--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's a great line by Joss Whedon…" description: "\"There's a great line by Joss Whedon: \"Make it dark, make it grim, make it tough, but then, for the love of God, tell a joke.\" Even for a reader, there'..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2c/declan-shalvey-35438_break_there-s-a-great-line-by-joss-whedon-make_1039899.jpg" --- # There's a great line by Joss Whedon: "Make it dark, make… ![“There's a great line by Joss Whedon: "Make it dark, make it grim, make it tough, but then, for the love of God, tell a joke." Even for a reader, there's only so much punishment they can take. You've got to give them a break here and there.” quote by Declan Shalvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2c/declan-shalvey-35438_break_there-s-a-great-line-by-joss-whedon-make_1039899.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2c/declan-shalvey-35438_break_there-s-a-great-line-by-joss-whedon-make_1039899.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2c/declan-shalvey-35438_break_there-s-a-great-line-by-joss-whedon-make_1039899.jpg) > “There's a great line by Joss Whedon: "Make it dark, make it grim, make it tough, but then, for the love of God, tell a joke." Even for a reader, there's only so much punishment they can take. You've got to give them a break here and there.” [Declan Shalvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-shalvey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Balancing darkness with humor keeps stories engaging; too much gloom overwhelms readers, so relief through jokes is essential **In simple terms:** Mixing grim tone with jokes keeps readers engaged Key Takeaway Add humor to dark narratives for balance Themes storytelling tone balance humor reader fatigue Mood thoughtful balanced Type creative advice When to use this quote - novels - graphic novels - screenplays - live performances Key Concepts narrative pacing emotional contrast comic writing Questions to Reflect On - When does a joke feel out of place? - How can you gauge the right amount of darkness? A Different Perspective Humor may undercut serious moments if misused ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Jokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jokes/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love of god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-of-god/) [Punishment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/punishment/) ## Related quotes > [Make it dark, make it grim, make it tough, but then, for the love of God, tell a joke.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/make-it-dark-make-it-grim-make-it-tough-but-then-for-the-love-of-god/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [I'm very much of the "make it dark, make it grim, make it tough", but then, for the love of God, tell a joke.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/i-m-very-much-of-the-make-it-dark-make-it-grim-make-it-tough-but-then/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [I would love to work with Joss Whedon again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-tudyk/i-would-love-to-work-with-joss-whedon-again/) [Alan Tudyk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-tudyk/) > [Joss Whedon and all the writers of 'Iron Man' and 'Thor' found a way to keep Coulson saying something that keeps you guessing. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clark-gregg/joss-whedon-and-all-the-writers-of-iron-man-and-thor-found-a-way-to/) [Clark Gregg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clark-gregg/) > [Shakespeare is the Joss Whedon of his generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-denisof/shakespeare-is-the-joss-whedon-of-his-generation/) [Alexis Denisof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-denisof/) > [I think Joss Whedon is a genius.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-plec/i-think-joss-whedon-is-a-genius/) [Julie Plec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-plec/) > [You know, comics and movies, even if you take a comic and turn it into a movie, we can't all be Joss Whedon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-smith/you-know-comics-and-movies-even-if-you-take-a-comic-and-turn-it-into/) [Kevin Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-smith/) > [To me, Joss Whedon is a god. I'm just a huge fan of his work; I love his work on TV.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/to-me-joss-whedon-is-a-god-i-m-just-a-huge-fan-of-his-work-i-love-his/) [Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/) > [I'd love to get a chance to talk shop with Joss Whedon. That's pretty high up there on the list.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-d-love-to-get-a-chance-to-talk-shop-with-joss-whedon-that-s-pretty/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [Joss Whedon is the best man on the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cobie-smulders/joss-whedon-is-the-best-man-on-the-planet/) [Cobie Smulders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cobie-smulders/) > [ Darla \[from Buffy The Vampire Slayer\] was where I grew up. For me, Darla was like going to graduate school for acting. I learned… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-benz/darla-from-buffy-the-vampire-slayer-was-where-i-grew-up-for-me-darla/) [Julie Benz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-benz/) > [“My generation, we were kind of raised on the super-cool, “I can handle anything” with a gun in his hand hero. Any situation you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-pascale/my-generation-we-were-kind-of-raised-on-the-super-cool-i-can-handle/) [Amy Pascale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-pascale/) > [Joss Whedon said to me, 'If you think you are taking over the show, you have got another think coming.' He said, 'You are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-marsters/joss-whedon-said-to-me-if-you-think-you-are-taking-over-the-show-you/) [James Marsters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-marsters/) > [You can't embarrass Joss Whedon, he's got no pride! He fully admits it. 