Wednesday, April 20, 2016

A to Z of Grave New World 2016: Q is for Quasimodo

Welcome to a Grave New World, where humans rub shoulder to shoulder with the monsters from folklore.





On March 6, 1978 Joseph Paul Franklin, a White Supremacist, serial murderer and admitted Inhuman hunter, attempted to shoot and kill Larry Flynt, the publisher of Hustler magazine in Georgia. The only reason Flynt wasn't hit was because of the presence of Thomas Ray Duchamp, a werealligator from Shreveport, LA, who spotted the Franklin and stepped in front of Flynt. 

Duchamp, though gravely injured, recovered, Duchamp was arrested and Flynt, a self-proclaimed advocate of free speech, became a self-proclaimed advocate of Inhuman rights by launching Quasimodo magazine in July of 1978 that was combination of Hustler's hardcore photo spreads and Playboy's penchant for hard hitting journalism. By 1980, it passed up Playboy as the number one magazine for men.

Behind the scenes, Flynt took care of Duchamp's medical bills and hired him as a personal assistant and donated 20% of Quasimodo's profits to Inhuman rights' causes, anonymously.

Quasimodo's success has continued to grow over the decades and the magazine has bee able to successfully transition to the digital age. While it is often criticized by conservatives and Inhuman groups, it has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for Inhuman rights issues. 

Flynt, however remains a highly criticized character who has taken to avoiding the press, most of the time. 

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Monster Monday: Obstrevoi for Shadowdark

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