Lloyd Norman Rognan was born of Norwegian parents in Chicago on June 14, 1923, eighteen years before America's entry into World War II. According to his biography, Lloyd did all of the classic things that boys would do growing up in the 1930's: movies, Tom Mix and other personalities on the radio, baseball, fights and later, girls. And all the while he sketched and drew and dreamed of being an artist.

His early inclinations were toward illustration. In high school, Lloyd illustrated the covers for the school play's printed program, and was in charge of the artistic design for his school's yearbook. Even then he was a perfectionist in his work.

For his last two years of high school, he transferred to Lane Tech,...