ay kin ' s ▁earliest ▁work ▁with ▁com ic ▁books ▁was ▁under ▁the ▁tut el age ▁of ▁Gil ▁K ane , ▁whom ▁he ▁would ▁later ▁call ▁his ▁ment or . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 0 , ▁he ▁began ▁publishing ▁his ▁art ▁in ▁com ics ▁and ▁science - f iction ▁f anz ines , ▁sometimes ▁under ▁the ▁pseud onym ▁Eric ▁P ave . ▁ ▁Le aving ▁K ane , ▁he ▁began ▁working ▁as ▁an ▁assistant ▁to ▁com ics ▁artist ▁W ally ▁Wood ▁in ▁the ▁studio ▁he ▁shared ▁with ▁Syd ▁Sh ores ▁and ▁Jack ▁Ab el ▁in ▁Valley ▁Stream , ▁Long ▁Island . ▁He ▁worked ▁there ▁for ▁a ▁" cou ple ▁of ▁months ", ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 1 ▁published ▁his ▁first ▁professional ▁com ics ▁work , ▁for ▁the ▁adult - theme ▁Western ▁feature ▁Sh att uck ▁in ▁the ▁military ▁newspaper ▁ ▁the ▁O verse as ▁Week ly , ▁one ▁of ▁Wood ' s ▁clients . ▁He ▁also ▁" g host ed ▁some ▁stuff " ▁for ▁Gray ▁Mor row : ▁" I ▁pen ci led ▁a ▁Man - Th ing ▁story ▁he ▁did ▁[ for ▁Marvel ▁Comics ' ▁F ear ▁# 1 0 ▁( cover - dated ▁Oct . ▁ 1 9 7 2 ) ], ▁and ▁I ▁pen ci led ▁a ▁thing ▁for ▁[ the ▁magazine ] ▁National ▁Lam po on ▁called ▁" Michael ▁Rock ef eller ▁and ▁the ▁Jung les ▁of ▁New ▁Guinea ." ▁He ▁then ▁app r entic ed ▁under ▁Ne al ▁Adams , ▁working ▁with ▁the ▁artist