Crisis Zone explores pandemic life through hit characters Megg, Mogg, and Owl

Crisis Zone
(Image credit: Simon Hanselmann (Fantagraphics Books))

Megg, Mogg, and Owl writer/artist Simon Hanselmann has gone through the COVID-19 pandemic just like the rest of us, and has been using comics (and social media) as an outlet to talk about this ordeal. Hanselmann's popular Instagram webcomics serial Crisis Zone is coming out in print this week, featuring the return of Megg, Mogg, and Owl, along with others such as Werewolf Jones and Dracula Junior - all dealing with life during a pandemic.

Check out this preview:

You'll probably see a little bit of yourself and your friends in Crisis Zone. From Mogg becoming a conspiracy theorist to Megg throwing herself into digital media to get away from it all, Crisis Zone covers almost all the bases - mixing comedy, action, horror, and a little bit of soap operatics.

(Image credit: Simon Hanselmann (Fantagraphics Books))

Just as Hanselmann's previous works were semi-autobiographical, Crisis Zone pulls directly from the writer/artist's own experiences living in Seattle with his wife during the onset of the pandemic.

"Crisis Zone is (I'm told) the ultimate piece of pandemic art," Hanselmann said when Fantagraphics announced this print edition. "You won't find a better record of what went down in 2020. Nominated for the Harvey Award and Cartoonist Studio Prize and winner of the Eisner Award for 'Best webcomic.' Snubbed by the Pulitzer. Clowns! Big mistake!"

Crisis Zone was serialized on Hanselmann's Instagram from March 13, 2020 to December 22, 2020, but this trade paperback edition includes not only the comics, but with added pages and scenes, and commentary from Hanselmann looking back at the series.

Crisis Zone goes on sale on August 18.

Crisis Zone is available in print, but also on digital platforms. Check out our recommended best digital comics readers.

Chris Arrant

Chris Arrant covered comic book news for Newsarama from 2003 to 2022 (and as editor/senior editor from 2015 to 2022) and has also written for USA Today, Life, Entertainment Weekly, Publisher's Weekly, Marvel Entertainment, TOKYOPOP, AdHouse Books, Cartoon Brew, Bleeding Cool, Comic Shop News, and CBR. He is the author of the book Modern: Masters Cliff Chiang, co-authored Art of Spider-Man Classic, and contributed to Dark Horse/Bedside Press' anthology Pros and (Comic) Cons. He has acted as a judge for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, the Harvey Awards, and the Stan Lee Awards. Chris is a member of the American Library Association's Graphic Novel & Comics Round Table. (He/him)