He means "think outside of the box". Another good writer who does the same thing is Alan Moore (even though he´s become a snob). Example: The Swamp thing we all love and know had a very typical origin; One man is covered in chemicals in a fire, takes a swan dive into a swamp, and resurfaces as Swamp Thing, part man part swamp. Alan Moore (when it was his turn to write the character) took the idea further...and turned it all upside down......apparently the man who dived into the swamp really did die...but the thing that thought it was a man, was actually the swamp, which got imprinted on the psychic patterns of the dying man. It´s destiny...to become a plant elemental, a guardian for "The Green" on Earth. He did the same for all Superman/Captain Marvel characters out there in comicdom with his comic "Miracleman" (which is by far the best metahuman fiction ever told).
