148. STANLEY KUBRICK answers a question
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Stanley Kubrick (1928-1999) was a filmmaker responsible for classic movies such as Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, The Shining and Full Metal Jacket.
Growing up in the Bronx in New York, Kubrick was terrible at school and often skipped class to go to the movie theatre. He soon developed an interest in photography, teaching himself how to use the camera his father gave him as a gift. Similarly, Kubrick didn’t have any formal education in directing and taught himself all aspects of filmmaking. Kubrick on making his first short film, Day of the Fight in 1951:
“I was cameraman, director, editor, assistant editor, sound effects man—you name it, I did it. It was invaluable experience, because being forced to do everything myself I gained a sound and comprehensive grasp of all the technical aspects of filmmaking.”
By the age of 31, Kubrick had already worked as a photojournalist at Look magazine for five years (check out some of his amazing photos) and directed four feature films. In 1960, he was hired to direct the most-expensive film ever made at the time, Spartacus. Kubrick butted heads with Kirk Douglas, the leading-man and producer, over the film’s direction and the bad experience made Kubrick vow that he would have complete creative control on all of his future films.
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. You can read the context of the question in this Brain Pickings article.
– Watch this awesome 11-minute tribute video to Kubrick (NSFW).
– The recent documentary Room 237 claims that the visual effects Kubrick pioneered in 1968 for 2001: A Space Odyssey was just a dress rehearsal for his most ambitious ‘film’: the 1969 Apollo moon landing. The film argues that Kubrick was in cahoots with the United States Government and faked the moon landing. Kubrick was so guilt-ridden he left clues in his next movie, The Shining, which gave away his involvement. I don’t believe the claim, but it’s a fascinating documentary and it makes a pretty convincing argument.
– It’s recently been announced that Steven Spielberg will be turning Kubrick’s unrealised movie Napoleon, often referred to as ‘the best film never made’, into a TV miniseries.
– Spielberg and Scorsese on Kubrick.
– Thanks to Anthony and Max for submitting this quote.
Discussion (111) ¬
My father passed away on March 14th, we’re in the process of going through his stuff. His name was Hal. This hit me really hard in the gut.
condolences on your loss,i lost my father 2 year ago and know the pain of the loss you are feeling,remembering good times helps a little
My father died on March 14th, 2012. It will get better.
I find that it doesn’t get better so much as it scabs over so you don’t have to think about it constantly.
That means that you are lucky 🙂 (comic reference) what are you going to do with that luck ?
Do? Why should I do anything?
Everything will be okay in the end. If it is not okay, it is not the end.
Take care. I am sorry for your loss, but it will get better.
Some genuine depth to your work, friend!
My father wasn’t named Hal but the rest of the story is eerily parallel to my own path in life.
That’s inspirational…. Unfortunately, my father wasn’t like that…
Dear Mr. Than,
Please stop making me cry. While I could, in principle, appreciate the work and craft that goes into re-purposing philosophically strong commentary in a visual medium that both delights and deeply touches and magnifies not only the original meaning but adds rich, personal layers, however I am not comfortable crying and find it to be difficult to control after reading many of your graphic renderings.
The power of some of your simplest cartoon gestures have created in me an almost life-changing combination of joy, love, and connection to my loved ones that seems to most frequently to induce a lachrymal response, occasionally with vocalized, respiratory reflexes. Specifically, I am most alarmed at the effects that came from perhaps your most infamous work quoting a 20th century author who is a known ghost-writer for the minions of the Fallen One. The after-effects of this particular ‘toon appear to have helped strengthen bonds to my partner in ways that I did not anticipate, and one can only imagine what the consequences of these interpersonal bonds will be over the coming years! I say this not to alarm, but as a clear warning of the sorts of effects your work may be having in a global audience.
I hope you will take this constructive criticism to heart and will, in future, try to keep the relevance and potency of your art at a less emotionally challenging level. Responsible artists, who can frequently be found by their congregation in mainstream channels of entertainment, have already adopted such self-correction and I advise you take their lead. For example, try to make your sentiments more generic and saccharine. Genuine sentiment not only is more emotionally trenchant, but also demands psychological and social flexibility which is not what I want out of either my pencils or my zen.
