1985

26 years old. Eisenkramer days

After a few months Eric quit to take a job at the PR firm Fleishman Hilliard, and the Eisenkramers hired the eccentric art director Maris Cirulis away from his freelance business in Chicago to head the art department. Maris was the first person to really nurture my talent, both conceptually and esthetically, and much of my success, such as it was, I owe to him.

This year I finished my novel "Hard Knocks".

Things started to go a little haywire at Eisenkramer, and after a series of suspicious, motiveless conflicts with Maris, I was fired from Eisenkramer.

Shortly thereafter, Norty and Maris formed their own company, the Idea Department.