Steve Jobs studied Buddhism and some of his beliefs translated to the aesthetics of Apple products. A documentary about this period in his life has inspired an 80 page graphic novel, The Zen of Steve Jobs, produced by Forbes and JESS3. Author Caleb Melby reimagines the story of Jobs’ relationship with Zen Buddhist priest Kobun Chino Otogawa.
Kobun was a Zen Buddhist priest who emigrated to the U.S. from Japan in the early 1970s. He was an innovator, lacked appreciation for rules and was passionate about art and design. Kobun was to Buddhism as Jobs was to the computer business: a renegade and maverick. It wasn’t long before the two became friends–a relationship that was not built to last.
This graphic book is a reimagining of that friendship. The story moves back and forward in time, from the 1970s to 2011, but centers on the period after Jobs’ exile from Apple in 1985 when he took up intensive study with Kobun. Their time together was integral to the big leaps that Apple took later on with its product design and business strategy.
Told using stripped down dialogue and bold calligraphic panels, The Zen of Steve Jobs explores how Jobs might have honed his design aesthetic via Eastern religion before choosing to identify only what he needs and leave the rest behind.
View a behind-the-scenes short on the graphic novel after the break.
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Toy company Inicons is gearing up to cash in on Steve Jobs legacy by offering a 12″ action figure of the Apple CEO, complete with the obligatory black turtle neck, circular rimless glasses and blue jeans. The intricately detailed figure also includes a pair of black socks, a chair, a backdrop that says “One More Thing” and two apples — one with a bite.
Steve Jobs action figures have appeared before, but Apple’s legal team made quick work of them – we expect that will also be the case with this example.
Check out some additional images after the break.
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Signal Snowboards takes pride in creating strange and unique boards – in fact, they schedule an event called “Every Third Thursday” which is focused on doing exactly that. This time around, they decided to create a custom snowboard with built-in iPad as a tribute to the late Steve Jobs.
In addition to the built-in iPad, the board also sports a beacon that lights up as well as an aluminum base. Check out the video after the break to watch the creative process and the board’s first test in Colorado.
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Only massive Apple fanboys would be up to spending $160 on a Steve Jobs action figure, but some company is stupid enough to produce it anyway (despite the fact that other Steve Jobs action figures and products have been swiftly addressed by Apple’s lawyers).
At any rate, ToyHaven claims that this figure will actually see the light of day at some point, but we highly doubt that it will be available for long—if at all.
(ToyHaven via CrunchGear)
This letter from Sean Connery to Steve Jobs is blowing up Twitter—only it’s a terrible and incredibly obvious fake. Still, the story peddled by scoopertino about an exasperated Sean Connery refusing to take part in an iMac advertising campaign back in the ’90s is fooling a lot of people—even pros that should be hardened to this sort of thing by now.
Because Sean Connery would definitely type a letter on personalized 007 stationary to Steve Jobs proclaiming “You are a computer salesman-I am f*cking JAMES BOND!”
(via Scoopertino)
A man wearing what was described as a “ninja suit” crashed a stolen Honda Accord into an Apple Store in Greensboro North Carolina in the wee hours of Friday morning.
He fled the scene and vanished without a trace—as ninjas are apt to do. However, panic must have set in quickly as he left without stealing anything. Needless to say, this guy must have flunked out of Ninja College when he couldn’t pass his classes in stealth and courage.
(MyFox8 via Geekologie)
This is so perfect. Unfortunately, the Steve Jobs in carbonite iPhone decal has disappeared from society6′s website in the last 24 hours for reasons unknown—though we suspect Apple’s lawyers had something to do with it.
(Society6 via Uncrate)
Gear4 is prepping some Angry Birds cases for the throngs of people that rushed out to pick up the iPad 2 last week.
There will be three cases in all: Red Bird, Family Shot and Pig King vs. Red Bird—all of which should do a better job of protecting your iPad than glass, cement and wood does protecting green pigs.
Unfortunately, the cases will be a bit on the pricey side at £40 or $65 when released. So far, no information has been released about when that release date might be.
(Gear4 via Leetlady)
Yes indeed. The 8-bit Steve Jobs desktop bust we featured a few months ago now has a friend in the form of Steve Wozniak…naturally.
It’s about $14 more expensive than the Jobs bust though—probably because it packs a little more pixels in the whole face region.
Product Page ($139.45 via Gizmodo)
