Ryan North Quotes

Powerful Ryan North for Daily Growth

About Ryan North

Ryan K. North is an accomplished Canadian writer, artist, and humorist known for his unique blend of comedy, storytelling, and interactive fiction. Born on April 13, 1979, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, he grew up in a family that encouraged creativity, which played a significant role in shaping his artistic career. North began his professional writing journey with webcomics. In 2004, he launched "Dinosaur Comic," an ongoing comic strip featuring dinosaurs engaged in philosophical discussions and pop culture references. The comic has been widely acclaimed for its humor and wit. In 2013, North took a significant step with his work on "To Be or Not To Be: That Is the Adventure" - an interactive adaptation of William Shakespeare's "Hamlet." This innovative digital project allowed readers to navigate their own path through the story, making choices that determined the outcome. The project was a massive success and won the Eisner Award for Best Digital Comic or Graphic Novel. North also wrote for Marvel Comics, penning several issues of "Adventure Time" and "Jughead." His work in comics has been characterized by his unique sense of humor, interactive storytelling, and a deep appreciation for the medium's potential to entertain and engage readers. In 2017, North published "How to Invent Everything: A Survival Guide for the Stranded Time Traveler," which became a New York Times bestseller. This humorous guidebook offers instructions on how to create everything from tools and food to technology and civilization, based on the assumption that the reader is stranded in prehistory. Throughout his career, North has proven himself as an innovative storyteller who pushes boundaries and challenges conventions, earning him a devoted fan base and critical acclaim. His work continues to blur the lines between traditional literature, comedy, and interactive media.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Every time you make a choice you are giving a portion of yourself away."

This quote emphasizes that every decision we make involves a sacrifice or surrender, as we commit resources or aspects of ourselves – be it time, energy, beliefs, emotions, or other personal qualities – towards the pursuit or outcome of our choices. The implication is that our actions define us, and by making choices, we shape our identities and experiences over time.

"Comics are for everyone, because everyone is a someone."

This quote emphasizes that comics, as a form of art and entertainment, should be accessible and appealing to all individuals, regardless of their backgrounds or identities. It implies that every person has the capacity and right to enjoy and connect with the stories and characters presented in comics, because everyone is unique and valuable in their own way, making them "someone". The quote serves as a reminder that inclusivity and representation are essential aspects in creating comics for a diverse readership.

"Being good to each other unlocks the doors to joy that are inside all of us."

This quote suggests that acting kindly and compassionately towards others helps to bring out the best in ourselves and others, thus unlocking or revealing inner happiness, contentment, and joy. It emphasizes that fostering good relationships with others can be a powerful catalyst for experiencing and accessing our own potential for joy.

"A story about nothing doesn't have to be boring. A story about everything is just a story about nothing."

This quote suggests that the scope or subject matter of a story does not inherently determine its quality or interest. A story can be engaging regardless of whether it focuses on a specific event (something) or explores broader, universal themes or concepts (everything). Ultimately, what matters is how the story is told and its ability to resonate with readers.

"Life is like a game, and games are for playing. So play life!"

This quote emphasizes that life should be approached with enthusiasm and curiosity, similar to how we engage in games. Just as games provide opportunities for learning, growth, and enjoyment, so too does life. By embracing the spirit of play in our daily lives, we can make the most of every moment, find joy in experiences, and continually discover new possibilities. In essence, Ryan North encourages us to approach life with a sense of adventure, resilience, and openness, maximizing our potential for personal growth and happiness.

I see Jughead as being generally this really rational dude, this anchor of sensibility in a world of boy/girl-crazy friends.

- Ryan North

I See, Being, Really, Sensibility

If you're going to be adapting something across media, you should at least have the moves that people want you to hit and that you want to hit.

- Ryan North

Want, Going, Least, Adapting

As a kid, I loved the idea of alternate possibilities, roads not taken, that sort of thing - and I think seeing the 'Adventure Time' universe rendered by the artists in those stories will scratch that same itch really well.

- Ryan North

Possibilities, Idea, I Think, Scratch

I've said this before, but I think one of the reason so many of the cartoonists I know have become friends is because the Internet is a much more cooperative space.

- Ryan North

Think, Reason, I Think, Cooperative

Social media has been a great change. It's also a great way to disseminate comics and market them.

- Ryan North

Been, Social, Great Way, Disseminate

A huge potential audience, great interaction with your readers, the ability to see what people like and what they don't, the ability to see how people respond to what you're doing in real-time - there's just tons of great stuff that you get by being online.

- Ryan North

Doing, How, Your, Great Stuff

I spent age 6-12 basically thinking about 'Back to the Future' all the time, so I think it's probably had a pretty huge influence on me and the way I think and write.

- Ryan North

Think, Pretty, I Think, Huge Influence

I've never written a novel before, and part of the reason I haven't is I was worried about getting 50,000 words into a book and realizing I'd made a mistake on word three that would mean throwing everything out.

