When you live from freelance check to freelance check, your mind is always on What's the next piece I'm going to write, or draw, that'll pay this month's rent? And so going out to play ball with my kids was a low priority.

When I had independence, it was a constant battle within me to figure out when am I on my own. And also the insecurity that my life engendered, especially as a freelance cartoonist, kept me in a constant state of anxiety as to whether I am going to be able to meet my financial obligations.

I guess if people all followed the basic principles of their own religions, they would love everybody instead of hating half the world.

I don't have anything against organized religions, except when they engender hatred for other religions. A lot of that we see today, where the Muslims are against the Christians and the Christians are against Jews and the Jews are against Arabs - I mean, it just it goes on and on and on.

Almost every cartoonist, when he's sitting down to draw a funny face, if you watch him closely, his mouth is gonna curl to the expression that he's drawing. But when I would write a story - I know it's going to sound almost ridiculous and infantile - I would, in a way, start living it.

Book dedication To myself, without whose inspired and tireless efforts this book would not have been possible.