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My mother had to stop me reading to make me go and get some fresh air. I used to get so annoyed. She actually had to sit on my book because, otherwise, I would find it.

And I finished college because I thought how much it would upset my parents if I didn't.

I didn't want to go to college - I was bored by junior high. So I was in church one day, staring at the stained glass windows and thinking about things, when suddenly I decided that if I could start selling cartoons to magazines, they'd let me quit high school.

My mother tells this story that when I first went to school, I thought I was going to help the teachers. I didn't realise I was going to get educated.

My mother brought us to the library every week, and I read a lot. That's what kept me company. I went from school to school, but there was always reading.

Grades were important in our house. I was reading by two. My mom would sit there and read with me, read with me, read with me. It was wonderful.

My working-class Italian-American parents didn't go to school, there were no books in the house.

I told my mom I would graduate. I owe that much to her and myself.