EVENT: GRANT MORRISON WITH GERARD WAY at GRAPIC in October (Sydney, Aus)

05 October 2013
Venue: Concert Hall  View Seat Map
Presented by: Sydney Opera House

Australian Premiere, Exclusive to Sydney
Comic genius and Batman: Arkham Asylum creator, Grant Morrison, joins former My Chemical Romance frontman turned award-winning comic, Gerard Way, in conversation. 

Description

Prepare for the rock and graphic universes to collide in this GRAPHIC exclusive - a comic book highlight featuring the former My Chemical Romance frontman and Umbrella Academy creator in conversation with the visionary writer behind The Invisibles and Batman: Arkham Asylum.

Combining the biggest rock star of comic writing with the biggest comic writing rock star on earth, this event is not to be missed by any self respecting comic reader, rock fan, or earthling! The visionary creator behind The Invisibles, Batman: Arkham Asylum, New X-Men, All-Star Superman and the upcoming DC project Multiversity, Grant Morrison, joins forces with the Eisner-winning creator of The Umbrella Academy and former My Chemical Romance front man Gerard Way in an in-depth conversation of rock 'n' roll proportions!

ARTICLE: Gerard Way To Release Details About Next Project

Former My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way plans to release details about his next project some time next week. The singer and artist tweeted, “I’m hoping next week I can tell you what I’m up to next, well, like part of it…”

Way hasn’t disclosed many details about what his upcoming venture might be, but has stated in the past that he plans on taking a rest from comic book writing. He’s also described the project as being something “connected deeply to what I was before I started My Chemical Romance.”

If the project does indeed turn out to be music, it is unlikely that it will be a solo album. Way once told Alternative Press that he doesn’t see a solo album in the near future, saying “I’ve never seen myself as a solo guy…I’d have to be a lot older and I’d need a lot more life experience. So I don’t feel like doing that. It just doesn’t feel right.”

Way posted a new song under the name “DannyTheStreet” on his personal SoundCloud page seven months back. There have been no follow-up songs as yet and few details were released about the original track entitled Zero Zero.

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NEWS: Gerard posts new lyrics

So I'll just put them here-

*note-
This is a song about a group of jewel thieves.
Everything is fine,
then everything goes horribly wrong.



Millions

You twist my arm
I’m twisting fate
You’ll leave alone, or crazy great
Or break into a million pieces, all your reasons

Lets live alone
And out of state
Lets make up everything and wake up breathing
Don’t give a damn about the wreck you leave in

You can use my friends, but that depends-

On what their for
And while we’re laying on the floor
My mouth is sore
I’m keeping score
A million reasons but I need a million more

You believe in love
I believe in faith
They’ll believe in anything, you make up villains
A trillion legions of the damned and William,
It was really me
It was really you
There was really nothing I could do
Until then,
Lets use our magic powers with the children

You don’t understand, we don’t hold hands

Come catch me, run
Cuz I’m not having any fun
I think you’re sore
I think I’m done
A million reasons

Can I be your number one?

Yeah. Yeah.

(from Gerard's Twitlonger account)

IMAGES: Gerard Way's "Friday Selfie" Pic, Gerard & Mikey

 Gerard's Twitter

SCANS: KERRANG! #1476

for full-sized scans, click below

KERRANG! #1476

Check out the most comprehensive collection of MCR magazine scans on the web!

Magazine scans

NEWS: Kerrang! New Issue Alert: MCR - Their 30 Greatest Songs

We miss them, you miss them, so we've brought you My Chemical Romance's 30 greatest-ever songs, voted by Kerrang!, you and the likes of Escape The Fate, Falling In Reverse, Harry Radford, Tonight Alive, Blessthefall, Of Mice & Men, Asking Alexandria and more! Oh yeah, and MCR man Frank Iero himself! What're their favourite My Chem songs and why do they love them? There's only one place to find out...

