ay kin ▁moved ▁with ▁his ▁now ▁divor ced ▁mother ▁to ▁the ▁K ew ▁Gard ens ▁section ▁of ▁Queens . ▁He ▁said ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁he ▁was ▁raised ▁on ▁w elf are ▁after ▁his ▁parents ▁separated ▁and ▁that ▁his ▁absent ▁bi ological ▁father ▁eventually ▁was ▁declared ▁dead , ▁although ▁Ch ay kin , ▁as ▁an ▁adult , ▁located ▁him ▁alive . ▁Ch ay kin ' s ▁" nut ty ▁and ▁cruel " ▁adopt ive ▁father , ▁whom ▁Ch ay kin ▁until ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s ▁believed ▁was ▁his ▁natural ▁father , ▁encourag ed ▁Ch ay kin ' s ▁interest ▁in ▁drawing ▁and ▁bought ▁him ▁sketch books . ▁▁ ▁He ▁was ▁introduced ▁to ▁com ics ▁by ▁his ▁cousin , ▁who ▁gave ▁him ▁a ▁re fr iger ator ▁box ▁filled ▁with ▁them . ▁He ▁graduated ▁from ▁J ama ica ▁High ▁School ▁at ▁ 1 6 , ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 7 , ▁and ▁in ▁mid - 1 9 6 8 ▁worked ▁at ▁Z en ith ▁Press . ▁He ▁attended ▁Columbia ▁College ▁in ▁Chicago ▁that ▁fall , ▁but ▁left ▁school ▁and ▁returned ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁the ▁following ▁year . ▁Ch ay kin ▁said ▁that ▁after ▁high ▁school , ▁" I ▁h itch h ik ed ▁around ▁the ▁country " ▁before ▁becoming , ▁at ▁ 1 9 , ▁a ▁" go fer " ▁for ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁City - based ▁com ic ▁book ▁artist ▁Gil ▁K ane , ▁whom ▁he ▁would ▁name ▁as ▁his ▁greatest ▁influence . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁Ch