While I have never been a regular churchgoer, I'm anything but immune to the power and the majesty of the religious experience.

The Christmas parties were orgies of drinking and singing and groping and pawing. Cartoon staffers invested their own money in preparatory liquor.

I never got tired of Tom and Jerry, but I did have a dream of doing more with my life than making cartoons.

In those days, boxing was very glamorous and romantic. You listened to fights on the radio, and a good announcer made it seem like a contest between gladiators.

Despite the rejection, and in violation of all the rules, I came back year after year.

After I had done a handful of cartoons I was satisfied with, I started submitting them to the magazines.

Making cartoons means very hard work at every step of the way, but creating a successful cartoon character is the hardest work of all.