Quotessence
Home / Authors / Brian Michael Bendis Books
Brian Michael Bendis

Brian Michael Bendis Books

Comic Book Writer

Related Quotes

“If you loved everything you were writing, you would be deluding yourself or a complete and absolute narcissist. It's not about liking what you write, it's about improving with every word, little by little, exploring your craft, becoming the artist you hope to be one day. And you can only do that by working at it every day. It doesn't happen overnight, it doesn't happen over a weekend, it is a lifelong pursuit.”

IfsWritingLittlesBookHappensWould BeArtistBecomingOne DayAbsolutesPursuitCraftsComicWeekendComic BookExploringImprovingLifelongNarcissist
Author:Brian Michael Bendis
Create image

“I see this with experienced writers, too: They worry so much about the plot that they lose sight of the characters. They lose sight of why they are telling the story. They don't let the characters actually speak. Characters will start to dictate the story in sometimes surprising, emotional, and funny ways. If the writers are not open to those surprises, they're going to strangle the life, spark, or spirit out of their work.”

IfsWayBookSometimesCharacterStoriesSpiritSpeakLosesWorryEmotionalSightSurpriseComicPlotSparksSurprisingComic Book
Author:Brian Michael Bendis
Create image

“Well it's been about 100 years and every attempt at a comics writers' union has failed miserably. There is, sadly, a long history of short-term thinking and self-destructive behavior among my fellow comic book creators. No matter how many horror stories they have heard they won't even go so far as to hire themselves a lawyer when they need it. It breaks my heart. I am a very proud union member of the Writers Guild. And I can't imagine my fellow comic creators being able to pull something like this together.”

ThinkingNeedsYearsWellsHeartLongI CanBookSelfMatterStoriesAbleTogetherTermBreakImagineHeardProudMy HeartHorrorMembersBehaviorFellowsUnionsCreatorLawyerComicDestructiveComic BookShort TermSelf DestructiveBreaking My HeartHorror StoriesGuildsSelf Destructive BehaviorDestructive BehaviorShort Term Thinking
Author:Brian Michael Bendis
Create image

“One of the things I like to do is people's hearts are on their sleeve, whether it's a good or a bad heart. And I think that's one of the things living in a world with Powers would do: it's too theatrical not to express yourself constantly. It would change them socially and sexually, everything would be altered because of superheroes.”

PeopleThinkingWorldHeartWould BeSuperheroSleevesExpress YourselfAlteredSexuallyTheatricalBad Heart
Author:Brian Michael Bendis
Create image

“It also helps that what Dan Slott is doing with Peter Parker in the comics has elevated him to something else, so that Miles Morales at the moment is the more traditional Spider-Man figure in the universe: the high school student trying to balance high school and superheroics, and he can't catch a break. That was Peter's role, but it's not his role anymore, and it's Miles' role. That was given to me, and it's pretty cool.”

MenTryingMomentsHelpingSchoolUniverseGivenRolesBreakFiguresStudentsBalanceHigh SchoolMilesTraditionalPeterSpidersMoraleSpider ManHigh School StudentsPeter Parker
Author:Brian Michael Bendis
Create image

“I was on the set of the first Powers pilot, and an actor of color came up to me and said, "When I was a kid, my friends wouldn't let me play Batman or Superman, because I wasn't their color. But they would let me play Spider-Man. And that's the difference." And I realized I had heard this story a hundred times from different people, but I wasn't there in my head yet.”

PeopleMenFirstsSaidDifferentPlayStoriesKidsActorsDifferencesHeardColorHundredMy FriendsLet MeI RealizedPilotsSpidersDifferent PeoplesSpider Man
Author:Brian Michael Bendis
Create image

“I obviously love those characters ['The Avengers'] with my whole heart. I was on a one-man "Luke Cage is cool" campaign for most of the Aughts. When we announced the New Avengers line-up, and Luke Cage and Spider-Woman were there, a lot of fans went, "WHAT?!?!?! Bulls--t!" And I had to prove myself. They were right: I can't just announce they're cool. What's less cool than that? I have to show that they're cool! But this is way farther than I ever thought it would go.”

