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I consider myself lucky. I love illustration and I get to do it for a living. I was born in Pittsburgh back in the early 50's when Pittsburgh steel was king. The large blue collar population was solidly middle class and mostly optimistic about the future. The early TV I watched reflected that optimism. I was a big Roy Rogers and Hopalong Cassidy fan and I thought I'd grow up to be a singing cowboy. As it turns out, I'm not even that comfortable riding a horse, but I still love Roy and Hoppy.
I grew up in one of those middle class homes in a middle class neighborhood... our house a bit nicer, more contemporary maybe because my father built it himself. He was a contractor and one of the most patient and non-judgemental men I would ever know. When I was 5 he taught me how to draw WWII fighter planes in perspective so I could create my own dogfights on paper. A carpenter by trade, Dad taught me how to use tools skillfully and respectfully. As part of my worldly education he regularly took me to stainless steel diners, invited me to watch the Friday night fights with him and taught me how to impersonate Groucho Marx, James Cagney, Edward G. Robinson and Humphrey Bogart. Though he was an incredible craftsman in his own right, he always longed to be an actor. He loved Alan Ladd, John Garfield, Bob Mitchum and Bogart and his love of the movies became mine. Pop was my idol. That's him on the left there with me and my younger sister on his lap. He taught by example and his influence on me was immeasurable. |