- Ryan North

Reason, Before, Part, Realizing

I believe that a good comic script can succeed despite being drawn badly, but that a bad script can't be saved by good art. Of course, great writing and great illustration makes for a great comic 100 percent of the time.

- Ryan North

Saved, Bad, Badly, Illustration

My first book, 'To Be or Not To Be,' took 'Hamlet' and converted it to the choose-your-own-path format. It was a great fit for a book where you control what happens - a book as game - because the plot of 'Hamlet' is very game-like: get a mission from a ghost to kill the final boss, kill the final boss, and game over. You win.

- Ryan North

Boss, Game, Very, Converted

It's like jazz: You learn the rules to break them - as long as you can break them in a meaningful way.

- Ryan North

Learn, Like, Break, Meaningful Way

There's tons of people doing awesome things with comics online - I'm just one dude!

- Ryan North

People, Doing, Comics, Tons

With 'Machine of Death,' we became the #1 bestselling book on Amazon in a single day.

- Ryan North

Single, Amazon, Became, Single Day

Your worst enemy as a writer - especially one working online a lot of the time - is obscurity.

- Ryan North

Working, Online, Lot, Obscurity

The first mp3 I downloaded, which I guess was illegal, was a symphonic rendering of the Super Mario Brothers 1-1 theme song. It was great. I was like, 'This is blowing MIDI files out of the water. This is the future, right here.'

- Ryan North

Here, Out, Brothers, Theme Song

I am a big proponent of the pal-centric lifestyle.

- Ryan North

I Am, Big, Big Proponent, Proponent

It's actually deeply satisfying to write a story out in full.

- Ryan North

Write, Deeply, Actually, Satisfying

I can see people sharing my comics and talking about them, which is very gratifying.

- Ryan North

Very, Which, Comics, Gratifying

The fun thing about writing a book with multiple paths and multiple endings is you really get to explore the characters and figure out their different fates.

- Ryan North

Explore, Figure, Fun Thing, Endings

In earlier comics, my only priority was telling a joke in the last panel, but now I try to make every panel as interesting as possible, and that normally means at least a li'l joke there.

- Ryan North

Last, Telling, Means, Normally

It's a lot harder for an author that's unpublished to say, 'Hey, here's a new book.' There's nothing of theirs to read, so you don't know what it's going to be like. Kickstarter is great, but you also have to put your work out there whenever you can so you can build a reputation.

- Ryan North

Book, Reputation, Here, Unpublished

There may be this hidden, hate-filled community of online cartoonists, but if there are, I haven't found it yet. We're all generally pretty nice people, it turns out!

- Ryan North

Hidden, Pretty, May, Nice People

'Adventure Time' tells stories where anything can happen, but what happens is. It stars Finn, a boy who fights evil, and Jake, a dog with stretchy powers. Both of them can talk.

- Ryan North

Happen, Stories, Fights, Powers

For me personally, I get to be a cartoonist, because my comic would never survive in print. Maybe one in 100 people would like it, but online, I can gather that one percent all in one place.

- Ryan North

Percent, I Can, Maybe, In Print

You always hope a book's going to be a success. I don't think I've ever written a book thinking, 'This will be bad and no-one will like it!'

- Ryan North

Think, Bad, Always, No-One

Yes, I've won prizes for putting words on a computer.

- Ryan North

Computer, Yes, Putting, Prizes

When I graduated, I sort of went from school to being a cartoonist, and I couldn't draw.

- Ryan North

School, Sort, Being, Graduated

I used to worry that I had a finite supply of ideas, that I should hold on to each of them in case it was the last. But then I talked to other cartoonists, and I realized ideas are cheap; you can have a million ideas. The tricky part is the follow-through: making good ones work, making the best out of the raw material!

- Ryan North

Other, Part, Raw Material, Case

I actually put Jubilee in 'Squirrel Girl.' I made it a priority.

- Ryan North

Squirrel, Made, Actually, Priority

The idea of taking command of your life and doing something that you're not sure if you can do and you're not really sure if you should do it, I think is pretty timeless. We all face those doubts often, if not constantly.

- Ryan North

Doing, Think, Doubts, Timeless

Writing 'Jughead' in general is a pleasure because - and I think a lot of very tall guys can agree with me on this - there was a time in my teenage years where I just ate all the time and never got full.

- Ryan North

I Think, Very, Teenage, Teenage Years

This is why it's hard to talk about winning awards. You can't do it without sounding like a tool.

- Ryan North

Winning, Like, About, Tool

The nice thing with Shakespeare from a modern point of view is that a lot of stuff that was tragic for him can read as comic for us.

- Ryan North

Point Of View, Him, Read, Tragic

Squirrel Girl is basically a Silver Age character in the modern age, and that makes her a fish out of water in a lot of ways. She likes being a superhero. She likes fighting crime. She doesn't sit around brooding in the darkness of her Squirrel Hole trying to figure out new ways to make crime pay.

