 He attended the Walden School, a progressive prep school on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, as well as military school.In 1968, he became the art director of the "New York Free Press" without formal education or credentials because of his leftist leanings, later attending some New York University lectures utilizing his press pass.He met illustrator Brad Holland who convinced him page layouts and type choices mattered, of which Heller was previously unconcerned with.