Len Wein

“When I'm my own editor, there's very little difference between the first draft and the final. I write what feels right to begin with. I rarely make any major changes.”

“The bottom line always remains the same: What is the basic humanity of the character? How do I make them resonate with the reader?”

“I think there's something inherently dishonest in trying to go back and mess with the past.”

“There is an ancient legend which warns that, should we ever learn our true origin, our universe will instantly be destroyed.”

“I'm a neurotic New York Jew by birth. Creating characters is second nature to me.”

“Were there stories I wrote along the way that were terrible clinkers? God, yes. But they were all a product of their time, and I did the best I could.”

“When I got my first glimpse of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, my breath caught. In that single instant, he was Wolverine.”

“A true friend is someone who is there for you when he'd rather be anywhere else.”

“In these litigious times, if you're a beginner, it's becoming harder and harder to get your work to the people who might actually be able to hire you.”

“I was a very sickly kid. While I was in the hospital at age 7, my Dad brought me a stack of comic books to keep me occupied. I was hooked.”

“When someone writes to tell me something I've written made them laugh or cry, I've done my job and done it well. The rest is all semantics.”

“I hate the crazy, neurotic characters beyond a certain point.”

“It all depends on which side of the desk you're sitting on.”

“People who were more concerned with themselves and looking good to their readers then they were with the characters sacrificed a series for the sake of a story.”

“I always wanted to fire rays out of my fingertips.”

“Lord of the Rings, I think, is far and away the most brilliantly done stuff.”