Bad Gateway

by Simon Hanselmann

Overview

Megg and Mogg, whose story is told in three previous, international, best-selling graphic novels, come to a breaking point in this volume.

Perpetually drunk and high, lovable degenerates Megg and Mogg have drifted through a life full of raucous antics and free of consequences. But their heavy drug use, once a gateway to adventure, has begun to take a grim psychological toll. As her unstable lifestyle finally catches up to her, Megg must turn to her past to uncover the roots of her self-destructive habits that have led her down this dark path.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781683962076
Publisher:	Fantagraphics Books
Publication date:	07/30/2019
Series:	Megg, Mogg and Owl
Edition description:	1
Pages:	176
Sales rank:	673,325
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 11.60(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Simon Hanselmann hails from Tasmania but resides with his family in Los Angeles, CA.  His bestselling New York Times series Megg, Mogg and Owl has been translated into thirteen languages, nominated for multiple Ignatz and Eisner awards, and won Best Series at the Angoulême International Comics Festival in 2018.

Editorial Reviews

04/29/2019

Hanselmann’s fifth Megg, Mogg & Owl collection, set after the events of the Eisner-winning Megg & Mogg in Amsterdam, finds its depressed, drug-addicted ensemble cast tumbling out of their arrested development and into a free fall of self-reflection. Whereas most previous volumes have existed in a realm outside of time and continuity, Owl’s abrupt departure from the trio’s shared home starts a ticking clock for red-headed witch Megg and her black cat partner Mogg, who have been tricking Owl (an owl) into paying their rent. As their desperation to escape their problems, and one another, skyrockets, so too does their drug and alcohol abuse. Megg’s armor begins to crack as she uncovers the roots of her trauma in long-avoided childhood memories. In a surprising turn, Hanselmann’s trademark raunchy dark humor is only rarely on display in this collection, making room instead for a stark, unblinking gaze into the heart of self-harm, mental illness, and addiction—a reminder that, despite their goofy, cartoonish aesthetic, each character is a monster in their own horror story. The grotesque stoner art style and sickly coloring remains consistent, with little evolution over the course of the series. But Hanselmann’s storytelling sensibilities have matured here, with meditations on the makeup of a “bad person” that are tense, uncomfortable, and, appropriately enough, sobering. (July)

Publishers Weekly

"Bad Gateway is a soap opera. It’s a sitcom. It’s a black comedy about drug addiction. ... There’s a voyeuristic quality to it—like watching a car crash. But it’s also hard not to root for this out-of-control crew. I want them to win."

Portland Mercury

"If you like your comedy black, profane and outrageous, you’ve probably already encountered Hanselmann’s twisted tales of Meg, Mogg, Owl and Werewolf Jones or should want to soon. Bad Gateway takes the emotional depth of Hanselmann’s previous work up several notches. It also brings his finely-detailed and beautifully watercolored artwork to the fore."

Forbes

"Astoundingly well-crafted and punishingly heartfelt."

Vulture

"Hanselmann's particular brand of surrealist, sharp-witted humor [is] augmented with a darkness that draws from his own deeply personal experiences, but which has clearly touched a helluva lot of people."

Eye on Design

"These are simultaneously some of the meanest and most tender comics you will ever read."

Seattle Weekly

"Hanselmann is one of the most gifted cartoonists alive."

The A.V. Club

"Bad Gateway feels like Hanselmann’s going all out; giving us deeper character development, more depressing, yet relatable backstory and tragi-comic events than ever before. Hanselmann is hitting his stride and it’s clear his over-arching narrative is now becoming satisfyingly cohesive. Not to be missed for fans of the series."

Gosh Comics

★ 08/01/2019

Witch Megg and cat Mogg are perpetually broke, eternally stoned lovers and roommates who drift through life, completely incapable of getting their acts together. Early in this fourth volume of their latest exploits, Megg takes desperate action to avoid losing her welfare benefits, while Mogg is forced to hunt for a job after his father cuts him off following the discovery of his secret Tumblr account. Later, they spend a day wandering around with their friend Werewolf Jones, looking for someone willing to buy an old pair of Megg's roller blades so they can afford drugs. Their misadventures begin hysterically funny but turn increasingly dark as their actions become more transparently self-destructive, climaxing with a flashback to their teenage years and revelations about Megg's mother that highlight the tragic origins of her inability to cope with reality. VERDICT Hanselmann (One More Year) is a phenomenally talented, internationally renowned cartoonist who switches between laugh-out-loud absurdist humor and startlingly raw scenes of extreme sadness from one panel to the next, and this is his finest, funniest, and most mature work to date.

Library Journal