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VIDEO: The Aquabats Super Show! - "The Anti-Bats!" Directed by Gerard Way and guest starring Mikey Way

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

ARTICLE: An Exclusive Conversation With Gerard Way & Friends, Part One

An interview with Gerard Way and Killjoys collaborators Shaun Simon and Becky Cloonan about life, the future and the past. 
 
As issue two of The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys is released, we thought it was time to catch up with author and My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way, as well as writer Shaun Simon and artist Becky Cloonan. This is part of a series of articles published to celebrate the ongoing Killjoys series, with the main interview in this month's issue of Rock Sound, and the second part of this feature landing online on July 31.
 
For the full story, buy the new issue of Rock Sound from one of the following links:
 
PHYSICAL: Pre-order a physical copy of the magazine, including a free CD and six awesome posters, by clicking here
DIGITAL: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/rock-sound/id634889531?mt=8
 
Where does this release fit into the My Chemical Romance timeline? 
Gerard: “The end of My Chem was the end. This was always intended to come out, maybe not the way it was originally written, but that’s just the case with everything. This is exactly what it was supposed to be. Anything in there that is relevant to the birth or ending of anything is not intentional. It’s the beginning of an awesome comic book career for Shaun, for Becky it’ll be a continuation of an awesome career. For me, it’s gonna be me stepping away from comics. So it’s beginnings and endings in a lot of ways.”

IMAGES: Candids - Gerard

Gerard's Twitter

ARTICLE: The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys #2

The first issue of Killjoys was a stylistic mess that featured few cohesive elements of an actual story. This second issue of the series has barely any, and introduces a large cast of characters that writer Gerard Way will not have enough time to completely develop over the next couple issues of this series. This slightly belligerent, yet beautifully drawn mess is what the reader has is left to decipher towards the end of the comic book.

Years ago, the Killjoys fought against the tyrannical megacorporation Better Living Industries, costing them their lives, save for one—the mysterious Girl. Today, the followers of the original Killjoys languish in the Desert while BLI systematically strips citizens of their individuality. As the fight for freedom fades, it’s left to the Girl to take up the mantle and bring down the fearsome BLI or else join the mindless ranks of Bat City!

Way’s first foray into comics, known as The Umbrella Academy featured a great twist on the X-Men as the notion of a family. Anybody that read the series was not expecting a work so nuanced and character driven from a musician. The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoy’s would be something that many would expect from the rockstar. The point is that this effort is so strangely underwhelming when compared to the former series in his career.

This comic loosely revolves around a girl without a name, reaching out to the Killjoys. The group in question are people that died in the music videos from the My Chemical Romance band. The series is so deeply tied into that mythology that it is simply content with setting up an atmosphere. While in comics the surroundings in which the story takes place are no doubt important, there also needs to be a story and character within these pages.

This project has a lot of potential if Gerard Way could just start the story already and focus on the characters that are previously setup. This issue is once again drawn beautifully by the wonderful Becky Cloonan.

2/5 STARS

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ARTICLE: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys #2 Review

In the second issue of The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, writers Shaun Simon and Gerard Way continue to build upon the world they created in last month's debut. But while the sleek, futuristic Battery City and its surrounding wild wasteland feel viscerally real, the characters who inhabit the world aren't nearly as fleshed out.

Simon and Way waste no time on silly things like introductions. Just like last month, we're thrown into the middle of the narrative, and for quite a few pages, it feels like we're missing some critical detail that will make the whole thing click into place. While authorial hand holding is its own sin, it would be nice to given a bit more detail into the "true lives" of these characters. As it stands, we're given little reason to emotionally invest in the story of the Killjoys or the young girl who has found a home with them. Way and Simon sprinkle character details sparingly and seem more concerned with world building.


And what a world it is. It's tempting to overlook the loosely sketched out characters in favor of the rich, dystopian mythology of the Killjoys. Last month, I pointed out the clever references to seminal sci-fi films like Blade Runner, but the more we get to know the world of the Killjoys, the more it begins to skew towards the narrative complexity of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (particularly when it comes to the society-controlling headsets the citizens of Battery City are required to don).

