'The Umbrella Academy': How Gerard Way went from being the frontman of My Chemical Romance to comic book author
The TV adaptation of 'The Umbrella Academy' is set to hit Netflix on February 19 and creator Gerard Way gives us hope for the future of the comic book series. The seeds of his creative genius were sown quite early on in childhood.
Being born on a pleasant spring day in Summit, New Jersey on April 9, 1977, Gerard Way, the American singer, songwriter, musician and comic book writer began his creative journey at the tender age of 10, where he performed as Peter Pan for a school musical production. He credits his spark of creativity to his maternal grandmother, who played a big role in bringing out his creative potential. She taught him how to sing, perform and draw, the skills essential to making the man we know as Gerard Way today. The song 'Helena' by My Chemical Romance, is dedicated to the passing of his grandmother, along with majorly influencing their second studio album, ‘Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge’.
In an interview with Kerrang! in February 2005, he had this to say about the song: "I have had a lot of self-hate. The most recent example was the song ‘Helena’. It’s a really angry open letter to myself. It’s about why I wasn’t around for this woman who was so special to me, why I wasn’t there for the last year of her life. Self-hate is always a big part of the lyrics. I’ve felt like that all my life. I don’t know why but I’ve always hated myself. Hopefully, that self-hate is growing into something else now. Hopefully, it’s grown into caring about myself and wanting to stay alive".