 Spiegelman acknowledges Franz Kafka as an early influence , whom he says he has read since the age of 12 , and lists Vladimir Nabokov , William Faulkner , Gertrude Stein among the writers whose work " stayed with " him . He cites non @-@ narrative avant @-@ garde filmmakers from whom he has drawn heavily , including Ken Jacobs , Stan Brakhage , and Ernie Gehr , and other filmmakers such as Charlie Chaplin and the makers of The Twilight Zone . 