- Ryan North

Superhero, Around, Brooding, Modern Age

You have to recognize as a creative person that not everyone's going to be into what you're doing.

- Ryan North

Doing, Everyone, Going, Creative Person

The nice thing about Squirrel Girl is that she's smart, and she looks for situations that don't necessarily involve punching people all the time.

- Ryan North

About, Involve, Punching, Nice Thing

I love the idea that if you're going to travel through time, you do it in this insanely dangerous car travelling at 88 miles per hour.

- Ryan North

Love, Through, Travelling, Per

As all C.S. students know, first year is super easy, but second year is when things get harder. At least that's how it was in my experience. And I didn't have to save the planet between classes either. Instead, I went home and studied quietly. I was a party animal.

- Ryan North

Year, Classes, Least, Harder

You can do so much crazy stuff with books that isn't necessarily being done. That's how culture stays alive - by doing new things with it.

- Ryan North

New Things, Doing, New, Being Done

I read all these Marvel wikis, and there are characters that just stand out to you, and you think, 'How is this character not being used? This is crazy.'

- Ryan North

Think, Being, Read, Being Used

The funny thing with Ophelia is that I remembered her being this really cool, awesome female character when I read 'Hamlet' in high school, and when I went back and read it, no, she's not.

- Ryan North

Funny Thing, Read, Hamlet, Female

What I thought would be fun would be Squirrel Girl being this computer science student, working in STEM, because you don't see a lot of characters there, never mind female characters. Also, I studied computer science, so it's not too hard to write.

- Ryan North

Thought, Student, Lot, Female

I think with most things online, if you treat your audience like friends instead of like Impressions and Clickthrough Percentages and Returns On Investment, then you're off to a great start.

- Ryan North

Treat, Think, Audience, Returns

My goal is for a complete collection of 'Squirrel Girl' comics to be equivalent to a C.S. bachelor degree. Now there's a comic that increases in value!

- Ryan North

Goal, Bachelor, Equivalent, Complete

I've always found it funny when people call 'Romeo and Juliet' 'the greatest love story ever told' because - man - it does not work out well for those kids, you know? I'd like to think the greatest love story ever told would at least let them be together for more than a few hours.

- Ryan North

Love, Love Story, Romeo, Juliet

There's a difference between children's literature and all-ages literature. One is written expressly for children. The other is written for everyone, including children. And the difference usually manifests in not talking down to kids.

- Ryan North

Not Talking, Other, Everyone, Expressly

There are so many ways to make a book or comic, but most involve doing something online.

- Ryan North

Doing, Most, Ways, Comic

The great thing about online comics is that this happens naturally, even if you don't advertise.

- Ryan North

Great, About, Comics, Great Thing

It's good to have hobbies.

- Ryan North

Good, Hobbies

I think the best villains are ones that you can look at and say, 'Yeah, he's obviously going about this the wrong way or going too far or whatever, but I can see where he's coming from.' Magneto's a great example of that, and the reason he and Charles Xavier can have such great conversations is that they can both make some good points.

- Ryan North

Reason, Some, I Think, Conversations

I never actually watched 'Teletubbies.' Maybe I missed out.

- Ryan North

Never, Maybe, Actually, Watched

The challenge is to stay true to the characters while also having them be entertaining every day, because it turns out that just watching someone be true to themselves isn't that rad to watch.

- Ryan North

Entertaining, Having, Stay True

You can have an idea that everyone else thinks is dumb, and it's still a good idea.

- Ryan North

Idea, Still, Everyone Else, Thinks

I do actually do good work! And it's hard! And I'm worth it!

- Ryan North

Work, Worth It, Actually, Good Work

It turns out childbirth is really... messy.

- Ryan North

Childbirth, Really, Turns, Messy

I thought there was something inherently interesting in people turning to gold. It's pretty cool.

- Ryan North

Thought, Gold, Pretty, Turning

Being online works really well for any creative work, but especially comics.

- Ryan North

Work, Works, Comics, Online

A shot-down advance doesn't have to mean the end of a relationship, right? You can still be friends, as long as you're not dumb about it.

- Ryan North

Dumb, Still, About, Advance

Librarians are awesome; I don't care who knows it.

- Ryan North

Care, Knows, Who, Awesome

No offense to real jobs, but comics seemed a lot more fun.

- Ryan North

More, Offense, Lot, Seemed

There's only one Squirrel Girl!

- Ryan North

Girl, Only, Squirrel

Sometimes I feel like I must be hinting at this deep well of knowledge when, really, I just skim off the surface.

- Ryan North

Deep, Sometimes, Like, Surface

I believe good writing can save bad art.

- Ryan North

Art, Writing, Bad, Save

I'd hate to be writing 'Adventure Time' comics and not be excited about it.

- Ryan North

Adventure, Writing, Excited, Comics

You can always take on more projects; it just makes your life worse and worse.

- Ryan North

More, Always, Take, Projects

Everything I write should have lasers. That's my #1 rule.

- Ryan North

Everything, Should, I Write, Rule

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