MenWayHeartI CanWholeCharacterShowsLinesFansProveCampaignsOne ManCagesSpidersBullsLukeAvengersProve Myself
Author:Brian Michael Bendis
Create image

“The other cool thing is, even with Jessica [Johnson], or Daredevil, I had taken a break from those characters for a while in the comics, so I can enjoy the shows without the agita. I completely love the Daredevil show. I feel no physical connection to it, because it was 10 years ago since I wrote that comic, so I can just enjoy it. And when people connect it in a positive way to me, I go, "Well, that's very f - king flattering!"”

PeopleWayFeelsYearsWellsI CanCharacterShowsEnjoyBreakTakenKingsYears AgoConnectionsComicJohnsonFlatteringCool ThingsJessicaDaredevil
Author:Brian Michael Bendis
Create image

“Jeph (Loeb) will call me with updates, and I'll go, "Are you f--king with me?" I never saw this coming, and certainly never saw it coming while I was still coherent and in the game. That's the difference between me and the previous generations. (Legendary X-Men writer) Chris Claremont had to wait decades before his s - t was on the screen.”

MenStillsGamesWaitingDifferencesSawsGenerationsKingsDecadesScreensCall MeLegendaryX MenUpdatesPrevious Generations
Author:Brian Michael Bendis
Create image

“I was there when Sam Raimi showed Stan Lee the first cut of the first Spider-Man movie. I was on a couch next to Stan, watching how special effects had finally caught up to his imagination. It was insane. And I'm thinking, "He had to wait until he was 80 years old for that to happen." When they announced 'Powers' and 'Jessica Jones,' I thought, "Oh, that's nice!"”

ThinkingMenYearsFirstsHappensNextWaitingImaginationNiceCuttingSpecialEffectsCaughtInsaneCaught UpSpidersCouchesSpecial EffectsJessicaSpider ManJessica JonesSpider Man Movie
Author:Brian Michael Bendis
Create image

“I didn't know why I was coming to this room. Someone just told me to go to Sam Raimi's office. I knew that I uniquely had the comics version of his job, which was to take Spider-Man and put him into the modern day. But I thought, "Maybe he wants to tell me to cut it out." So I come in, it's in his office, and then Stan Lee comes in, and I'd only ever met Stan as a fan, not as a professional. And then they sit us down on a couch, and roll in an AV cart with a TV on it and go, "We're going to show you the first cut of Spider-Man."”

KnowsMenWantFirstsShowsJobsRoomsCuttingFansModernTvsMetsOfficeVersionsSpidersCouchesCartsModern DaySpider Man
Author:Brian Michael Bendis
Create image

“I couldn't take my eyes off of Stan [Lee]! As good as the movie is, all I could think about is, "What's he thinking?" So the movie ended, and then he, very whimsically, expressed all of his feelings about how long he waited, and how the TV shows in the '70s were all, "If only they could do this," and now they could. And he didn't get choked up and blubbery, but he was moved. Like, "Ohmigod, it happened while I was alive." And I can't believe I got to see that. He was very raw. It was quite beautiful.”

IfsThinkingBelieveLongI CanShowsFeelingsEyeBeautifulAliveHappenedTvsMovedTv Shows
Author:Brian Michael Bendis
Create image

“It was a very excellent day over there at HBO/Cinemax when they bought 'Powers' . I felt like I graduated television college, because they make amazing television. The person who said yes to Veep said yes to us, which made me feel very good about myself for five seconds. Which my self-loathing doesn't usually allow me to feel. Even I could not say that that wasn't a fun day.”

FeelsPersonsMadeSaidSelfFunFeltFiveTelevisionCollegeVery GoodExcellentSecondsLoathingSelf LoathingHboFun Day
Author:Brian Michael Bendis
Create image

“You find there's no magic trick, sometimes in the shower, sometimes you're just lying in bed calm, sometimes you're just enjoying life and just have a notepad, it's never far away. Always have a notepad on you, because you never know what's going to happen, take a moment and write it down the minute that comes in your head. Even if you can't deal with it until later, I've had that experience where I was in a wedding party and I'm on stage, I'm like, "I hope I don't forget this, something just occurred to me."”

WritingSometimesMomentsLyingEnjoyForgetPartyMagicCalmFar AwayEnjoy Life
Author:Brian Michael Bendis
Create image