'Oh, it's me. I'm little and goofy.' You can't wound his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-fillion/you-can-t-embarrass-joss-whedon-he-s-got-no-pride-he-fully-admits-it/) [Nathan Fillion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-fillion/) > [I've kind of learned this about Joss Whedon. Never say never. I've learned that. I also have another rule about Joss Whedon. Never say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-fillion/i-ve-kind-of-learned-this-about-joss-whedon-never-say-never-i-ve/) [Nathan Fillion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-fillion/) ## More by Declan Shalvey > [You've seen the first issue and what happened in the last page. Some pretty awful stuff. I don't know why I seem to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-shalvey/you-ve-seen-the-first-issue-and-what-happened-in-the-last-page-some/) [Declan Shalvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-shalvey/) > [I personally got to draw a take on a character that I've had in my mind since I was a teenager. That was pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-shalvey/i-personally-got-to-draw-a-take-on-a-character-that-i-ve-had-in-my/) [Declan Shalvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-shalvey/) > [Some guys can do digital things where they make some tricks work, but I work on paper and I work with washes. You can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-shalvey/some-guys-can-do-digital-things-where-they-make-some-tricks-work-but/) [Declan Shalvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-shalvey/) > [There's a page in #2 where I did one of the most interesting pages I've ever drawn. I had to think, "This is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-shalvey/there-s-a-page-in-2-where-i-did-one-of-the-most-interesting-pages-i/) [Declan Shalvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-shalvey/) > [For me, I'm a fan of really dark, depressing stuff. Even something like The Wire, which can be hugely depressing and really serious, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-shalvey/for-me-i-m-a-fan-of-really-dark-depressing-stuff-even-something-like/) [Declan Shalvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-shalvey/) > [Weirdly, I'm not a horror fan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-shalvey/weirdly-i-m-not-a-horror-fan/) [Declan Shalvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-shalvey/) > [Weirdly, I'm not a horror fan, but those kind of horror leanings are something that are very easy for me to get into.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-shalvey/weirdly-i-m-not-a-horror-fan-but-those-kind-of-horror-leanings-are/) [Declan Shalvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-shalvey/) > [For me, I'm a fan of really dark, depressing stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-shalvey/for-me-i-m-a-fan-of-really-dark-depressing-stuff/) [Declan Shalvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-shalvey/) > [I feel like I've been training my entire career for this moment in a lot of ways. So many artists just want to draw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-shalvey/i-feel-like-i-ve-been-training-my-entire-career-for-this-moment-in-a/) [Declan Shalvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-shalvey/) > [That's the type of thing you need to keep in mind when drawing comics. The storytelling. Consider the action and the space available to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-shalvey/that-s-the-type-of-thing-you-need-to-keep-in-mind-when-drawing-comics/) [Declan Shalvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-shalvey/) > [In a way, I'm glad I'm first because I won't have to panic about following anybody other than industry legend John Romita Jr. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-shalvey/in-a-way-i-m-glad-i-m-first-because-i-won-t-have-to-panic-about/) [Declan Shalvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-shalvey/) > [ You get to play with shadow, mood, and tone. And this \[Batman All-Stars\] is such a moody story. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-shalvey/you-get-to-play-with-shadow-mood-and-tone-and-this-batman-all-stars/) [Declan Shalvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-shalvey/) [Explore all 13 Declan Shalvey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-shalvey/) ## More Break quotes > [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. I've taken breaks as the years have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-made-like-five-movies-while-i-was-in-college-i-think-they-just/) [Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/) > [Things are going well in Germany because the economy is booming and as an export-driven nation, we are profiting from the fact that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-schulz/things-are-going-well-in-germany-because-the-economy-is-booming-and/) [Martin Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-schulz/) > [There were songs that we cut out after we chose the name, because 'Praise Break' turned out to be an underlying concept that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-caesar/there-were-songs-that-we-cut-out-after-we-chose-the-name-because/) [Daniel Caesar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-caesar/) > [“He didn't break my heart. No one can break your heart except you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/he-didn-t-break-my-heart-no-one-can-break-your-heart-except-you/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [“She couldn't break the orbit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-schwab/she-couldn-t-break-the-orbit/) [Victoria Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-schwab/) > [Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/your-pain-is-the-breaking-of-the-shell-that-encloses-your/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [Must I go bound while you go free Must I love a manwho doesn't love me Must I be born with so little art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/must-i-go-bound-while-you-go-free-must-i-love-a-manwho-doesn-t-love/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I hadn't worked for a year when I had my Prison Break audition and it was the easiest audition I've ever had. I got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wentworth-miller/i-hadn-t-worked-for-a-year-when-i-had-my-prison-break-audition-and-it/) [Wentworth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wentworth-miller/) > [If you strike upon a thought that baffles you, break off from that entanglement and try another, so shall your wits be fresh to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristophanes/if-you-strike-upon-a-thought-that-baffles-you-break-off-from-that/) [Aristophanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristophanes/) > [“A hole ain’t nothing either, but you can still break your neck in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-donati/a-hole-ain-t-nothing-either-but-you-can-still-break-your-neck-in-it/) [Sara Donati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-donati/) > [“I break things, a lot of things, but I don’t want one of them to be you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/i-break-things-a-lot-of-things-but-i-don-t-want-one-of-them-to-be-you/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [Motor racing's less of a sport these days than a commercial break doing 150 mph.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-dunne/motor-racing-s-less-of-a-sport-these-days-than-a-commercial-break/) Peter Dunne > [Much like teaching art to young art students age 10 to 15 or so on, you have to break it down into bite-sized pieces,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/much-like-teaching-art-to-young-art-students-age-10-to-15-or-so-on/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [The purpose is to be in gratitude forever. Live with applied consciousness, prosperity will break through the walls, flood you with it. You do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh-yogi/the-purpose-is-to-be-in-gratitude-forever-live-with-applied/) [Harbhajan Singh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh-yogi/) > [Never break another man's rice bowl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akio-morita/never-break-another-man-s-rice-bowl/) [Akio Morita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akio-morita/) Browse all 8,188 Break quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There's a great line by Joss Whedon: \"Make it dark, make it grim, make it tough, but then, for the love of God, tell a joke.\" Even for a reader, there's only so much punishment they can take. You've got to give them a break here and there.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Declan Shalvey" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-shalvey/there-s-a-great-line-by-joss-whedon-make-it-dark-make-it-grim-make-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Break" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-shalvey/there-s-a-great-line-by-joss-whedon-make-it-dark-make-it-grim-make-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2c/declan-shalvey-35438_break_there-s-a-great-line-by-joss-whedon-make_1039899.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2c/declan-shalvey-35438_break_there-s-a-great-line-by-joss-whedon-make_1039899.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2c/declan-shalvey-35438_break_there-s-a-great-line-by-joss-whedon-make_1039899.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There's a great line by Joss Whedon: \"Make it dark, make it grim, make it tough, but then, for the love of…” — Declan Shalvey", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Declan Shalvey", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-shalvey/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There's a great line by Joss...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-shalvey/there-s-a-great-line-by-joss-whedon-make-it-dark-make-it-grim-make-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-shalvey/there-s-a-great-line-by-joss-whedon-make-it-dark-make-it-grim-make-it/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```