By Wayne John Sturgeon

Richard Hunt, former editor of  the UK based “Green Anarchist” and “Alternative Green” magazines, died may 2nd 2012. He was 79 years old.  Green Anarchist,  a publication he launched in the mid to late 80s, was a very beautifully illustrated magazine (Richard was an excellent artist) with a spirit very akin to the traveller, squatter, free festival and counter cultural punk scene of the time. Richard would  finance, write, edit,and illustrate this magazine until he was kicked out by the other editors for supposed reactionary views. These reactionary views apparently consisted of supporting traditional gender roles (despite being very pro-homosexual) admitting to a natural patriotism (he was opposed to the first Iraq war but felt an  kindred affinity to the british service personnel) and being concerned on enviromental  and sustainabillity grounds as to the impact mass immigration would have on the eco-system of the U. K., etc.

He parted to form Alternative Green magazine in the early 90s. Green Anarchist then changed into a much more aggressive, vanguardist, anarcho-primitivist, “propaganda of the deed” type mag that alienated and divided many and almost landed its editors a lengthy jail term before disappearing completely. Alternative Green (subtitled “green anarchism for the polictically incorrect”) seeked to transcend  both left and right dogmatism aiming at a synthesis of what Richard would refer to as “the loyality of the right with the compassion of the left.”

To this end he opened up a dialogue with those  on the decentralist left and right and for this open mindedness and goodwill  Richard was smeared as a fascist, racist and sexist (despite advocating inter-racial marriages with the slogan “Loyality to Place not Race”). This hurt him deeply as he was a kind, sensitive, charming and gracious man with an air of well educated English eccenticity about him. (He had worked for the BBC designing stage props for Dr Who and Monty Python!)

He was threatened, routinely abused in the pages of green anarchist magazine, had papers stolen when doing street sales and was completely marginalised by the very movement he had helped to create and support. In one incident he was abused in his own home when giving hospitality to strangers who faked an interest in alternative green. He was banned from participation in the london based yearly “Anarchist Bookfair” before going on to help organise the brighton 99 Anarchist “Heretics” Fair. Subsequent “Anarchist Heretics Fairs” would attract the attention and intimidation tactics of AFA etc. Alternative Green continued until Richard had a severe stroke which left him unable to speak and with very limited mobility, a condition in which he suffered for more than several years. The magazine would continue with Troy Southgate as editor (who had been a loyal supporter of Richard’s) before Adrian White (a close friend and ally)would take over before  he eventually disbanded the mag only very recently. It was run on a complete shoestring despite Richard having had a large inheritence with which he was able to finance both GA and AG (and his hardback book “To End Poverty- The Starvation of the Periphery by the Core”). A major chunk of this was seized by an “activist” associate who sadly would later decline to give a single penny to those who wanted AG to continue in the same attractive format and nationwide distribution that Richard had ensured (sometimes retailers like “Peace News” in London would have to sell the mag “under the counter”!)

Troy Southgate would later innovate some of Richard’s core ideas to create and formulate the recent and dynamic tradition of “National Anarchism.” Richard Hunt thus leaves behind a valuable  and rich legacy- it was an honour to have known him and to have worked with him and i will always be grateful to him for his considerable insights, creativity, generosity and above all  his sense of good natured humour!l  Let’s not let him down.