I think jazz and comic books are probably the two uniquely American art forms.

I hate the crazy, neurotic characters beyond a certain point.

If a story isn't working, I'm simply unable to finish it. That's what usually tells me something is wrong.

You can read a dozen different textbooks or how-to manuals that will tell you the basic rules of what makes a story - a beginning, a middle, and an end.

Sometimes you're not even sure which of your stories were failures. There are things I've written that I thought were complete catastrophes when I finished with them that have gone on to generate some of my most positive feedback.

I became an art major, took every art class my school had to offer. In college, I majored in Advertising Art and Design.

I'm a neurotic New York Jew by birth. Creating characters is second nature to me.