Quotes from Paul Dini

Besides, when it came to being colorful we invisible kids learned to carry our colors on the inside. We let those colors out when we did things we loved... drawing, music, acting... those things that defined us and made us glow.

Stories were my passion, whether they were from books, comics or cartoons. I learned them all by heart and was as familiar with the characters as if they were members of my own family.

Hugo Strange's downfall.

I was writing a script about the Joker menacing a regular person who had strayed into his path, and I needed to give him a gang of henchmen to work with him. The idea occurred to me, let's put in a female henchperson, because that seemed like a fun variation on the regular big thug guys.

I look at the Marvel movies and the DC movies and various creators' creations, and I think, you know, that's really pretty cool.

I've always liked the Krampus character, and I've always been fascinated with him, especially the tradition that he was such a part of the holiday season in Europe, in Germany, Austria, northern Italy, various other places.

The Joker is a tremendous vehicle for talented actors. Cesar Romero's was a bubbly, lunatic criminal. Nicholson did him as a vain, preening manipulator. Heath's performance of the Joker was remarkable, too. His was a low-simmering crazy street clown. Joker can be played all these ways, and they're all true.

Everybody looks back on what they studied and what they grew up with.

As far as doing a TV special, I would have to be in control of it. I'd want my own team of animators to work on it.

Mickey Mouse did not stay the little squeaky guy in 'Steamboat Willie.' He went on to have many different versions.

Most female characters have either been the temptress - like a Betty Boop type - or the victim - like an Olive Oil type.

I think you have to serve a lot of masters when you're doing a video game: you're not just telling a linear story or doing something that's all action.

I felt that, with 'Zatanna,' I had a chance to do a story about a strong, driven woman.

You can have villains like the Penguin, who strut around in a tuxedo with an umbrella, and Poison Ivy and all of the fantastic stuff she does, but unless there's a bit of a human in there, and unless there's a credible threat, then Batman himself doesn't work.

A lot of times, female characters - particularly the villains - come off as very one-dimensional. They get the short shrift in that they're only given the snappy comeback, or they're relegated to a very stereotypical role. I want to know what's driving them - that's what's really interesting.

That's the thing about writing for a lot of the villains is that, as a writer, you kind of have to put the best part of your own personality aside and instead focus on whatever little strange quirks you may have in your personality.

Batman is pretty much a self-trained guy. I think it would be fun to do a character like Superman or Captain Marvel or maybe Green Lantern, somebody who's got a completely different resource for fighting crime and fighting villains.