Of course, mothers were very conventional, everything was very conventional. You had to have approval.

There are people that I didn't like, but I saw them suffer and it changed me. I promised myself that I would never tell a lie, never hurt another human being, and I would try to make the world as positive as I could.

Life at best is bittersweet.

I always enjoyed doing monster books. Monster books gave me the opportunity to draw things out of the ordinary. Monster books were a challenge - what kind of monster would fascinate people?

A character to me can't be contrived. I don't like to contrive characters. They have to have an element of truth.

The average politician was crooked. That was my ambition, to be a crooked politician. I'd see them in these restaurants, and they'd all hold these conferences. I'd see politicians who were supposed to be on opposite sides of issues all together at one table.

I'm a happy man because whatever I'm doing, I do for myself and I do a little creating here and there for others, and they work out very well.