Artist Becky Cloonan is instrumental in making the world of the Killjoys as bleak and believable as it is. There's a cartoonish feel to some of her figures, and the visual playfulness contrasts with the menace laced through each page. It's telling that her androids seem more human than her humans (and a fitting homage to Mr. Dick).

Hopefully, the coming issues will see the people who populate the world of the The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys become as well-developed as their environment. Way, Simon, and Cloonan are on the brink of something brilliant, even if they haven't hit it quite yet.

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ARTICLE: Review: 'The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys' # 2

Gerard Way and Shaun Simon’s “Killjoys” continues this month in another fantastic issue. While not quite on the same level as the debut, issue #2 manages to develop the story in some interesting ways and offers enough intrigue to earn your cash.

WRITTEN BY: Gerard Way & Shaun Simon
ART BY: Becky Cloonan
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: July 10th, 2013

“Killjoys” fantastic art by Becky Cloonan is truly one of the biggest selling points of this world. Everything is detailed with such crisp clean visuals that are reminiscent of the best Japanese anime. The newscaster’s gritted forces smile as he’s speaking about Battery City says it all: this book is gorgeous.

While being so beautiful “Killjoys” also manages to be written in such a lyrical style that most of the pages flow with incredible ease. I’ll be honest when I say I was idiotically unaware of the book’s ties to My Chemical Romance upon my review of the first issue.

Now with those influences in mind I feel as if I truly understand the magic of the book. There is a tremendous amount of heart in this creation. The world is expansive, and fully realized with emotion. The introduction of Cheri Cola puts a face to the near perfect disc jockey narration of the book.

His teaming with the girl allows the story to slow down and get immearsed in the world. Gerard Way and Shaun Simon take time to develop a mysterious antagonist, as well as develop a story with some gigantic and beautiful android women from Battery City. What results are three distinct stories in the same world that never run the risk of treading the same ground.

We come to learn more about who the Killjoy’s were, and just what they stood for. We understand more of the goal of the series, and where the overarching threats will emerge. As characters the mysterious Killjoys ooze from every page and manage to intrigue with every new bit of information revealed about them

Cloonan’s art does a lot of the work. The desert wasteland backdrop would almost be breathtaking if it weren’t so drab and arid. The depictions of the Killjoys in the radio station literally jump off the page and scream character without even moving. Cloonan’s sharp lines and big beautiful eyes allow the characters feelings to emote without the words. Something most books struggle to do.

The book runs the risk of collapsing under its own weight. Although I have chosen to remain ignorant to the musical tie ins of the book, I understand some exist. The merits of the book seem to work without the prior knowledge of the characters or of the band. However, I do imagine those familiar will have an easier time understanding the book. The questions raised on these pages are interesting enough to keep the story going for a few more issues, but run the risk of collapsing under their own promise and reliance on previous material. Only time will tell if the story sticks the landing.

Gerard Way and Shaun Simon have created an emotionally invested second chapter of their series that manages to develop the story in some really interesting ways. A few more moments with less exposition and more exploration of the world would have been appreciated, but the series maintains a decent pace.

3.5/5 Skulls
Reviewed by – Jimbus_Christ

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ARTICLE: My Chemical Romance Deny Reunion After Twitter Account Hack

Gerard Way has confirmed that My Chemical Romance are not reforming, after a number of cryptic posts appeared on the band's defunct Twitter page.

The first Twitter message since My Chemical Romance split appeared on July 15, surprising 608,000 followers all over the globe. The tweet read: "you only hear the music when your heart begins to break". The band’s profile page also displayed the status of “soon…”, seemingly indicating a return.

MCR’s former frontman Gerard Way has now taken to his personal Twitter page to confirm that the band's account was in fact hacked and their record label were "taking care of it".

The posts and status on the MCR account have now been removed.

