93. CHARLES HANSON TOWNE: Around the corner
Charles Hanson Towne (1877-1949) was an American poet, writer, publisher and editor. I’m sure a lot of you can relate to this poem – I know I did. Although I guess I’m pretty lucky, the friends I had growing up are pretty much still my closest friends today.
UPDATE: Film student Sahel Takal has turned this comic into a fantastic short film! You have to check it out!!
– Thanks to Ricky for submitting this.
– Slap a new Zen Pencils wallpaper on your computer.
Discussion (130) ¬
Real good, only discovered your blog a few days ago and I’ve already been itching to read a new post!
This one, like so many other, made me tear up-I’m still quite young, and I’m more determined than ever now to not forget my friends when I get older. Beautiful.
Man, that one hit right in there. Love this comic! Gotten a lot of good quotes from here.
I got shivers. Brilliant, a great message.
Touching, amazing man. I love your comics.
Gav loved the building in the first panel and the word wrapping. Brilliant.
Wow..this one made me cry!
U made me cry and went on vacation! Damn!!!
I have been reading and rereading your site I love it. Most of your drawing move me, all of them make me think.
This one made me cry.
You have an amazing talent and thank you for letting us witness it.
I had a memorial service for my uncle last week. This one hits home in a big way.
Great reminder, I am getting in touch with my best bud now even though he is not around the corner =)
Thanks for all the good comics and all the amazing quotes mankind has given it’s fellows! Goosebumps every single comic! 🙂
Gav,
Awesome, as always. I know I don’t know you, but this is undoubtedly what you were meant to do.
Keep doing what you’re doing.
Best
Albi
You know a comic is good when it makes you tear up..
I really love this one as well all of your other comics. Keep up the good work, I really appreciate it. 🙂
Brilliant as ever! Enjoy your holiday!
Great, a masterpiece!
This is something I feel every day and I try my best to keep close to the few friends I have. This truly just touched me …well done sir, keep it going. All the best in your endeavors.
you sir deserves a medal
**now walking to go see my dear friends in every corner. …..
can u please make one of william blake’s – tyger tyger burning bright.
it is an amazing poem.
Thanks so much for the kind words. Just made the print available:
http://society6.com/zenpencils/93-AROUND-THE-CORNER
And manly tears will be shed… :'(
It is true! It’s so much true that the simple distance of days can keep friends apart and finally split them with an enormous rift. I’m still in my twenties but I already feel this with my school friends- now that we all went our separate way with college we’ve talked very little.
There are definitely some things that I need to fix in my life.
So So beautiful!!!!
I must say this is pretty sad and I recognized myself here.
After reading this, I immediately contacted a friend who I hadn’t spoken to in a very long time. He replied back shortly after and now we’re meeting up soon. There could’ve been more years separating us but now there isn’t. Thanks for the push to reconnect, Gav. You’re an inspiration, man!
I cried, this is really beautiful and touching.. You did a wonderful job on this one, thank you so much for reminding us how precious friends are..
So amazing.. and the end was chilling.. for it happens with me all the time… tat I plan to call friends up… wish I make a different story..
Cried my eyes out. One of my favourites from you. :’)
It is sad, and yet so strong. Don’t send postcard, just, go.
A couple of other songs/poems on the same topic:
‘Cat’s in the Cradle‘ – Sandy and Harry Chapin
‘Big Yellow Taxi‘ – Joni Mitchell (esp. the chorus: don’t it always seem to go/ that you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone?)
Your comics always make me teary in such a powerful yet inspirational way. I always surf your website every morning before I start the day. I think everybody should, lest they lose track of the important things in life that we always tend to overlook. THANK YOU!
I had a best friend. 7 years ago he moved away and I lost a best friend but I told him that in 6 and a half years, I would see him again and everything would be as it were once when we were the best of friends.
As promised, I left home, country and continent to move hundreds of miles away to see him and he moved somewhere else two months after I arrived. We only meet when he visits because I cannot afford to go where he is because I had spent 25,000 dollars to come here and he accused me of being a bad friend for not visiting him.
I’ve been angry at him for a while now but your comic showed me that maybe I need to make a little more effort to keep the connection alive. Thanks for that.
One of your most poignant powerful yet. Keep inspiring, Gav.
Okay, this gave me massive feels and chickentits on my arms.
Aaahh this is so true, specially for us living in a big city.
I dont know but… every posts leave me with this strange feeling of sadness and yet hope at the same time, this is loaded with a lot of feelings and gives a sensation in the chest
wow…that hurt…! thanks for making me realize it.!
Loved the word wrapping and the final panel,but especially the choice of poem.Way too true for me. Thank you.
Drifting out of touch with good friends is something that’s been on my mind recently. Thank you for another great comic, and a well-needed poke in the ribs. I come back to your site all the time for inspiration and a kick up the bottom. I love what you do.
Awesome
the last panel give me bump
this is indeed the reality of some one’s life
I literally just read all of your comics tonight (Yes all 93 in one go) and wow I’m beyond impressed. I love this site and all of your work. Looking forward to the next one already!
It’s kind of sad that 11 months of my work can be digested in one night … nah just kidding – thanks Eduardo!
