UMBRELLA ACADEMY Writer And MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE Frontman Gerard Way Discusses The Show And More

UMBRELLA ACADEMY Writer And MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE Frontman Gerard Way Discusses The Show And More

In a recent interview, singer/songwriter/comic writer Gerard Way decided to open up about his personal experience with apocalypse situations and how that affects and inspires his work in music and comics.

By LiteraryJoe - Feb 22, 2019 01:02 AM EST
Filed Under: The Umbrella Academy
Source: Newsweek
Netflix is now operating in a post-Marvel world with the cancellations of Jessica Jones and The Punisher, which in addition to Iron Fist, Luke Cage, and Daredevil, (and The Defenders), officially brings their partnership to an end.

While Marvel has announced the Hulu deal for The Offenders shows Howard the Duck, M.O.D.O.K., Hit-Monkey, and Tigra and Dazzler Show, Netflix has taken the liberty of showing fans that they are still holding strong after the breakup with the release of The Umbrella Academy. It's definitely not a coincidence that this show was released the same weekend that Marvel cancelled the final two shows, but it was a good move for the streaming giant because the series is receiving rave reviews. 

The Umbrella Academy is based on the Dark Horse comic run of the same name illustrated by Gabriel Ba and written by Gerard Way, who is best known for being the singer and frontman of the popular band My Chemical Romance. Now, thanks to Newsweek, we have details on a recent interview in which Way opens up about several topics. First, he discusses how he witnessed 9/11, and how that influences apocalypse themes in his work.

One of the biggest reasons I started My Chemical Romance was because I was one of the people to witness 9/11 in New York City. That felt like the end of the world. It felt like the apocalypse. I was surrounded by hundreds of people on a dock on the Hudson River, and we watched the buildings go down, and there was this wave of human anguish that I’ve never felt before. Since then, I’ve continued to think about what we would do at the end of the world if we knew we only had a little time left. Someone actually pointed out to me that the music video for "Black Parade" also looked a bit like the aftermath of 9/11, and it came out just a day or two after the anniversary.

Many people who have reviewed The Umbrella Academy have raved about how it is unlike normal super hero television shows. So, did Way plan that for his comics as well?

The myth, yeah. I wanted to throw people in the deep end, to skip past the setup and origin stories—you’re just in it. What is it to actually be a superhero? What is it to be part of this family, to be gifted or to be ordinary? I think it’s for people who are bored of superheroes or have no interest in them.

Way has been working on writing the third and fourth volumes of The Umbrella Academy - which will be needed for Netflix before too long, most likely - so the question is, how involved is he in Netflix's show? It seems like he was too stressed and overworked to contribute much to the Netflix adaptation, actually.

Yeah, it’s a big change. I was overloaded from years of on-camera interviews and being on stage and music videos. I kind of got tired of myself. There was just too much me happening, you know? So I withdrew a good deal. I also realized I had a lot to learn, I had a lot of listening to do.

The comic creator goes on to get a bit introspective about how well he knows himself and how it affects his writing.

I know myself pretty well, and I’m just extremely grateful for the life I have. There’s not a day that goes by where I don’t wake up and I’m not thankful to the universe. I feel like in some ways I have figured it out. When I write Umbrella Academy now, there’s a bit more wisdom that comes with it, but there’s also the humility of knowing what I don’t know. I think admitting to yourself that you don’t have it all figured out is a good first step to figuring it out.

What do you think of Way's comments? Are you a fan of the Netflix adaptation? Check out the trailer below!



The Umbrella Academy revolves around a dysfunctional family of adopted sibling superheroes who reunite to solve the mystery of their father's death, and the oncoming threat of the apocalypse.

The Umbrella Academy is available to stream now on Netflix.
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ScaryTerry
ScaryTerry - 2/22/2019, 1:51 AM
This is an excellent show. Fully recommend.
bropous
bropous - 2/22/2019, 9:28 AM
@Reverend - I might have to give it a shot.
MarvelousMarty
MarvelousMarty - 2/22/2019, 1:54 AM
My new number one show. On episode 8 and have loved it.
OptimusGrime
OptimusGrime - 2/22/2019, 3:27 AM
Top G interview right here! Loved the part about "admitting nobody has it truely figured out" and starting from there. Very profound and a good ethos to have in life. We're all thankful for this comic and show! Fricking awesome...
L0RDbuckethead
L0RDbuckethead - 2/22/2019, 3:32 AM
You made a pretty good one there, Gerard. Kudos.

