Few if any teenagers can relate to getting up for school and finding famous comics like Pryor and Williams hanging out in your living room after a hard night of partying. But that's Hollywood.

Oh yeah I was one of the first guys writing comic books I wrote Captain America with guys like Stan Lee who became famous later on with Marvel Comics.

I remember when I was an up-and-coming comic how annoyed I would be when the famous guys would show up and just take everyone's spots.

Comics don't work if the story is all in the text and the images are illustrative. It's hard to have enough faith in the artists to allow them to do their job.

Even in a gleefully negative comic there is optimism although it's slightly hidden: It comes out through a comic character's sheer tenacity. He keeps going and trying to find some sort of fulfillment regardless of his perpetual failure record. That's a form of hope a form of optimism. Really hokey I know but it's true.

When I was a kid I wanted to be serious like Daniel Day-Lewis. No one really dreams of being a comic actor do they? Now I realise how stupid that is - and it's because comic acting isn't taken seriously enough. It's a discipline. You know instantly - either you're funny and getting the laughs or you're not.

I've accentuated the look over the years. As a comic you try something and if it works you go with it and grind it to death.

As a comic you try something and if it works you go with it and grind it to death.

I was very sad to hear of the death of Ronnie Barker who was such a warm friendly and encouraging presence to have when I started in television. He was also a great comic actor to learn from.

I love the comic opportunities that come up in the context of a father-son relationship.