Posted on

Failure is a Gift – Amy Poehler, Zen Pencils (Comic Strip)

Failure is a Gift - Amy Poehler, Zen Pencils (Comic Strip) | Third Monk image 1

insprational words - Copy

Amy Poehler has been making people laugh since her days at SNL. Parks and Rec has been a huge success in large part to Amy’s fantastic attitude that helps bring the whole cast together as a cohesive unit.

Amy’s inspirational words have been given new life through the latest Zen Pencils installment.

Inspirational Words From Amy Poehler

inspirational words zen - Copy

Amy Poehler is one of my favorite funny people, known for her portrayal as Pawnee’s Leslie Knope in Parks and Recreation, which I’m a big fan of. She’s also a Saturday Night Live alum and co-founded the influential improv school, The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre.

Besides being an incredibly talented and hilarious performer, Poehler has started projects to promote women’s rights and empower young girls. Her website Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls is a hub for young women to learn and be part of a community, and in her YouTube series Ask Amy, Poehler gives advice and answers questions from fans.

– Gavin Aung Than, Zen Pencils

Amy Poehler as Ruth from Deuce Bigalow

Posted on

Taking The Piss With Banksy by Zenpencils (Comic Strip)

Taking The Piss With Banksy by Zenpencils (Comic Strip) | Third Monk image 3

This comic brings life to the voice of street art and pays tribute to the inspirational work of Banksy.

Taking The Piss with Banksy

Taking The Piss

Banksy is an anoynomous English street artist and activist who has become a cult hero for his anti-establishment and rebellious artwork.

Unlike someone I know, who stays in his house all day drawing comics and watching Simpsons reruns, Banksy is a REAL artist who challenges the status quo, forces people to think and puts himself in danger, all while remaining a complete mystery to the world.

I mean think about it, he’s one of the most famous artists on the planet, his work has been popping up in major cities for the past 10 years and sell for millions of dollars and no one knows who the hell this guy is! I take my hat off to the dude. – Gavin Aung Than, Zen Pencils

Posted on

Kubrick’s Answer – The Beauty of a Meaningless Life (Comic Strip)

Kubrick's Answer - The Beauty of a Meaningless Life (Comic Strip) | Third Monk image 2

Life is a beautiful thing, if you want it to be.

Taking an active role in the way we define our experiences allows more opportunities for growth; to be in an unusual situation, to overcome a new challenge or to create a work of art that sparks your imagination.

Kubrick’s answer is flawlessly expressed in Gavin Aung Than’s story panels. Each image underscoring his powerful message.

Stanley Kubrick Zenpencils

Kubrick is often described as an eccentric thanks to the stories about his obsessive attention to detail, treatment of actors, personality quirks and reclusiveness.

But these anecdotes are overshadowed by his ground-breaking movies, technical expertise and the opinions of those close to him, who described him as a warm, loving and gregarious genius of a man.

The quote used in the comic is taken from a 1968 Playboy interview Kubrick did soon after the release of 2001: A Space Odyssey. – Zen Pencils

Posted on

Carl Sagan – Pale Blue Dot (Comic Strip)

Carl Sagan - Pale Blue Dot (Comic Strip) | Third Monk image 2

The Pale Blue Dot quote by Carl Sagan is given a new visual spin by Gavin Aung Than in this beautifully illustrated comic strip.

Our pale blue dot in this universe is what we all have in common, lets share in good times.

Pale Blue Dot –  Art by Gavin Aung Than

pale-blue-dot-carl-sagan-comic-strip

I couldn’t think of a better quote to celebrate Zen Pencils 100th comic. I’ve been wanting to adapt it since I started the website, but I knew I needed a decent amount of time to do it justice.– Gavin Aung, Zen Pencils