Laurie's first taste of the comic world began when she received a "packing crate full of comic books" for Christmas. She was a fan of Lois Lane, World's Finest Comics, the Legion of Super-Heroes and Aquaman. Laurie's next love was for science fiction, which she became enthralled in when she received the book Stranger in a Strange Land. Laurie also enjoys stories related to the fantasy worlds of swords and sorcery. In 1975, she graduated from Sarah Lawrence with a degree in Writing and Art. In Japan, Laurie had a job working for the Comic Code Authority, then she was working for DC Comics as a proofreader and Joe Orlando's assistant.