Gavin Aung Than of Zen Pencils
On my bookshelf I have two — and only two — comics I love: Calvin and Hobbes, and Zen Pencils. Quotes! Comics! Inspiration! What’s not to love?
Gavin Aung Than is the artist behind Zen Pencils, where he adapts quotes worth keeping into comics worth framing. I’m a huge fan — I love reading his comics every week, and it’s been a pleasure watching him grow and learn as an artist. If you haven’t seen his work yet, do yourself a favor and start with his adaptation of Bill Watterson’s advice on inventing your own life — the speech it comes from lives in my Great Speeches library too.
The interview
We were lucky enough to sit down with Gavin for the Everyday Humanitarians conference — the conversation in the video above. He does a wonderful job of explaining how Zen Pencils got started, how he ended up where he is now, and even how he conquered his fears to get up on a stage in front of thousands of people at the World Domination Summit to tell his story. I know he was nervous before that talk, but he was fantastic.
What I love most
We all need reminders of what matters most in life: love, wisdom, honesty, inspiration, integrity, and a little more love after that. Gavin’s talent as an artist — and his willingness to put himself out there so we can enjoy his comics every week — is amazing. I’m very grateful for it, and I hope you get a chance to see it for yourself.
Who knows — it might even change your life.
Gav in six minutes
Short on time? Here’s Gavin’s story in six minutes:
Keep going
Read Zen Pencils →
Cartoon quotes from inspirational folks.
Get the Zen Pencils book →
One of the two comics on my shelf.