The artist must bow to the monster of his own imagination.

Imagination creates some big monsters.

I like something where I can really use my imagination and be an active participant in the construction of the monster and usually that's in the world of the supernatural or the world of the fantastic so that's why those kinds of stories about demons and the supernatural appeal to me or maybe I'm really interested in that subject.

To me it's far more efficient to mobilize the imagination. It's far more efficient to hear a creaking step for example than to see the face of a monster which usually looks ridiculous and where you know that the blood is ketchup.

If you read about Mussolini or Stalin or some of these other great monsters of history they were at it all the time that they were getting up in the morning very early. They were physically very active. They didn't eat lunch.

Man as an individual is a genius. But men in the mass form the headless monster a great brutish idiot that goes where prodded.

I sometimes have a horrible fear of turning up a canvas of mine. I'm always afraid of finding a monster in place of the precious jewels I thought I had put there!

The monsters of our childhood do not fade away neither are they ever wholly monstrous. But neither in my experience do we ever reach a plane of detachment regarding our parents however wise and old we may become. To pretend otherwise is to cheat.

I never intended for the Monster Ball to be a religious experience it just became one.

The first novel I wrote was a monster - clocking in at 180 000 words - but it died a death a death it deserved. It was called 'The Gods First Make Mad.' It was a good title but it was the only good thing about the book. I didn't let that put me off.

I pray they will carry on in spite of that dreadful monster prejudice and with patience courage fortitude and perseverance achieve success for themselves.

Anyone can write a story based on the kind of horror where you see a guy in car and then there's the bad guy in the back seat. It's infantile to rely on that for telling a story. That's like going to bed and thinking there's a monster under your bed. It's silly.

In this business until you're known as a monster you're not a star.

It is conventional to call 'monster' any blending of dissonant elements. I call 'monster' every original inexhaustible beauty.

Obscenity which is ever blasphemy against the divine beauty in life is a monster for which the corruption of society forever brings forth new food which it devours in secret.

Anger is the enemy of non-violence and pride is a monster that swallows it up.

I have never had trouble with any actor being able to visualise things. They are amazing. As long as you have your monster head on a long stick so you can hold it up there and you can wave it around and let them see it and explain it to them they are just great.