Gerard Way Interview: Umbrella Academy 8/14/06

This interview was conducted by editor and all around good guy Scott Allie before San Diego Comic Con 2006. Gerard Way was just finishing final tracking on My Chemical Romance's new album, and days after Gabriel BГЎ had been hired as the interior artist on Gerard's series for Dark Horse, The Umbrella Academy.

SCOTT: When you interned at DC, you were an art student--setting out to be a comics artist, right?

GERARD: Yeah, I went to the School of Visual Arts in New York. My major was Cartooning/Illustration. I then hit the pavement with my portfolio for years before landing a great job, not in comics, but in toy design and animation.

SCOTT: You're an artist: the pitch for Umbrella Academy was pretty densely illustrated--by you. You did an album cover for My Chemical Romance, right? The sketch?

GERARD: I did the album cover for our album Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge. It was actually a sketch to be used as a reference for a photographer, but the head of the art department at Warner liked it so much they wanted to use it as the cover. And I draw on the road extensively. It's something I try and never lose.

SCOTT: Did you consider drawing this book?

GERARD: I did. I realized pretty early on that it would be unrealistic to do so, as much as I am close to it. Writing with a laptop on a tour bus is so much easier than trying to draw. I knew if I drew it I'd never finish it.

SCOTT: How about drawing something really short, like a four-page story in one of The Umbrella Academy comics?

GERARD: I would love to, and I have an idea for an ongoing backup story that is featured every issue. I think it will be pretty wild. I want to show two of the characters, at a very young age, exploring space, told in a very different style from the book, almost serialized and far removed, like an old comic.

SCOTT: If you hadn't brought James Jean to the table, I was gonna ask you to do the covers. Great tactic to avoid hard work, though: bringing in one of the absolute best guys in the industry, and what the hell is your editor gonna say?

GERARD: James doing the covers does a lot for the series. His covers are so striking; they speak volumes about a book. It's why I picked up Fables in the first place, and I'm happy I did because I love that book.

SCOTT: You told me your art was influenced by Richard Case, the artist on Doom Patrol, and I can see that. There were other guys, too, but I forget . . .

GERARD: I tried to fuse a bit of European comics influence into my style right after college. I was actually really inspired by the artist on ZombieWorld: Champion of the Worm [Pat McEown]. Edvin Biukovic is my all-time favorite artist. I was very sad when he passed away. His Grendel Tales are like my bible to draw from, as well as anything Alex Toth has ever done.