Monday, November 9, 2015

Spotlight Review: Zen Pencils

Alma 39:1 - "And now ... have ye not observed the steadiness of thy brother, his faithfulness, and his diligence in keeping the commandments of God? Behold, has he not set a good example for thee?"

Sometimes, I find a source of entertainment that does nothing but inspire me. When that happens, I want to share it with the world.

Today, I'm going to be talking about zenpencils.com.


For those of you that follow me on Facebook, I actually shared the comic featuring Bill Watterson (the 11th entry on the list below) a few weeks ago. The actual artist (Gavin Aung Than) had done such a good job emulating Watterson's style, I believed the legendary Calvin and Hobbes cartoonist actually had come out of his retirement. It didn't take me long to poke around and realize I was wrong, but I wasn't really disappointed.

You see, I've read the entire archive several times now. Most comics incorporate an inspirational quote from a famous individual as a backdrop to the bright, colorful, and inviting artwork. Gavin Aung Than's expressive style not only gives the quotes greater impact, but his work helps the words stay in my head even longer.

Though I've read many of these quotes before, I have often forgotten them mere moments later because of their brevity or placement within a greater context. Than's decision to juxtapose these quotes with his art has often brought tears to my eye, even after several rereads.

I wanted to share with you my favorite entries in the Zen Pencils canon. After much debate and deliberation, I finally whittled my exhaustive list down to fifteen (in no particular order). Again, these are comics that stuck out to me personally, so I invite you to search through the archive and find some gems for yourself. Let me know in the comments which were your favorite.*

My Top Fifteen Zen Pencils Entries


11. George S. Patten: A Man Must Know His Destiny

18. Lao Tzu: Watering Your Dreams

27. Kurt Vonnegut: Take a Moment

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