My Australian cartoonist buddy, Nik Scott, reminded me that Apple’s Steve Jobs was a Buddhist, which makes the many heavenly cartoons that were drawn after his passing rather, erm … off the mark?  That’s Nik’s take in the cartoon at the right.

We often see editorial cartoonists imposing Christian imagery on non-Christians when they die. (After all, only one religion can be right, huh?)  Comedian George Carlin, a famous atheist, found a Christian heaven in many editorial cartoons. When Beatle George Harrison, a Hindu, died, the editorial cartoonists drew dozens of cartoons with George showing up in Christian heaven.

Perhaps it is insensitive to impose your own religion on someone else when they die – but what the heck - readers and editors love it. Among the cartoonists we syndicate, the Jobs Pearly Gates cartoons were the most reprinted.

Cartoon by Randy Bish of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review

Cartoon by Paul Zanetti, Australia

Cartoon by Peter Broelman, Australia

Cartoon by David Fitzsimmons of the Arizona Daily Star

Cartoon by Joep Bertrams, the Netherlands

Cartoon by Patrick Chappatte, the International Herald Tribune