 Mirkin was born and raised in Philadelphia and graduated from Northeast High School in 1973 . His father was a computer engineer until his death in 1960 . Mirkin 's older brother Gary worked as a television engineer for the Philadelphia NBC affiliate , KYW @-@ TV , now a CBS owned @-@ and @-@ operated station . Throughout his childhood , Mirkin had an interest in film , and explored both writing and filming . Mirkin has described himself as a " nerd " and was often in trouble as a child because he was " in another world " . At high school , he felt the teaching was " too slow " and was allowed by his teachers to " skip class two to three days a week . " 
