Florida on Vice

Cry-Baby of the Week

This week: A guy who made his son quit the Scouts vs. A guy who murdered three people over a prank. Full story

The Magic Kingdom Is Creepy

Dylan DeRose hails from Orlando, Florida, which sounds like it would totally suck, but Dylan has turned oranges into orange juice. After getting the hell out of his hometown, he bravely ventured back to create his project, aptly titled "Orlando," about a town living in the creepy… Full story

Welcome to Christmas, Florida

Christmas, Florida, sits between Orlando and Cape Canaveral. The yuletide name of the community comes from the Second Seminole War. On December 25th, 1837, more than 2,000 US soldiers built a supply fort for the war. They never saw a day of battle. The place today seems like an o… Full story

Sex Offenders in Florida Now Have Warning Signs Outside Their Homes

Last week, 18 sex offenders in Bradford County, Florida, found large red signs outside their homes that read, "a convicted sexual predator lives at this location." I called Brad Smith, the Chief of Operations at the Bradford County Police Department to see what the deal is. Full story

Here's Why Our Magazine Is Not Safe for Prison

A copy of our Cultural Atrocities issue (released in March) got sent to a guy currently serving time in the Putnam Correctional Institution in East Palatka, Florida. The other day, we got it back, with a nice note from the folks in charge of that prison letting us know why it cou… Full story

Gibsonton: Where Carnies Go to Get Away from Civilians

Before it became Showtown, Gibsonton was a small town of fishermen and employees of the local lumber. In 1930, it only had 614 residents. By 1945, the town grew to nearly 1,100 residents. The first settlers—legends like Al “the Giant” Tomiani (who stood at 7'11'') and his wife, J… Full story

Taji's Mahal

Ben Kilpatrick's Tri-Coastal Photography

For this week's Mahal, I got to talk with Ben Kilpatrick about what it is like to travel the country, photographing on and off his skateboard. Check out some of his most recent work and read our conversation about how NYC and LA inspire different kinds of creativity. Full story

The Mercy Rule

The Little Gulfy That Could

If there's a reason to cheer for FGCU—beyond the fact that they're fun as hell to watch—it's for the way they refuse and defuse and otherwise dunk right in the face of all that familiar college hoops sanctimony, simply by being the goofy, grimy Florida-ass thing that they are… Full story

Harmony Korine's Spring Breakers

Dirtona Beach, Florida

We went down to beautifully trashy Daytona Beach, Florida, where a stripper, a drug dealer, and a bar owner explain how spring break has changed over the years. Full story

Harmony Korine's Spring Breakers

Partying in Panama City Beach

An overview of the eight-week period of spring break in Panama City Beach, Florida, when hundreds of thousands of students take over the usually sleepy beach town. We talk to the mayor, the chief of police, the owner of the largest club in the United States, and an evangelical st… Full story