Thank you for your attention and I ask that you please consider this criticism before midnight tonight (Tuesday, April 01, 2014).
-Avril Sage
Wow….this reply…nice!
Best April Fool’s I’ve heard in a long time.
Thank you, Avril.
Man oh man, this one is WONDERFUL! Will this soon be available as a print?!? :]
Life’s Wisdom. A best present no money can buy! You’re a champ Gav!
Gavin,
Wow, just wow…I won’t try to be as eloquent as Avril, but I too have the crying problem regularly. Have enjoyed seeing your original words and art recently, but have missed *this* (even with the crying!) Absolutely wonderful job here!!!
Thanks for sharing your gift –
Abbie
The story I heard about Kubrick helping to fake the Moon landings … there were some special effects that they couldn’t quite get right in the studio, so they had to go to the Moon for a location shoot to finish the film.
“Don’t believe everything you read on the Internet” -William Shakespeare
OMG dude thats it.
That is the answer.
They were TRYING to fake the moon landings.
But they werent counting on kubrick’s sheer astonishing girth and planetoid sized balls
Kubrick wanted to MAKE the best fake moon landing movie.
What movie would be that? Well obviously one that was so fake, that it was real.
Kubrick made the government go to the moon with just sheer stubbornness .
Holy crap.
I mean like woa.
that was great 🙂
Wow this was incredible. Thank you so much!!!
A spectacular return to form after the last few missteps. One of your absolute best yet.
This is awesome Gav, one of your best yet. I love the colour palette and the overly simple treatment you’ve given the speech bubbles in the opening cell!
Well done man.
Amazing and humbling. Well done Gav.
I’ve always liked your work and like everyone in here, I’ve always felt that the message was somehow directed to me particularily.
But this time.. this time it’s different.
I’m 24, sitting at a desk answering call for proposals and researching boring things while all I really want is to become a filmmaker.
Then GO! Go do it! There’s no time like the present, you’re not getting any younger, you’re the only one who can make your dreams happen, YADAYADA! I could give you a ton of platitudes and inspiration, but that’s Gavin’s job. All I can do is give you the metaphorical kick-in-the-pants through the internet. Go be a filmmaker, go make history, (because everyone is part of history,) go be happy.
Warn us if you’re going to make us well up in public man! What a powerful comic.
Hey man I’m a big fan. Just wanted to say, great use of the Kubrick Stare on the small floating panel in panel 1.
This is a comic that has lots of things packed together, my condolences to those who lost someone dear to them and I found this inspirational, love for someone can make you bring out the best as an homage to the person you loved.
I love some of those movies!
You´re great! Thanks for this comic. You help internet to be a good thing!
I’m from Brazil, and I’m a great fan of your work. Many of your cartoons had a huge impact on me, and helped me to endure at some hard times.
This one almost made me cry here at work.
Thanks so much for share with us your art and thoughts.
Best wishes from Brazil
So… the joy of life is to find whatever self-delusion one may palate to distract oneself of the uselessness and mortality, not just of oneself, not just of our own work, not just of humanity and all of its accomplishments, but also of the universe as a whole. Instead of facing that pointlessness and rationally understanding that all our effort is for naught, and acting accordingly by contributing to the only durable thing in this universe – destruction.
This is the narcissistic, childish belief of the nihilistic. It isn’t rational – it’s just beating on the uncaring universe to get revenge for feeling terrified at having to decide on one’s own purpose and not feeling up to the task.
If life has no intrinsic point, then it is neither useful nor useless. Those are arbitrary human concepts. And as such, choosing to find joy is as valid as anything else. The difference however, is in results. Choose destruction and you needlessly harm others. Choose construction and you aid others in coming to terms with life.
Besides. If every “rational” nihilist was as rational as they claim, they would simply commit suicide immediately and stop bothering everyone else – no point to anything other course of action, right?
Well Said!
Isn’t that exactly what Kubrick’s pointing out in this quote? You literally just restated the entirety of what he said. that’s his point life has no point cope with that and find your own meaning Why are you arguing with it? Unless you are simply just restating it at which case my apologies
My father also died recently (November) so, yeah, this gives me all sorts of feelings. This comic is probably the first thing to come along that makes me feel like I’ll be okay. It really means a lot to me.
