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Gavin Aung Than
Contents Acknowledgments 6 Introduction 7 Always Be Prepared—Shaolin Monk 9 Find a Job You Love—Confucius 13 The Man in the Arena—Theodore Roosevelt
15
No Regrets—H. Jackson Brown, Jr. 17 In Spite of Everything—Vincent van Gogh
19
A Question to the Buddhist 23 There Are No Limits—Bruce Lee 26 Never Give Up—Calvin Coolidge 30 The Most Astounding Fact—Neil deGrasse Tyson 34 Make Good Art—Neil Gaiman 39 Welcome to Science—Phil Plait 46 Who’s the Crazier Man?—Henry Rollins 51 Our Deepest Fear—Marianne Williamson 55 On Kindness—Roger Ebert 59 Make Gifts for People—John Green 65 Nature Loves Courage—Terence McKenna 72 Ask Yourself—Howard Thurman 77
Ultimate Self-Help Book—Stephen Fry 81 Advice for Beginners—Ira Glass 86 11 Ways to Be Average—Chris Guillebeau
90
Around the Corner—Charles Hanson Towne 93 The Two Wolves 97 What If Money Was No Object?—Alan Watts
100
What Teachers Make—Taylor Mali 105 You Aren’t Like Them—Timothy Leary 110 To Love at All—C.S. Lewis 115 An Astronaut’s Advice—Chris Hadfield
119
Life Is Not Easy—Marie Curie 123 The Fire Within—Sophie Scholl 127 Don’t Compare Yourself to Others—Jiddu Krishnamurti
133
The Woman in the Arena—Brené Brown 138 I Would Rather Be Ashes than Dust—Jack London
145
Ithaka—Constantine P. Cavafy 150 Invictus—A Tribute to Nelson Mandela 158 Graduation Speech—Erica Goldson 166 On Happiness—Henry David Thoreau 170
Acknowledgments Neil deGrasse Tyson quote taken from Time Magazine’s “10 Questions for Neil deGrasse Tyson.” Neil Gaiman quote: Excerpt from Make Good Art by Neil Gaiman, copyright © 2013 by Neil Gaiman. Published by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Used courtesy of HarperCollins Publishers. Stephen Fry quote taken from 2007 BBC program Mark Lawson Talks To... Stephen Fry. Winston Churchill quote reproduced with permission from Curtis Brown, London on behalf of the Estate of Sir Winston S. Churchill. Copyright © Winston S. Churchill. Excerpt from The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company in the United States, the Philippines, and the Open Market, copyright © 1960 by C.S. Lewis, copyright © renewed 1988 by Arthur Owen Barfield, all rights reserved; and by permission of The C.S. Lewis Company Ltd. throughout the world excluding the United States © copyright CS Lewis Pte Ltd 1960. Ithaka by C.P. Cavafy: KEELEY, EDMUND; C.P. CAVAFY SELECTED POEMS. © 1992 by Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard. Reprinted by permission of Princeton University Press. BRUCE LEE® and the Bruce Lee signature are registered trademarks of Bruce Lee Enterprises, LLC. The Bruce Lee name, image, likeness, and all related indicia are intellectual property of Bruce Lee Enterprises, LLC. All rights reserved. www.brucelee.com J. Krishnamurti quote taken from the books Talks and Dialogues Saanen 1967 and Freedom From the Known, copyright © 1967, 1969 Krishnamurti Foundation Trust, Ltd. For more information about J. Krishnamurti, please visit www.jkrishnamurti.org. Roger Ebert quote taken from Life Itself, © 2011 by Roger Ebert, Grand Central Publishing. Used with permission of The Ebert Co., Ltd.
