Given how many books/screenplays/short stories he’s got under his belt, it’s no surprise he started early. Back then, he was copy panels out of comic books, and making up his own stories to go with them. Anytime he was home from school, he was writing stories to pass the time.

He also loved movies, and remembered going to Radio City Music hall to see Bambi and the visual imagery and tragedy of the tale, shaped his flair for writing visually.

According to his memoir, his first official published story was called “In a Half-World of Terror.”