43. HUNTER S. THOMPSON: The happier man
May 3rd, 2012
I’m a big fan of Hunter S. Thompson and this is the second of his quotes that I’ve adapted. It’s a great saying and Thompson definitely braved the storm of life himself. He got into all kinds of adventures in the pursuit of a great story. I don’t know why, but the first image I thought of when I read the quote was ‘Hunter should be a pirate and be punching a shark.’ Ah, I love my job.
- Thanks to Cole for submitting this quote.
- MY FIRST HUNTER QUOTE: Buy the ticket
ABOUT THIS SITE:
Zen Pencils adapts inspirational quotes into cartoons. It's illustrated by Gavin Aung Than and there's a new toon every Tuesday. More info
MOST POPULAR COMICS
- 50. NEIL GAIMAN: Make good art
- 100. CARL SAGAN: Pale blue dot
- 98. ALAN WATTS: What if money was no object?
- 90: IRA GLASS: Advice for beginners
- 116. CAITLIN MORAN: We’re all dying
- 52. PHIL PLAIT: Welcome to science
- 104. MALALA YOUSAFZAI: I have the right
- 94. The Two Wolves
- 92. CHRIS GUILLEBEAU: 11 ways to be average
- 108. SOPHIE SCHOLL: The fire within
- 42. NEIL deGRASSE TYSON: The most astounding fact
- 60. ROBERT FROST: The road not taken
- 97. CHARLES BUKOWSKI: Air and light and time and space
- 17. FRANK HERBERT: Litany against fear
- 89. STEPHEN FRY: Ultimate self-help book
Best of the rest
- 106. CHRIS HADFIELD: An astronaut's advice
- 12. CARL SAGAN: Make the most of this life
- 33. EDGAR MITCHELL: A global consciousness
- 36. BRUCE LEE: There are no limits
- 56. HENRY ROLLINS: Who's the crazier man?
- 65. MARIANNE WILLIAMSON: Our deepest fear
- 73. MARK TWAIN: An educational journey
- 8. THEODORE ROOSEVELT: The man in the arena
- 83. HOWARD THURMAN: Ask yourself
- 91. BILL HICKS: It's just a ride
HOSTED BY:
Thanks a lot for this, I really needed to snap out of fear of doing something which I know it will change my life drastically, but at the same time I’m afraid of failure, I truly needed this
Rodrigo don’t be afraid to push your limits. The only real failure is not taking action. No one succeeds at anything the first time they try it. The most important thing is to keep at it until one day you do succeed.
Believe in yourself and take action man. The one day you will have a great story to tell whether you make it big or not. At least you won’t regret not trying.
Totally agree with Phil. We all only have one life.
People often say they are afraid of failure but don’t be you learn the most from it and failure often brings greater things after it just remember life is an adventure so make it one worth telling.
I don’t think I had punching sharks in mind when I first read it, but certainly something along those lines XP
Amazing work again, I actually needed this today…. there’s a risk I gotta go take that I’ve been putting off
So HST is not a Buddhist.
‘I knew a Buddhist once, and I’ve hated myself ever since.’
-Hunter S. Thompson
haha, probably not
Amazingly done. Congrats.
We (the crazy group of living drawings from Uruguay, South America) like your work man. It is a great idea and we want to encourage you with a big hug and saying “GO ON!” and of course, we do love the Hunter
And that is why i left holland, and went to Aruba to work, and do something else in life!
I’m liver that’s fa shiz! Nice work man! Luv it!!
What a foolish Pirate. He got lucky with the skeleton, everybody knows that the best way to dispatch a skeleton fiend is to use a blunt weapon as bladed and projectile weapons only do minimal damage.
he’s a very classy pirate too bcoz a typical pirates smokes tobaccos without a filter..lol
great illustration GAV! as usual!
just what i need recently
I’ve done both ways of living, & they both have their merits. I feel sorry for those who feel compelled to only be one or the other, sometimes we need to put up in a harbor & restock our holds. & sometimes we need to seek the distant horizon, even if there is a storm a-brewin’.
