I could rehash all of this in some glorified attempt at my own article, but I feel Daniel Kreps, from Rolling Stone, said it best. Here is his article below…
Maverick comic book publisher Hart Fisher is lashing out at his former protégé, My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way, claiming that the singer has been plundering Fisher’s words and ideologies for MCR’s music.
Fisher published Way’s On Raven’s Wings comic on his Boneyard Press when Way (who was known to his mentor as “Garry”) was a teen. Thirteen years later, Way began publishing a new title called The Umbrella Academy with the more-credible Dark Horse Comics. Dark Horse advertised Umbrella as Way’s first foray into comics, which led Fisher toaccuse Way of fraud and “ripping off my old message and many of my actual written bits. I’m in the process now of going through the lyrics and matching up where he has straight up ripped me off from my old Boneyard editorials.”
Fisher later said, “I lost touch with Garry after the Nineties.” Way countered in a statement that said, “I sent [Hart] an email years ago, before we finished Revenge, thanking him for believing in me, and never got a response. I’m not ashamed of what I did for him, and wanted to see him in person and thank him. I’ve never had the chance.” Dark Horse’s Scott Allie adds, “Hart published Gerard’s first comics when Gerard was fifteen. I don’t think we’ve ever said Umbrella Academy is the first comic Gerard did.”
Here’s footage of Fisher on a 1993 episode of Sally Jessy Raphael’s talk show (a pudgy, teenage Way in a flannel shirt is visible in the second row of the audience at the six-second mark):
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AisAgnQlR9E]
By David Kreps
And continuing with the craziness that has become this situation, another article has come out in regard to it, with more detail. Here it is…
Gerard Way, creator of Dark Horse’s The Umbrella Academy and Lead Singer of the band My Chemical Romance, has appeared on a lot of talk shows. One eagle eyed fan of MCR, noticed one of his first appearances on Sally Jesse Raphael in the studio audience supporting Boneyard Press Publisher Hart D. Fisher. Why was 16 year old Gerard Way there? Who is Hart D. Fisher? What the hell is Boneyard Press?
Hart D. Fisher is the Renegade Publisher of Boneyard Press: an in your face, no apologies, hardcore, adult oriented Comic Book company straight out of Champaign, Illinois. With taglines “Too Tough for Color” and “Marvel Can Suck My C*ck” to comic titles like “Jeffrey Dahmer VS Jesus Christ”, “Rectum Errectum”, “Rush Limbaugh Must Die”, & “Kill Marvel” It’s no wonder Hart was known as “The Most Dangerous Man” in the comics Industry, and was voted two years in a row as one of Hero Illustrated Magazine’s Top 100 Most Influential People in that industry.Gerard Way, (or Garry Way as he was known back then), was just another pudgy, talented, 16 year old trying to make his way through high school and used comic books as his outlet to express himself and survive.
Hart took a chance on young Garry, and gave him a crack at creating and writing his first published work, On Raven’s Wings. You can read Hart Fisher’s thoughts as well as an open letter to Gerard Way on his War Journal.
Article By Jeaux Janovsky
As for me, I say if Gerard had actually ripped off lyrics from this guy we would have been hearing it before now. The Black Parade, assuming this is the CD the lyrics are on, has been out for a little over a year. If it was a prior CD, all the more reason to wonder why we aren’t hearing it before now.
In my opinion, this Fisher guy is miffed because his once apprentice is now more successful than he is. He will have to do some serious “proving” before I believe any of this.
