Dark Horse reveals Chris Weston’s latest project, “Paranoid Gardens”, with writers Gerard Way and Shaun Simon

By John Freeman on March 22, 2024 • ( 1 )

Paranoid Gardens #1 - Cover by Chris Weston

This summer, Gerard Way and Shaun Simon, the writing team behind Tales from The Umbrella Academy: You Look Like Death and The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys: National Anthem, are back and bringing eerie vibes to a brand-new, surreal comic series, Paranoid Gardens. This six-issue comic will be written by Way and Simon with art by Chris Weston (Judge Dredd, Ministry of Space), colours by Dave Stewart (Hellboy, Shaolin Cowboy: Cruel to Be Kin), and letters by Nate Piekos (Stranger Things: The Voyage, Black Hammer: Reborn).

Issue #1 will feature a die-cut cover with art by Weston and a variant cover by renowned illustrator Motohiro Hayakawa. Successive issue variants will feature artwork by Glenn Fabry, James Stokoe, Tradd Moore, Alice Darrow, and David Mack.

In Paranoid Gardens #1 we meet Loo, a nurse at the most bizarre care centre around. The staff are not entirely human, and the cases downright unearthly. Aliens, ghosts, superheroes, and more creatures plague its hallways as both doctors and patients and the hospital itself seems to be somewhat self-aware.

Loo believes that despite a recent failure at her job she’s been given some sort of higher calling in this mysterious place, and decides to rise to the challenge. Along the way, she must fight her way through corrupt staff members, powerful theme park cults, and her own personal demons and trauma to meet this challenge and discover what secrets the gardens hold.

Paranoid Gardens #1 - variant cover by Motohiro Hayakawa

“I’m excited to be back with my incredibly handsome and talented brother-from-another-basement Shaun Simon penning a story that’s really special to us, and honored the masterful Chris Weston joined us to create a visually powerful and emotionally tangible physical object that is this comic,” said Way. “I’m now more complete getting to share something we’ve wanted to for a very long time, and working with this fantastic group of individuals in the process.”

“Most people dream of rubbing shoulders with someone who is cool, talented, mega-successful and who enjoys a wild rock’n’roll lifestyle. Luckily for Gerard Way the dream came true when he got to work with me on Paranoid Gardens,” added Weston, whose other current project is the creation of a collection of the SF series Time Breakers, seeking funding on Zoop. “It must have been quite daunting for him at first, but once he could see past my notoriety and discover I’m just an ordinary joe who shares his love for the 60’s TV show The Prisoner we were able to form a joyous union.

“Along with his equally radical writing partner, Shaun Simon, we’ve created a wild and psychedelic tale that combines Kafkaesque nightmares with sweet Silver Age reveries. Within the pages of Paranoid Gardens you’ll find a curious care-home peopled with aliens, ghosts and caped heroes recovering from psychotic episodes. The very ground it’s built on is febrile and fertile; and lusted after by the minions of Mammon.

“It’s the perfect remedy for all those stricken with super-hero fatigue and needing a fix of something a bit more mind-bending and unpredictable.”

• Paranoid Gardens #1 (of 6) arrives in comic shops on 17th July 2024. It is now available to pre-order at your local comic shop

• Follow Dark Horse Comics on social media and check the official website, darkhorse.com, for more news, announcements, and updates

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.