Introduction Bruce Lee. Mark Twain. Albert Einstein. Vincent van Gogh. What did all of these people have in common? Nothing. Except that their life stories and quotes would often keep me company during downtime at my old cubicle job. While my boss wasn’t looking, I would read interesting biographies on Wikipedia, desperately waiting for the clock to hit knock-off time. I was unhappy at my uninspiring graphic design job and was trying to think of an idea to start a new webcomic site. Even though I had been working as a graphic designer for eight years, I had always been in love with cartooning and dreamt of one day being able to do it as a full-time profession. My dream was kept alive over the years by taking the odd freelance cartooning gig and having a few comics published, but it eventually dawned on me that something drastic had to be done if I wanted that dream to become a reality. Then it struck me. What if I took those quotes that had inspired me while killing time at work and somehow combined them with my passion for cartooning? And with that, Zen Pencils was born. Normally a risk-adverse type of guy, in the span of four months I had quit my job, sold my house and in February 2012, launched Zen Pencils—a website that adapted inspirational quotes and poems into comic strips. This book collects the best quotes and comics from the first two years of the website’s archives. You’ll notice a gradual progression in the length and complexity of the comics as I became more confident with my storytelling ability, and kind of figured out what I was trying to do each week. After a nervous start, the website managed to build an audience and much to my delight, eventually grew successful enough to become a full-time job. Zen Pencils was initially an excuse to draw whatever I wanted and adapt quotes that I had always liked, but it’s grown into a destination where people from all around the world visit for inspiration, motivation, and joy. The positive effect the comics have on readers continues to amaze and humble me. It’s easy to get tired of all the “anything is possible” and “follow your passion” mantras that saturate today’s social media world, but Zen Pencils is proof that it worked for me, and if it only does one thing, I hope that this book shows that it can work for you too.
Always Be Prepared—Shaolin Monk
Find a Job You Love—Confucius
The Man in the Arena—Theodore Roosevelt
No Regrets—H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
In Spite of Everything—Vincent van Gogh
A Question to the Buddhist
There Are No Limits—Bruce Lee
Never Give Up—Calvin Coolidge
The Most Astounding Fact—Neil deGrasse Tyson
Make Good Art—Neil Gaiman
Welcome to Science—Phil Plait
Who’s the Crazier Man?—Henry Rollins
Our Deepest Fear—Marianne Williamson
On Kindness—Roger Ebert
Make Gifts for People—John Green
Nature Loves Courage—Terence McKenna
Ask Yourself—Howard Thurman
Ultimate Self-Help Book—Stephen Fry
Advice for Beginners—Ira Glass
11 Ways to Be Average—Chris Guillebeau
Around the Corner—Charles Hanson Towne
The Two Wolves
What If Money Was No Object?—Alan Watts
What Teachers Make—Taylor Mali
You Aren’t Like Them—Timothy Leary
To Love at All—C.S. Lewis
An Astronaut’s Advice—Chris Hadfield
Life Is Not Easy—Marie Curie
The Fire Within—Sophie Scholl
Don’t Compare Yourself to Others—Jiddu Krishnamurti
The Woman in the Arena—Brené Brown
I Would Rather Be Ashes than Dust—Jack London
Ithaka—Constantine P. Cavafy
Invictus—A Tribute to Nelson Mandela
Graduation Speech—Erica Goldson
On Happiness—Henry David Thoreau
Shaolin Monk: There is no definitive origin for the maxim
Bruce Lee was (1940-1973) a martial artist, actor, philosopher,
“The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in battle.”
and writer. Forty years after his death, he continues to inspire
It’s been claimed as a Chinese proverb, a Roman saying, and a
new generations through his writings, films, and cultural
quote by American war hero George Patton. Today, it is a
importance. The comic is based on an actual event in Lee’s
popular motto among the armed forces and martial artists.
life, when he was challenged by an opponent to a duel. Lee was forced to question his martial-arts philosophy after his
Confucius (551 BC-479 BC) was a Chinese philosopher. His
less-than-impressive victory. brucelee.com
work has been formulated into Confucianism, a doctrine of philosophy which teaches that human beings are responsible
Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933) was the thirtieth president of the
for their self-fulfillment through moral actions towards others.