Agree’d. There is a balance one needs to find in life.
Inspiring as always , I just love how you convert these great quotes into pictures
Love the Gonzo Fist. Nice detail.
I was wondering when someone would recognise that.
Strangely, that man in his ship? Happy because he plundered and killed? I see his happiness as an illusion. Riches abound on his ship but what of of the man that walk in peace, at peace with himself and at peace with those around him? I would rather be that man instead of that man on that ship. As for the one on the shore? I see him as still not having made the choice to be a plunderer or a man of peace.
Well said
Love your work though Gavin, I look forward to it everytime including this, the introspection not to agree is worth a great deal
point is, get out there make something of your life. Happiness is in doing, not in intellectualising. A ship is safe in the harbour, but that’s not what ships are for.
Nice way of putting it, El Harto
I love this quote. Great job on the comic!
Love it! Keep up with the awesome stuff!
Gorgeous and inspiring! I refer to all of your peices so far, just found the site today and I am floored. You and Winston Rowntree of Subnormality/Viruscomix make me cry. In a good way. In the best way.
I love making readers cry, thanks Calilac.
probably the one on the land can’t afford a ship like the first guy.
easy “brave the storm of life” when you have money.
That’s the point though. The first guy probably couldn’t “afford the ship” but he bought it anyhow. The safe and easy choice is to stay on the shore.
Isn’t that the same as the housing bubble? Just teasing.
Still, about not being able to afford something? It can be a problem but it can also be a blessing. Instead of doing something the same way others did before you it just might have forced you to innovate! Finding solutions comes only to people needing answers. While money can help it isn’t the primary cause.
About the point, I didn’t miss the point. I get it. It isn’t the message I disagree with but the choice of pictures chosen to illustrate the message. In no way do I dislike the artwork, by the way. It’s simply that I feel that they send the wrong message.
I think the ship is metaphorical.
Or, maybe rich people really are better than us…
When can I buy the print of this?
Soon! I’ll make an announcement.
Hey Gav, is this poster ready for print yet?
That’s so amazing!
Can’t wait to buy a copy.
Congrats!
This one is my fav.
It is actually THE wrong question. It should go like this:
“who is the happier man: he who stayed on the shore and existed, or he who tried to face the storm and died in peril?”.
Love this today, truly inspiring. Thank you!
Love the double thumb fist on his hat. Great depiction of his wife!
These are all incredible. I get the sense that when you hear or read these wise words, you really experience them. Your images compliment these quotes so well! Keep them going, I really enjoy your work
As much as I love the quote and the animation you put to it I hated the fact that you depicted sharks as vicious creatures. Maybe it’s just me and my love of animals but many people are ignorant to the fact that all sharks are an endangered species and drawings of them like this does not help the cause to end shark hunting. People will never understand that sharks are not bad if they are always portrayed as bad….
Although looking at it carefully again maybe indirectly you are showing the horrors of shark finning and the heartless people who gain profit from the killing of innocent creatures, maybe the man on the shore filled with anger looks out at sea at the horror and fills himself with courage to stop it.
“The most glorious moments in your life are not the so-called days of success, but rather those days when out of dejection and despair you feel rise in you a challenge to life, and the promise of future accomplishments”
Gustave Flaubert
I can never know for sure though, only speculate… :/
Interesting thoughts, both. However, if you read into the works of Hunter S. Thompson, you’ll find that one of his most extensive (and perhaps last?) works is called “The Great Shark Hunt”. That would make this shark-punching thing seem like a reference back to Thompson’s writing as opposed to a stereotypical depiction of the “vicious, man-eating shark”, an idea that is strengthened by the boat’s name: Shark Hunter.
In my opinion, the wonderful artist has a pretty solid knowledge of Mr. Raoul Duke, and has woven it into every aspect of this beautiful comic.
Well done!
-Bob
Hunter S Thompson was so happy he committed suicide
nice:))