James Hibbard (Reporter)

In like a ghost, out like a ghost, happy hunting. It felt a bit unreal.

In like a ghost, out like a ghost, happy hunting. It felt a bit unreal.

That was the vibe.

That was the vibe.

It was a bit of a rabble-rousing, controversial paper. It was like this counterweight to the city's conservative daily paper, the Arizona Republic.

It was a bit of a rabble-rousing, controversial paper. It was like this counterweight to the city's conservative daily paper, the Arizona Republic.

I remember being at a party when I first moved there, and I was trying to make friends, and I struck up a conversation with this guy, and when he found out where I worked, he was like, oh, that's a very liberal publication, and then turned around and walked away.

I remember being at a party when I first moved there, and I was trying to make friends, and I struck up a conversation with this guy, and when he found out where I worked, he was like, oh, that's a very liberal publication, and then turned around and walked away.

I would cover, like, the world's loudest car radio convention, or profile a 14-year-old kid who was in a street gang, or I would do a story on the Scottsdale prostitution scene, and then do a story about this subculture where people were suspending themselves from meat hooks.

I would cover, like, the world's loudest car radio convention, or profile a 14-year-old kid who was in a street gang, or I would do a story on the Scottsdale prostitution scene, and then do a story about this subculture where people were suspending themselves from meat hooks.

But this guy was public enemy number one. He was like the roadrunner zipping around the Arizona desert.

But this guy was public enemy number one. He was like the roadrunner zipping around the Arizona desert.

The arsonists had already been covered in the Daily Paper and the other publications a ton.

The arsonists had already been covered in the Daily Paper and the other publications a ton.

The editors had the idea of, let's do a story about how some people were rooting for this guy, like a folk hero, something different than the coverage that had been out there.

The editors had the idea of, let's do a story about how some people were rooting for this guy, like a folk hero, something different than the coverage that had been out there.

I remember being only mildly interested.

I remember being only mildly interested.

This guy was the scariest editor I ever knew.

This guy was the scariest editor I ever knew.