United States. A serious and no-nonsense man, Coolidge was unassuming but had a quiet determination that saw him prosper
Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) was not a lazy man. Besides
in the White House.
being the twenty-sixth president of the United States for two terms, he was also a naturalist, ornithologist, cowboy,
Neil deGrasse Tyson is an astrophysicist and director of the
conservationist, ranchman, war hero, writer, and big-game
Hayden Planetarium in New York City. He has written numerous
hunter. Roosevelt embraced what he called “the strenuous life”
popular science books including Death by Black Hole and The
—a philosophy where physical activity, adventure, and action
Pluto Files, and is host of the television series Cosmos: A Space
were the keys to a successful life.
Time Odyssey. haydenplanetarium.org/tyson
H. Jackson Brown, Jr., is the best-selling author of Life’s Little
Neil Gaiman is a critically acclaimed and best-selling author. His
Instruction Book, which contains 511 reminders on how to live
novels include American Gods, Anansi Boys, The Ocean at the
a happy and rewarding life. The quote is taken from Jackson’s
End of the Lane, and the landmark comic series The Sandman.
other bestseller, P.S. I Love You, and he actually credits the
The quote was taken from Gaiman’s 2013 commencement speech
saying to his mother.
at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. neilgaiman.com
Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) was a Dutch postimpressionist
Phil Plait, better known as The Bad Astronomer, is an
painter. Although his work was exhibited in his later years,
astronomer, noted skeptic, and science writer. He currently
he received no recognition for his work during his life, lived
has a popular science blog on Slate.com called Bad Astronomy.
in constant poverty, and died having only sold one of his
slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy.html
paintings. Today he is considered one of the most important artists in history.
Henry Rollins is a comedian, entertainer, spoken-word artist, radio DJ, writer, actor, TV-presenter, activist, and former
A Question to the Buddhist: The quote is often attributed to
punk-rocker. henryrollins.com
The Dalai Lama, and I went ahead and drew him into the comic. After it was posted on my website, it came to my attention that
Marianne Williamson is a spiritual activist and best-selling
the quote has never been verified as being said by him.
author who has helped millions of people though her books, lectures, workshops, and television appearances. The quote is from Williamson’s book, A Return to Love. marianne.com
Roger Ebert (1942-2013) was the world’s most respected and
Charles Hanson Towne (1877-1949) was an American poet,
celebrated film critic. He was the first film critic to win a
writer, publisher, and editor.
Pulitzer Prize and to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Much of his huge body of work can be found online
The Two Wolves fable is often attributed as being an old Native
at rogerebert.com.
American Cherokee legend (and I’ve obviously depicted it as such), but its origins are disputed. It most likely evolved from a
John Green is a best-selling author of young adult novels
passage in a book by Billy Graham, a popular American Christian
including Looking For Alaska, Paper Towns, and The Fault in
evangelist.
Our Stars, which was named Time magazine’s best fiction book of 2012. He is also a hugely successful video-blogger, being one
Alan Watts (1915-1973) was an English philosopher and writer
half of the Vlogbrothers and host of the Crash Course History
who played a large part in popularizing Zen Buddhism in the
educational series. johngreenbooks.com
western world. He gained a wide following after moving to the United States where he published numerous books on Zen and
Terence McKenna (1946-2000) was a writer, lecturer, and expert
Eastern philosophy.
on ecology, botany, shamanism, and spiritual transformation. McKenna’s books discuss the benefits and mind-altering effects
Taylor Mali is an American slam poet who has been part of four
of LSD, psilocybin, and other hallucinogens, and the role they’ve
winning teams at the National Poetry Slam competition. What
played in human history and culture.
Teachers Make is Mali’s most well-known poem and was born out of an actual dinner conversation he had. The poem was also the
Howard Thurman (1899-1981) was an author, educator, Afri-
title of a book Mali wrote: What Teachers Make—In Praise of the
can-American leader, and was a prominent figure during the
Greatest Job in the World. Mali worked as an English, history,
American Civil Rights movement. His books on philosophy and
and math teacher for nine years and continues to be an advocate
theology were a major influence on Martin Luther King, Jr.
for teachers all over the world. taylormali.com
Stephen Fry is a modern-day Renaissance man—a comedian,
Timothy Leary (1920-1996) was a psychologist, author, and
author, actor, playwright, director, documentary-maker, TV
pioneer of psychedelic drugs. While working as a professor at
host, radio host, journalist, and all-around creative titan. Fry
Harvard, he explored the potential benefits of psilocybin, the
has documented his life in two best-selling memoirs, Moab Is
active ingredient in magic mushrooms. His later experiments
My Washpot and The Fry Chronicles. stephenfry.com
with LSD made him a key figure and hero during the counterculture movement of the 1960s.
