Early years: 1944 born in Los Angeles, CA; influenced by father's jazz gag cartoons entitled The Cat in The Record Changer magazine and Harvey Kurtzman Mad comic books; 1960s attended Pratt Institute; assistant animation photographer at L&L Animation in downtown NYC; leave of absence during sophomore year; joined Norwegian Merchant Marines; worked for Manpower Inc., a warehouse, mental hospital New York Hospital in White Plains, NY and Abbott House girl's orphanage in Irvington, NY; Career: Sunshine Girl comic for underground, psychedelic comic strip in East Village Other; marijuana dealer and post office worker; night school courses and painting lessons with Jacob Lawrence; works with Joel Fabricant; editor of Gothic Blimp Works; 1968 meets Art Spiegelman; moves to San Francisco; creates comics for Gary Arlington's San Francisco Comic Book, Gilbert Shelton's Hydrogen Bomb and Biochemical Warfare Funnies, story for Jack Jackson's Up From The Deep; 1970 marriage ends with Trina; 1972 in Portland, Oregon, with girlfriend, Sally Cruikshank; creates first comic book, Corn Fed Comics; created comics around character named Waldo; Waldo in New York Times-reviewed graphic novel, The Boulevard of Broken Dreams; modeled "Two Jews From Yonkers" after Victorian, 19th century graphic novels; thesis advisor, public speaker, and guest lecturer; Later Projects: collaborative graphic novel with brothers Deitch's Pictorama; updating Sunshine Girl into oral history illustrated story book; The Amazing, Enlightening and Absolutely True Adventures of Kathryn Whaley; Awards: 2004 Ignatz Award nomination; 2007: Inkpot Award recipient.
