The approach to "building" a story with words and phrases is no different than "building" a painting with brushes and pigments.

My advice to writers is: READ! A lot. Then read some more. read, read, read, read!

My "mission", if you can call it that, is to connect with my readers on an emotional level and have them come away with a stronger impression of the basic message in the story I am illustrating.

I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about your books than you do!

My method is subtraction. I use erasers to make the images in my paintings. You really have to see it to fully get it, but it is basically erasing shapes from a background of paint.

Research is always a very necessary part of my process because all of my books to this point have been historical. Time spent in the library adds to one's wealth as a writer or artist.

I like people. Humanity. My family is a part of my work. They contribute throughout the process with critiques, advice, opinions, etc.

I will always be an artist first. I see my writing as an extension of my illustrating.

Boulevards are like people: similar in their youth, they undergo gradual change according to what ferments in them.

As the flesh gets in the way of our ideals, we regulate ourselves unto enslavement and inhumanity.The human spirit then dies and the animal in us returns.

At the last moment she thought, I'm not ready.But she already knew the answer to that.Nobody was ever ready.

I want to come back as me.

A man is not aware of his virtues (if any). Nevertheless, one hopes that they exist.

All the copycat movies were always PG-13 and people said: "Nobody wants violence."

I developed a sense of self before moving to crazy Hollywood, which was really important.

Elvis up in Michigan and maybe out in Mars.

I'm always studying something or trying to learn something, keep myself creatively occupied, because I think that energy can get kind of destructive if it doesn't have somewhere to go.

My mom knows what it's like to keep a dirt floor clean.