Gavin, this is beautiful and extremely touching.
I particularly like that collage of images from Kubrick’s movies, I find it seductively creepy and that is how I have always felt Kubrick films…
Thank you for this inspirational quote and for doing what you do. My grandfather passed away on March 24, many of us in our family and in our community consider him as the father figure; he is very understanding and is kindhearted.
I have not yet cried after his passing, but after seeing this I am teary-eyed, but feel hopeful and strong to continue on living.
Marvellous! I really like the idea of the “two circles” uniting or at least overlapping when the son uses the inspiration of his dad’s legacy to shape his very own in somewhat fills the gap the loss left behind… Excellent work again Gav, keep it up!!
I realize this is a spiritually controversial issue. I would think many people who follow a deity believe life here on earth is meant to prepare them for life in heaven. If a light is lit, why is it lit? Just to be lit? Where is the purpose in that? A light is meant to help people see through darkness, just like the bible and God will help people walk through the darkness of the earth before we go to heaven. If there is nothing after this life, what will whatever we do on earth be good for? Even the lives after ours, if they don’t go anywhere after dying, what will the inspiration and joy they had in the things we made be valued?
If there is no life after this (and I do believe there is, so I’m not going to argue that point) the point of life is to make the most of it while you can, so that those who survive you and who come long after have a better life for having known you or you having existed.
Let me give you an example. The Ancient Greek concept of the afterlife was of no great paradise. Those who lived unremarkable lives, neither good nor evil, drank from the River Lethe, forgot their meager lives, and became whispering shadows in the Fields Of Asphodel. But those who lived glorious lives, oh, how they reposed! Those who made their mark on the world, often through heroic deeds, got to keep their memories and continued on in luxury after death.
When you came into this world, you were crying and everyone else was smiling. Live your life so that it ends with you smiling and everyone else crying. And that’s all there is to it. Heaven is just extra.
Man…the feels.
Thanks for making this comic. I don’t really know who Stanley Kubrick is, but the way he answers was astounding especially the part in which he said that children are losing their joie de vivre and idealism as they grow up.
Such truthfulness
Gavin, you are probably the coolest person on the planet. Thank you, and keep doing what you’re doing.
Thank you for sharing this. Something about it made me cry. I think it’s the childhood dreams that are often destroyed when you grow up. On the other hand it could be the memory of a father who was not there growing up. Both are dreams and desires for a better life, more fulfilled.
Excellent!
This made The Dime Session! http://blog.bhyphen.com/2014/04/the-dime-session-4714.html
Stunning and poignant; I loved the flow of the story as well, how the past and present were shown in the VHS and the DVD!!! :))) One of my new favorites.
Also: HEEEEEEERE’S JOHNNY!
I love your work!!!! Thank you!!
I liked your old stuff a bit more. The quotes were by a bit more inspirational folks e.g. Teddy Roosevelt, Emerson, Gandhi etc. but I know this comment is wasted as you’ll probably read this as a “troll” comment as you seem to think all criticism is just someone being a troll.
Beautiful and poignant ! Thank you !
Damn awesome stuff. Never knew about this answer. His philosophy is very similar to what Viktor Frankl talks about in “Man’s Search for Meaning.”
Which by the way was written by a guy who survived the holocaust and used his background in philosophy to study what was going on around him in the concentration camps.
Thanks for your comics! They get to the deep meaning of life & I enjoy them all very much!
I can only say you have a gift. I open my mail and i know it is going to be good, but man can you put it to paper! In a movie you know they use sound to makr you immerge in the feeling they want you to have…but you can get my skin crawl without sound. Just the consistent scenes that are familiar, yet make you look at everyday different again…
Praise and don’t stop.
this is beautiful
Jesus Christ, Gavin. Do you even know what’s IN those movies?
Real fucking nightmares. Not “I should make a movie about Dad.”
I was depressed with the meaninglessness (compared with the scale of time that our universe works in a whole lifetime of a man is a pale blue dot in the picture of universe anything and everything we do will just decay at the end no matter how great it seems now the time will pass. ) of life i spent last 4 months just killing the time at home… i had enthusiasm for nothing at all. and today i realized that and came hear for some brain food and saw this. It really freed me.
