Tuesday, August 7, 2012


70. CHRISTOPHER McCANDLESS: Into the wild
 
2012-08-06 18:54:47-04
Click the cartoon to view it in your browser (they look better)
70. CHRISTOPHER McCANDLESS: Into the wild
Christopher McCandless (aka Alexander Supertramp, 1968-1992) was a young American adventurer who was so disillusioned with the materialistic society he had grown up in that he tried to find meaning in life through adventure, solitude and surviving in the wild. He began going on extended trips after high school, surviving on little equipment or money. His dream of finding self-discovery and fulfilment culminated when he travelled to the Alaskan wilderness where he foraged for food, read, wrote in a journal and slept in an abandoned bus. After living in the bus for over three months he died of starvation. His story was documented in the book and subsequent filmInto the Wild.
McCandless has become a hero to many and the abandoned bus in Alaska is now a tourist attraction and shrine to his many admirers. I definitely admire his ideals and share some of his beliefs about the emptiness of today’s materialistic culture (he says as he types this on a shiny computer and listens to an iPod). And the fact that he had the courage to actually give up on society and live a nomadic life in search for self-discovery is so inspiring and something I would never have the balls to do. But I also agree with those who criticise McCandless for the way he so carelessly threw his life away. He was unprepared, lacked any survival skills, had no knowledge of the area, ignored the advice of locals and didn’t even carry a compass. Think of all the different countries he could have travelled to, the different experiences he might have had and the endlessly changing horizons he has missed. Imagine the new and different suns he could have witnessed if he were alive today. It’s a sad story and a waste of a young man’s life.
As for the comic, I was going to do a straight adaptation and end it without that last panel that kind of changes the whole tone of the piece. But then I figured who the hell am I to preach about living an adventurous life when I’ve been holed up in my bunker drawing comics in my pyjamas for the past six months? That would have been a tad hypocritical of me. Anyway, part of this whole Zen Pencils deal was that it would enable me to travel more since I can work from anywhere and that’s still something I’m trying to make happen.
- What’s your opinion on Christopher McCandless, idealistic hero or reckless fool?
- Thanks to Cole for submitting this quote.

Comment on this post:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/zenpencils/~3/6ULagF0UKZA/
ZEN PENCILS
by Gavin Aung Than
PO Box 620, North Melbourne VIC 3051 


To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:
http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?TIzsLOyMbLSszCyMTGzsnLRGtIysTCyMrEws

Guns Save Lives

Link to Guns Save Lives


Posted: 06 Aug 2012 01:26 PM PDT
A resident in Oakland’s Chinatown district called police to report shooting an armed intruder in their home. This took place just two blocks from Oakland police headquarters (apparently that wasn’t very much discouragement for these criminals). Police say there may have been two other suspects that fled the scene. The name of the suspect has [...] Related posts:


Posted: 05 Aug 2012 06:30 AM PDT
A resident of Plano, TX heard someone trying to break into his apartment in the middle of the night. The resident was fearful for his safety and retrieved a gun. When the home invader finally did gain access to the apartment the resident shot the would be intruder as he tried to run up the [...] Related posts:


Posted: 04 Aug 2012 05:03 PM PDT
This is a pretty amazing story. An armed private citizen assisted a police officer who was pinned down by the gunfire of a madman who had just killed 3 people and could have killed many more. Amazingly the concerned citizen, Vic Stacy, did so by taking a shot of 150+ yards using only a pistol. [...] Related posts:


Posted: 04 Aug 2012 12:50 PM PDT
A WA homeowner arrived home to find an unidentified car in his drive way. When he entered the home he found a man and woman in his bedroom. The homeowner drew a gun and held both intruders at gun point while he attempted to call 911. While he was dialing the phone the male intruder [...] Related posts:


Posted: 03 Aug 2012 09:44 AM PDT
When a FL man tried to break into a home, he was greeted by birdshot flying his way. After being shot at, the intruder fled to a neighbor’s home, breaking in to escape the fire of homeowner #1. Unfortunately for him, this was the wrong house. The 68 year old couple physically attacked the intruder [...] Related posts:


POLL: Is Senator Harry Reid lying about his anonymous sources telling him Romney did not pay taxes for ten years.http://links.causes.com/s/clDsTT?r=kypKSee more

Financial Markets, Politics and the New Reality

Financial Markets, Politics and the New Reality

Chicago Values




A disturbing trend
.


The photo below captures a disturbing trend that is beginning to 
affect US wildlife . . . .
     []

Animals that were formerly self-sufficient are now showing signs
of belonging to the Democrat Party... as they have apparently
learned to just sit and wait for the government to step in and provide for their care and sustenance.

This photo is of a Democrat black bear in Montana nicknamed . .
Bearack Obearma.




Featured Post

RT @anti_commie32: Keep up the great work!!! https://t.co/FIAnl1hxwG

RT @anti_commie32: Keep up the great work!!! https://t.co/FIAnl1hxwG — Joseph Moran (@JMM7156) May 2, 2023 from Twitter https://twitter....