measly two hours of shooting, which wasn’t nearly enough time to shoot all the tvs, computer monitors and lawn mowers hauled out to be shot. Apparently, according to these cops, it’s somehow “illegal” to dump a lot of junk on some random unknown stranger’s private property in the woods and shoot it with guns. Wow, really? Who knew?
No arrests were made, no tickets were given and no one got shot. Still, it’s a drag that the lawn mower only got two or three bullets in it and some of those computer monitors are still relatively intact. Tragic, even. More details and tons of crappy cellphone camera photos with an ever present finger obscuring the images after the jump.
I wonder if there were any copies of Filibusting Comics in that junk pile?
September 18th, 2007 at 10:17 am
I didn’t think it was possible, but my opinion of Gary Groth is now lower than it was before reading that story. Oh, and for the record, I’m not a Harlan Ellison guy either. They can all disappear from pop culture for all I care.
September 18th, 2007 at 10:37 am
If he was doing it at a reasonable place, I’d think it was fine. Sounds kinda fun, in fact. Doing it on someone else’s property is a little careless, though.
September 18th, 2007 at 10:44 am
You should all read Eric Reynolds’ comment at the Beat, where he explains this in greater detail: http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/09/17/fantagraphics-2nd-amendment-rights-under-attack/#comment-415068
I might be nuts, but I seem to remember hearing about this practice years ago. I chalked it up to some kind of Hunter S. Thompson worship at the time.
September 18th, 2007 at 11:50 am
Given the police involvement, I’m just glad that they didn’t have dynamite with them this time out.
September 18th, 2007 at 12:09 pm
Why does this seem odd? i’ve done this a number of times myself…
has no one seen Office Space? seriously?
… now imagine trading up the bat, for a semi-automatic rifle and a shotgun?
September 18th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
“I didn’t think it was possible, but my opinion of Gary Groth is now lower than it was before reading that story.”
Why?