You’ve said that you started watching The Twilight Zone later in life. What drew you to the show? Did you have any idea that such a project would emerge from it?

No, I didn’t realize that it would lead to such a big project. I discovered The Twilight Zone when it first became available to stream on Netflix (I grew up in Israel, where the show never aired). When I watched the episodes, I felt a strong connection to the material and visuals and felt the show was way ahead of its time. I was also curious about the enigmatic host and creator, who would sometimes introduce the show with an eternally lit cigarette in hand. Once I started reading about Serling’s life, I realized that there’s a lot of potential here, and it would make for good material for a nonfiction biography.

How long did it take to write the book?

It took about six to eight months to write the script and another year to draw the book. I was mostly using books, biographies and interviews as my reference.

How was Serlingfest? Are there any highlights you'd like to share?

It was great! The crowd was super enthusiastic. I was happy to go there since I read about his hometown during my research, and there’s even a Twilight Zone episode that is basically set in Binghamton (although he renames it in the episode). It's called “Walking Distance” and is maybe Serling’s most biographical episode. I got to see the Rod Serling Gazebo and the carousel, which is referred to in that episode.

Do you feel that you relate to Rod Serling in certain ways—for instance, as a visual storyteller? If so, do you think that influenced your writing of the book?

I can definitely relate to some of the things Serling struggled with, especially how hard it is to create something authentic without it being ruined on the way out to the world. That being said, he was in a very different medium where the stakes were bigger and there were a lot more people involved. With comics you have less people telling you what to do.

Have you heard from Rod Serling’s family about your book?

I met Rod’s daughters during my visit to Binghamton and they were both super nice. I gave them copies of the book and hope they enjoy it. I think it’s mostly a favorable view of Serling and I mostly focused on his career and not so much on his personal life in this biography.

Who are your greatest influences?

As far as comics go, I love Moebius, Blutch and Robert Crumb, to name a few.

What is the most important lesson you try to teach your students at SVA? As an alumnus turned faculty member, do you carry lessons you learned as a student into your teaching style?

I teach a class called Pictorial Problems, which is the main illustration class for juniors. I try to be as honest as possible with my students and prepare them mentally for the world outside, which is a lot harsher than the warm SVA bubble. I urge them to use reference a lot, since a lot of students think they can make everything up from their head, but they are not at that place yet. I think studying at SVA really helped me in my teaching—I can channel some of the ideas I absorbed back when I was a student into my current classes.

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