With his friends, he would make up imaginary worlds, and draw them. When he was only four, he submitted work to Highlights magazine, and this is when his artwork was first showcased. Influential early childhood books included The Color Kittens, and The Tawny Scrawny Lion.
He engaged in imaginative play with friends, drawing the worlds they created. His early childhood was marked by the publication of his artwork in "Highlights magazine" at age four. The books that influenced him were "The Color Kittens" and "The Tawny Scrawny Lion."