Gamertell

I recently interviewed Gerard Way for an upcoming issue of Geek Monthly magazine. Way, known to many as the lead singer of My Chemical Romance, wrote the 6-issue comic book series Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite, currently available as a trade paperback by Dark Horse Comics ($17.95) and winner of three 2008 Eisner Awards for Best Limited Series (Way and Gabriel Ba), Coloring (Dave Stewart) and Cover Artist (James Jean).

Way is currently writing the second chapter in the series, coming out late 2008, and Universal Pictures has already optioned Umbrella Academy for a live-action feature film. But don’t expect to see a videogame based on his creation. At least, not one that he approves of.

PJ: What about an Umbrella Academy video game?

Way: You know I’d rather not. There’s a lot of stuff that goes into making a film, unfortunately. Are they making a Watchmen video game?

PJ: There’s been rumors and it’s been put off for years just like the movie.

Way: OK, I mean, I’m hoping they don’t. The movie is going to be amazing. I am completely excited to be involved in that. It means a lot to me because it will change my life and Zack [Snyder] I completely trust and Zack’s a phenomenal director. But then when you get this stuff like videogames and ####### GameBoy games and ####, that’s kinda the point where I’m like, if we make a film of Umbrella, does that mean we have to make a videogame? Because thatjust doesn’t seem cool to me. I don’t understand why every single super hero property needs to be treated like a kids toy. There’s no Batman [Dark Knight] game, right? For the new film.

PJ: I think there is going to be one next year if at all.

Way: Oh, OK. I mean, personally, to me, that’s a great idea. This film is really heavy. It elevates the genre. It’s PG-13. It’s like the first PG-13 film for super heroes - I’m not talking about Punisher and things like that - and there’s no game. I think that’s great. I don’t think there should be a game for something like that. Eventually, I guess if they do one, fine, but it’s just like a barrage, a kind of assault. It’s like video games, Taco Bell cups, and stuff and you’re just like, holy ####. I want to make a really good movie. Why’s there all this other stuff?

That’ll the stuff that bums me out, not the [Umbrella Academy] film. The film’s the film. It’s a different vision than my comic, I accept that. It is exciting. Anyone that writes a comic and isn’t excited about that is probably lying. I think it’s really exciting but it’s the other stuff that I find to be kinda taxing. I can’t even see, I mean, what are you going to do in an Umbrella Academy video game? Like, do they just have coffee? That’s what I would want out of an Umbrella Academy video game.

PJ: An anti-game…

Way: Yeah, they just have coffee and eventually they get around to fighting some trash cans and then shooting their sister in the head and that’s your video game.

It should be noted that Way’s band, My Chemical Romance, is working on a song for the Watchmen movie. Much later in the interview I brought up that Universal is one of the companies that produces movie-based games. I suggested that maybe he write his own Umbrella Academy videogame and make it his own shade of awesome. To that he replied:

Well if it’s gonna be a great game and, like I said, if there’s scenes of them drinking coffee, I could get into something like that. I love what those Aqua Teen guys did. I didn’t play the game but just the idea of the game seems amazing to me. It’s like an anti-game, basically. It wasn’t even a game, right? You just play golf and then kill zombies. It’s weird.

There will be much more from my from my interview with Way as well as comments from series’ artist Gabriel Ba and editor Scott Allie in an upcoming issue of Geek Monthly magazine.

Product Page [Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite] Site [Geek Monthly] Read [MTV SplashPage]

Special thanks to Dark Horse for the interview(s) and to Geek Monthly for letting me publish this portion of the interview on Gamertell.

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