Beautiful and insanely great, Gavin.
Keep up the good work. You are making meaningful difference to many lives with your art.
I just wanted you to know, you’ve changed my life for good.
Keep doing what your heart has being telling you to do; smart, kind and brave hearts are the hardest to quiet down 😉
This is my favorite comic of yours and one of my favorite quotes. It means a lot to me.
The documentary Room 237 is fake.
Gavin, thank you for illustrating this quote by Kubrick, that almost ten years ago turned my life around. I was stuck then, unable to get past the notion that life is meaningless. As Kubrick says earlier in the interview: “Why, he might ask himself, should he bother to write a great symphony, or strive to make a living, or even to love another, when he is no more than a momentary microbe on a dust mote whirling through unimaginable immensity of space?” That was my thinking, until Kubrick’s words calmed me down. I’m now finally a happy man living a meaningful life in a meaningless universe. I’m glad you too were struck by Kubrick’s words and that you are championing them through your excellent work. Thank you.
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Kubrick was a genius. And the guy who made the comic is a genius as well. Wow.
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Gavin,
Wow, just wow…I won’t try to be as eloquent as Avril, but I too have the crying problem regularly. Have enjoyed seeing your original words and art recently, but have missed *this* (even with the crying!) Absolutely wonderful job here!!!
Thanks for sharing your gift –
Abbie
do you plan to make a poster available for this comic? it’s my absolutely favourite quote in the world
Hey existentialism is cool and all, and I love Stanley Kubrick, but I don’t really “feel” this quote. Bill Hicks quote makes more sense, we have to just live the game. We don’t know enough about the universe to say it has purpose or not. These are silly assumptions. A purposeless universe would not have beauty or love or creatures that wonder what the universe is all about, we would be nothing but mindless robots if the universe had no purpose. The comic was very well done, though. Why is the universe considered purposeless if you can’t pray your self out of a situation? That is kinda narcissistic.
Oh, and please do one for this quote, “Well, you see, Aborigines don’t own the land.They belong to it. It’s like their mother. See those rocks? Been standing there for 600 million years. Still be there when you and I are gone. So arguing over who owns them is like two fleas arguing over who owns the dog they live on.” ~Michael J. “Crocodile” Dundee
Or mabey you could do a awesome Tyler Durden quote.
Has anybody thought about what it would be like if the universe was not indifferent? If it favored one thing over the other like we do, what would it be like?
Oh, and please do one for this quote, “Well, you see, Aborigines don’t own the land.They belong to it. It’s like their mother. See those rocks? Been standing there for 600 million years. Still be there when you and I are gone. So arguing over who owns them is like two fleas arguing over who owns the dog they live on.” ~Michael J. “Crocodile” Dundee
Or mabey you could do a awesome Tyler Durden quote.
Kubrick was a genius. And the guy who made the comic is a genius as well. Wow.
Oh, and please do one for this quote, “Well, you see, Aborigines don’t own the land.
do you plan to make a poster available for this comic? it’s my absolutely favourite quote in the world
Kubrick was a genius. And the guy who made the comic is a genius as well. Wow.
NICE POST..
Day before yesterday I lost my maternal grandfather and I am entirely moved after reading a few comics like the one above and Ithaka. I wish I had learned more from him, at the age of 76 he was supporting his own son(my uncle) and this day I feel that I should take up his responsibilities. Though I am still in college, hope that I ‘ll be able to fill in his gap. Thanks GAV.
very great post
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Best Collection of easter images, easter pictures, wallpapers, Photos, easter quotes, happy easter sayings, greetings and wishes for facebook, whatsapp, snapchat and twitter sharing with friends and family
Hal Davis. Very clever!!
Thanks for comic. Nice article
Dealing with death is somethinng quite commonly discussed in the net. We each must handle it in our own way. I turned 90 last February so the problem is somewhat pressing. Some of my poetry and graphics at my website touches on it.Life seems rather short and these days, even life altogether on te planet seems rather fragile. I am still rather healthy so perhaps I may live long enough to do something interesting. Perhaps in another 50 years.
I really love the graphics especially the action scene with the monster.
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Nice Comics
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im enjoying that pretty everyday .thank you
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