DillonEnnis
DillonEnnis - 2/22/2019, 4:01 AM
If this is at all indicative of post-Marvel Netflix comicbook shows I'm totally on board. Hopefully those shows come back on Hulu with a bigger budget, because watching this show makes me scratch my head at how they couldn't get a dragon into Iron Fist.
aflynn
aflynn - 2/22/2019, 4:19 AM
God I love Umbrella Academy and MCR, please reunite the band and make more music.
Ryan
Ryan - 2/22/2019, 4:47 AM
I still want to read his Batman story he had planned. The art looked really unique.
SuperManes
SuperManes - 2/22/2019, 5:12 AM
Just finished it last night, so good. Honestly didn't want it to end. I am a little unhappy with the ending tho, I just don't care for 'those' endings, the anticipation kills me.
Tasmaniac
Tasmaniac - 2/22/2019, 6:04 AM
Funnily enough I just watched the first episode about an hour ago. Very impressed. Definitely watching the rest. Very soon !
Porkyporg
Porkyporg - 2/22/2019, 6:13 AM
I love this show I want to learn more about these characters
Santanaonfire
Santanaonfire - 2/22/2019, 6:25 AM
Watched episode 1 last night. I had no idea Gerard Wat wrote the comic book! This was cool to find out!
LiteraryJoe
LiteraryJoe - 2/22/2019, 7:54 AM
@Santanaonfire - Yeah, he has a fantastic mind when it comes to art. You should check out the comics!
Manmarvel
Manmarvel - 2/22/2019, 6:17 PM
@Santanaonfire - I knew he was working on a comic book but didnt know it was this one. Been watching it and loving it and very impressed with his work for sure.
Santanaonfire
Santanaonfire - 2/22/2019, 10:02 PM
@literaryjoe I may have to do that!! When that cover of INXS’ son Tear Us Apart came on in episode 4 or 5 (I think it was 4), I may or may not have ordered The Very Best of INXS on a silver record store day vinyl. Lol. I’ve been meaning to pick up some of their stuff and had their first album saved in my vinyl wish list, so I figured it was time! Maybe an Umbrella Academy trade is next!

@Manmarvel - My girlfriend was super stoked when I told her! She loves MCR! I had noticed the “based on the comic book by” in the credits, but missed Way’s name/and or didn’t put it together. Super cool.
LiteraryJoe
LiteraryJoe - 2/23/2019, 2:00 AM
@Santanaonfire - I definitely recommend it, and if you like it, which you will, I'll recommend more series after!
sKeemAn
sKeemAn - 2/22/2019, 7:15 AM
I'm slowly starting to enjoy it. For some reason the show seems a bit off, but I like the characters.
bkmeijer2
bkmeijer2 - 2/22/2019, 7:19 AM
Although each character is pretty much a certain archetype, I really liked how they managed to make it feel fresh while also using both Apocalypse Suite and Dallas aspects. I was a little let down by the last few stories, since I really suspected they were gonna come up with something totally unexpected, but I still very much look forward to next season
BillyBatson1000
BillyBatson1000 - 2/22/2019, 10:35 AM
Really enjoying this show - tho I missed the comic. It has a great tone, and while the budget often doesn't match the scope and scale of its world - it's 'self aware' enough to be winning.
Number5
Number5 - 2/22/2019, 1:00 PM
I haven't finished the series yet, but I gotta say, with the James Gunn firing, they should get the creative staff from this series to work on GOTG Vol. 3. They have a good feel for the outcast/oddball hero and the family dynamic that made those films work so well. Not to mention the music in the series really adds to the show in the same way that music is a huge part of the GOTG movies. Feige make it so!
blackandyellow
blackandyellow - 2/22/2019, 3:28 PM
I really liked the show except for the last episode.
LiteraryJoe
LiteraryJoe - 2/22/2019, 9:30 PM
@Number5 - This is the type of out of the box director calling we need. It's how the Russos' came to marvel - from the paintball episodes of community!
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