Ira Glass is a radio broadcaster and host of the award-winning program and podcast This American Life. thisamericanlife.org
C.S. Lewis (1898-1963) was an Irish author most famous for the Chronicles of Narnia series. He was also a noted poet, critic,
Chris Guillebeau is an entrepreneur and writer. His website,
and served as professor of English Literature at Oxford for
The Art of Non-Conformity, helps people follow their passion and
twenty-nine years.
find a meaningful way to use their talents. Chris is also a travel junkie and has completed a lifelong quest to visit every country in the world. chrisguillebeau.com
Chris Hadfield is a retired Canadian astronaut who became
Jack London (1876-1916) was an American writer. The quote
well-known for using social media to share what daily life was
used was London’s life ‘credo’ as retold by his literary executor
like aboard the International Space Station. The quote is taken
in an introduction to one of London’s book collections. There
from a Reddit “Ask Me Anything” session Hadfield took part in
are disputes as to whether these are London’s own words or
while aboard the ISS. Hadfield has written a best-selling memoir,
embellishment by the executor.
An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth. colchrishadfield.tumblr.com Constantine P. Cavafy (1863-1933) was a Greek poet, although Marie Curie (1867-1934) was a Polish scientist (she later became
he was born and spent most of his life in Alexandria, Egypt.
a French citizen) who did pioneering research on radioactivity,
Ithaka is one of Cavafy’s most famous poems and is a tribute to
discovered two elements (polonium and radium), won two Nobel
the original Greek poet, Homer, and his poem The Odyssey.
prizes (the only woman to win in two separate fields—physics and chemistry), and is now an icon of the scientific world.
William Ernest Henley (1849-1903) was an English poet famous for his inspirational poem Invictus. The poem was said to be a
Sophie Scholl (1921-1943) was a German activist who is famous
favorite of former South African president Nelson Mandela
for speaking out against the Nazi regime. She was a member of
(1918-2013), who would often recite it and use it as inspiration
The White Rose, a peaceful protest group consisting of students.
during his twenty-seven-year imprisonment.
In February 1943, after the release of the sixth White Rose leaflet, Scholl was arrested and later executed by guillotine.
Erica Goldson was the 2010 Valedictorian of Coxsackie-Athens
She was twenty-one years old.
(New York) High School. At her graduation ceremony, she gave a speech that went viral. Goldson spoke out against the school
Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895-1986) was a philosopher, writer, and
system that she had excelled in her whole life and urged for
lecturer. Krishnamurti was groomed by the Theosophical Society
more individuality and creative thinking from students. The
for twenty years to be the “World Teacher,” but in a famous
quote used in the comic is a small extract from the speech.
speech in 1929, Krishnamurti renounced his position, cut all allegiances with the Theosophical society, and spent the next
Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) was a writer, poet, philos-
fifty-plus years traveling the world, writing and lecturing.
opher, and one of the leading figures of the transcendentalism movement. Besides writing Civil Disobedience, which inspired
Brené Brown is a professor at the University of Houston
such revolutionaries as Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.,
Graduate College of Social Work who has dedicated her life
Thoreau is most well-known for his book Walden, in which he
to social work and the study of vulnerability, courage,
recounts the two years he lived in a small cabin in the woods
worthiness, and shame. Her lectures The Power of Vulnerability
near Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts.
and Listening to Shame are among the most-viewed talks on the TED website. brenebrown.com
Zen Pencils copyright © 2014 by Gavin Aung Than. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of reprints in the context of reviews. Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC an Andrews McMeel Universal company 1130 Walnut Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64106 www.andrewsmcmeel.com
ISBN: 978-1-4494-6152-2
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