Nothing's worse than saying goodbye. It's a little like dying.

The novels have done so well because the drawings are abstract, black-and-white. This adds to the universality of the story. "Persepolis" also has dreamlike moments, and the drawings help maintain cohesion and consistency.

Human beings have a lot of problems identifying themselves with other human beings who don't resemble them exactly. But there's something about drawing that means that anyone can identify to a drawing. I mean, people can identify themselves with Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse.

I almost don't know how to write an email.

You see a picture and you understand perfectly, immediately, the basic thing that's happening. It's probably more accessible because we are in a culture of images. People are used to seeing stories that way. They understand looking at pictures.

Drawing - it's the first language of human beings, before writing, before even talking, before words, human beings was drawing.

I'm a very individualistic person. That is why I don't belong to any political party or anything. I really believe in justice and freedom.