Actually Gavin I think that’s the brilliance of it! 🙂 The way you distill some of these things into something that seems effortless (even though I’m sure it’s a truckload of effort and work and time not to mention passion, creativity and talent)…there’s always profound truth in simplicity and genius in what’s simple or as you put it ‘digested in one night’
I love what you do! Big God Bless to you….keep on keeping on :)))
Breath-taking as always, my man! I love it. Made me think about the choices I’ve taken. They’ve cost me quite a few, valuable friends. Thanks for this! Keep it up.
Awesome!
From Colombia, Congratulations!!!! Awesome
This is amazing. Almost made me tear up and think of a few people.
This is dark, really dark, but I liked it. Good work 🙂
Ok, that made my eyes wet. You, sir, have a great taste.
Most of these make me nearly cry. Incredible job.
Wow.
Towne has that right… Thanks, and Thanks to Zen Pencils…
That just made me cry. Wonderful, Touching, heart warming. I’m sobbing.
I come here whenever I need a bit of guidance. I generally let people grow apart from me, but today after seeing this again, it struck a little closer to home, and I called him up.
Thank you.
Guess it makes it more difficult to deal with his dilemma, when what separates you from the people you care about is their horrible attitude. They are difficult people. Difficult people with lots of expectations, so everytime I consider visiting them, calling them, I don’t. And it hurts, cause I know they will die soon. Yet I don’t call, don’t go over, I guess out of fear and selfishness, to not endure their criticisms and venom tongue. Im always waiting for that time when I feel like Im emotionally intelligent enough, to go over and not become defensive and angry at their attitudes and words. When I don’t, sadly I just fall into a dull indifference, and consumed by a feeling of having to leave. Maybe they will die and ill never visit them. Or maybe ill come up with an elaborate execution plan to go visit them, so everything’s structured, and less worrying. These people are burned in my psyque, and oh boy do I get reactive around them. Hard for me, for example, talking to my father. well see.
Man that thing hit up in the corner
It reminds me to stay in touch with old friends before it is too late. Thanks Gav for a wonderful illustration. Kudos to the people behind the video. Great rendition.
Gav,
I recently stumbled on your site and i must say, I have become an addict. your comics have moved me to do things I thought I would never do again like write, sing, dance and live passionately. I believe there is must be a God out there somewhere because your work and talent is absolutely divine.
Keep it up, and thank you.
Much love from the Middle East.
Helpful information. Fortunate enough me personally I uncovered your web site inadvertently, using this program . stunned the key reason why this specific coincidence failed to came to exist sooner! We book marked this.
This is just amazing, touching stuff. So beautifully illustrated and relatable. Beautiful.
I always enjoy reading these comics, but this one I especially love. To start I really enjoy the use/disuse of color. I really like that there were only four colors in the strip, and thought that it really added to the meaning of the story. I don’t always do a good job of staying in touch with people. This comic definitely makes me want to work harder to keep in contact with people. I thought the way that you portrayed the emotions of the story was really nice. I especially liked the pictures that you added in without the captions of the poem. They added more depth to the story and generated a further attachment to the friendship in the story. I have to say that my favorite part was the way you drew ‘around the corner… yet miles away’ showing how they are drifting apart, even though they are so close to each other. Moving in different directions not only in the picture, but also in their lives. I had read the poem before I saw this zen pencil, and this post definitely increased my understanding and appreciation for it.
Thank You!
Man, that one hit right in there. Love this comic! Gotten a lot of good quotes from here.
A best friend is the best thing that god may give you.
This hit hard. Time to send some mails out.
Wow, thanks!
Your comics always make me teary in such a powerful yet inspirational way. I always surf your website every morning before I start the day. I think everybody should, lest they lose track of the important things in life that we always tend to overlook. THANK YOU!
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This is awesome substance for your readers. I realize something harder on unmistakable web journals ordinary.
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I lost a friend of mine, he ODed on some substance. I was told he was not in good mental shape. I was gone then, out of the city, completely unaware. Now when I think of it, i don’t even remember what his last words to me were.
I never cried for him, I was stone cold. But today Gav, your work made me cry.
I miss him
Your work is very good and I appreciate you and hopping for some more informative posts.
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Gav, it must be amazing to know that your work makes people laugh and cry, touches and inspires them. I very much enjoy your work. Thank you
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Any fool can count the seeds in an apple. Only God can count all the apples in one seed.
Do not put statements in the negative form.
And don’t start sentences with a conjunction.
If you reread your work, you will find on rereading that a
great deal of repetition can be avoided by rereading and editing.
Never use a long word when a diminutive one will do.
Unqualified superlatives are the worst of all.
De-accession euphemisms.
If any word is improper at the end of a sentence, a linking verb is.
Avoid trendy locutions that sound flaky.
Last, but not least, avoid clichés like the plague.
Children have more need of models than of critics.
Thank you Gavin for your “CHARLES HANSON TOWNE: Around the corner” comic post
http://vuelosdelalma.blogspot.com/2013/11/kampung-inggris-pare-kediri.html
This is a great poem of friendship! Saw some changes one time and was floored! It has been removed and very happy to know so.
The distance between insanity and genius is measured only by success. Bruce Feirstein
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This comic is very expressive