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SCANS: THE TRUE LIVES OF THE FABULOUS KILLJOYS - ISSUE #2

click below for full-sized scans

ISSUE #2 - "GHOST STATIONS"

ARTICLE - The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys #2 advance review

I guess there's an inherent frustration in any adaptation of something thoroughly enjoyed.

In the case of My Chemical Romance's Killjoys concept album, I very much appreciated the story and themes presented. It wasn't a perfect album (not even close), but even if its lows were incredibly low, its highs were just as high, and the album left some room for the listener's imagination; room that I immediately filled with images of a punk cadre facing off with jet packs and ray guns in the desert against an evil petroleum baron.

In a sense, I wasn't far off. As the Dark Horse comic book extension of the story relates, the original Killjoys were musicians waging a kind of artistic and religious guerrilla warfare with a bland, repressive corporate government. So maybe there aren't jet packs, but there are certainly ray guns involved, and a desert wasteland as well. But none of that is really the focus of The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys.

AUDIO: PODCAST: Pop Culture Hounding Gerard Way

 

Gerard Way joins me in conversation for a very special episode of the Pop Culture Hound podcast … But first Taylor & I give our in-depth review of his new comic, The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys, from Dark Horse Comics. Co-written with Shaun Simon, and featuring art by Becky Cloonan, colors by Dan Jackson and letters by Nate Piekos, Killjoys continues the story of the post-apocalyptic world first shown in the film clips for My Chemical Romance’s Na Na Na & Sing.

Then Gerard & I delve into his approach to comics and music. Why did he feel it was time for My Chemical Romance to end? How did he rediscover his love of art? What effect did 9/11 have on the ultimate direction his life would take? We discuss all that and more as we look at his writing process, what it’s like collaborating with others, and what motivates him to keep creating. It’s a fascinating glimpse into the world where music & comics meet, presented by one of the people most qualified to lead us there.

To get in touch, send feedback or submit projects for consideration, please email reviews@popculturehound.com. And if you missed last week’s episode (or any others) you can find them right here or subscribe via iTunes. You can also support the Pop Culture Hound podcast by clicking here to make a donation. Your contributions are greatly appreciated and will help us maintain the site, get new equipment, and encourage us to keep going on those cold lonely nights

ARTICLE: Gerard Way co-wrote Saturday’s episode of ‘The Aquabats!’

Gerard Way has moved from being the frontman for the platinum-selling rock band My Chemical Romance to the writer of the Eisner Award-winning limited series The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite to, now, a co-writer and co-director for the hit children’s television series The Aquabats! Super Show!

The Hollywood Reporter has a sneak peek at Way’s episode (below), which airs Saturday at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT on The Hub and features a guest appearance by his brother and former bandmate Mikey Way.

If you’re somehow unfamiliar with real-life rock band The Aquabats and their Daytime Emmy-nominated TV show, Spinoff Online’s recent interview with executive producer (and MC Bat Commander) Christian Jacobs is a good place to start. But in short, the action-comedy follows the fictionalized adventures of a musical group of amateur superheroes. The second season kicked off June 1.

In Saturday’s episode “Anti-bats!,” which Way co-wrote with Jacobs, two competing bands who seek revenge against the Aquabats! unite with the evil Silver Skull to become, unsurprisingly, the Anti-bats!

Way tells The Hollywood Reporter the collaboration happened by chance: “I had done an interview at San Diego Comic-Con — we were doing comics for the band — and they asked me what I wanted to do next. I had had Bandit, my daughter, and naturally I wanted to be on Yo Gabba Gabba, so I threw it out there. The universe works in awesome ways. Christian was on a flight with Frank [Iero, guitarist for My Chemical Romance]. … And then next thing I know, Christian and I are on the phone and collaborating on a musical segment. … We hit it off and met on the set and stayed in touch, and he kindly offered me the opportunity to write for Aquabats!”

His latest comics project, The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, debuted from Dark Horse earlier this month.

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IMAGE: Candid - Gerard Way

Gerard's Twitter