 During Pinkney's youth, his mother encouraged him to develop his skills by enrolling him in art classes, but Pinkney's father didn't consider art a sustainable career until Pinkney grew older.During his early teens, Pinkney worked at a local newspaper stand, where he would pass the time by drawing city life.Pinkney's talent caught the eye of customer and cartoonist John Liney, who worked on the Henry comic strips.