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Megg, Mogg & Owl #5
Seeds And Stems
In 2016, Hanselmann began producing Xeroxed zines starring the depressive Megg (a green-skinned witch), her abusive boyfriend Mogg (an actual cat), their submissive roommate Owl (a vaguely humanoid owl), and the self-destructively hedonistic Werewolf Jones (half human, half wolf) in print runs of 300 to 500 copies, with hand-painted covers, custom stamps and hologram security stickers. Seeds and Stems collects all of these out-of-print, self-published stories produced by the artist between 2016-2019, along with a generous smattering of rarities from various anthologies and magazines. Megg and Mogg and friends explore the worlds of lucid dreaming, banking scams, cinema, mixed drinks, alien invasions, and budget vasectomies in this varied collection of rare and often experimental adventures, designed and curated entirely by the artist.
360 pages, Paperback
First published August 11, 2020
36 people are currently reading
615 people want to read
About the author
Simon Hanselmann
80 books675 followersSimon Hanselmann is an Australian-born cartoonist best known for his Megg, Mogg, and Owl series. Hanselmann has been nominated four times for an Ignatz Award, four times for an Eisner Award, once for the Harvey Award and won Best Series at Angouleme 2018.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
January 14, 2021
Seeds and Stems collects the numerous short Megg and Mogg strips Simon Hanselmann created between 2008 and 2019 (though most are from 2016-19) for various anthologies and zines, and some are previously unpublished, so don’t expect a continuation of the story from Bad Gateway. It’s still an amazing book of super-funny comics that fans of this series are going to love, as I did.
Some of the best stories that stood out for me: when the gang take a bunch of sleeping pills and go on an hallucinatory adventure; when they go to see a creepy Polanski-esque sci-fi movie called Halo Chamber that segues into a spooky tale involving Bruce Lee and then unexpectedly reveals Werewolf Jones’ fate; Low Income Single Father, which is just a day in the life of WW Jones and had me laughing so hard; Beauty Pageant, where Jones forces his two wretched sons to compete in drag in a girls’ beauty pageant; and Jaxon’s Vasectomy, which is more of Jones being the worst dad in history after Jaxon impregnates a bunch of girls at his school.
Those are the most memorable but I enjoyed almost everything here. Most of the other stories are just riffs on things fans will be familiar with from previous books: the gang bullying Owl, endless WW Jones wackiness, Megg and Mogg’s increasingly troubled relationship, and Megg and Booger’s on-off affair. Even if it’s more of the same, I love Hanselmann’s dark humour and these characters and their hopeless world, so it didn’t bother me in the least and I had a blast.
The book is published on different coloured paper utilising different coloured inks, sometimes in full colour, and sometimes drawn in a variety of styles like watercolours or pencils, showing Hanselmann’s skill as an artist, while also matching the trippy content of the stories. The physical book also comes with a special plastic orange cover and label to make it look like a prescription pill bottle, similarly playing on the stoner theme.
The occasional story feels sit-com-y, like when Owl prepares the house for a landlord inspection only for Jones to stumble in at the last moment and fuck it all up - who else but Werewolf Jones?! And some of the stories were just meh to pointless: WW Jones fisting scenes, confused stoner wordplay, Megg getting drunk and stumbling around, and The Secret of the Dogfingerer starring Jones’ boys. But those are just 20 or so pages out of 358 and, considering how hard some of the stories hit, the general high quality of the overall book, and how much I loved reading it, there’s no way I can give Seeds and Stems anything less than the full five stars.
Simon Hanselmann is a superb cartoonist who continues to tell the most original and funny stories. Maybe the content is a bit too much for some - too depressing/weird/unpleasant - but I love this series and this book. Seeds and Stems won’t disappoint any Megg and Mogg fans at all - though if you’ve never read any Simon Hanselmann books before and want to give him a shot, I recommend starting with Megahex.
Some of the best stories that stood out for me: when the gang take a bunch of sleeping pills and go on an hallucinatory adventure; when they go to see a creepy Polanski-esque sci-fi movie called Halo Chamber that segues into a spooky tale involving Bruce Lee and then unexpectedly reveals Werewolf Jones’ fate; Low Income Single Father, which is just a day in the life of WW Jones and had me laughing so hard; Beauty Pageant, where Jones forces his two wretched sons to compete in drag in a girls’ beauty pageant; and Jaxon’s Vasectomy, which is more of Jones being the worst dad in history after Jaxon impregnates a bunch of girls at his school.
Those are the most memorable but I enjoyed almost everything here. Most of the other stories are just riffs on things fans will be familiar with from previous books: the gang bullying Owl, endless WW Jones wackiness, Megg and Mogg’s increasingly troubled relationship, and Megg and Booger’s on-off affair. Even if it’s more of the same, I love Hanselmann’s dark humour and these characters and their hopeless world, so it didn’t bother me in the least and I had a blast.
The book is published on different coloured paper utilising different coloured inks, sometimes in full colour, and sometimes drawn in a variety of styles like watercolours or pencils, showing Hanselmann’s skill as an artist, while also matching the trippy content of the stories. The physical book also comes with a special plastic orange cover and label to make it look like a prescription pill bottle, similarly playing on the stoner theme.
The occasional story feels sit-com-y, like when Owl prepares the house for a landlord inspection only for Jones to stumble in at the last moment and fuck it all up - who else but Werewolf Jones?! And some of the stories were just meh to pointless: WW Jones fisting scenes, confused stoner wordplay, Megg getting drunk and stumbling around, and The Secret of the Dogfingerer starring Jones’ boys. But those are just 20 or so pages out of 358 and, considering how hard some of the stories hit, the general high quality of the overall book, and how much I loved reading it, there’s no way I can give Seeds and Stems anything less than the full five stars.
Simon Hanselmann is a superb cartoonist who continues to tell the most original and funny stories. Maybe the content is a bit too much for some - too depressing/weird/unpleasant - but I love this series and this book. Seeds and Stems won’t disappoint any Megg and Mogg fans at all - though if you’ve never read any Simon Hanselmann books before and want to give him a shot, I recommend starting with Megahex.
April 28, 2021
While we are waiting for the next installment of the Megg & Mogg saga, we get this big collection of a decade of stories out of their world, which is two things, basically, a gross-out, hilarious stoner comic, and a horrifying cautionary tale about these out-of-control friends drinking and smoking themselves to meaninglessness and death. Twenty-something, sideways, lost in space chaos. But can it be both, alternating between stoner goofiness and everyday death spiral? I say yes.
This collection doesn't give us anything we didn't know before: Megg and Mogg are struggling; Megg turns to Booger for release; Werewolf Jones is the worst and most irresponsible human being (and father) we can imagine, and everyone is mean to Owl. Culled from a collection of work spanning ten years and found in zines, alternative comix rags, alternative newspapers, and so on, it is still a must-have for Simon Hanselmann completists. It's hard to read, as it is in very small print to make the book marketable, but worth the effort, most of the time. There are what amounts to "outtakes" and experimental sketches, even some sci-fi tales. Psychedelia, of course. A range of sketchy self-published work to gorgeous full-color nightmare paintings.
Let's see, some highlight/lowlights: There's no food in the house, so Werewolf Jones suggests that they go trick or treating, and get candy to eat. It's not Halloween, so nobody plays along wiht the joke, people aren't home, so WWJ plays tricks on the homeowners. They all get away except Owl, of course.
WWJ wants the money from a Princess contest, so he forces two of his sons to dress up in drag. They win the contest.
There's really gross stuff I'm not telling you about, sexual stuff, anything involving a range of bodily fluids, which will either turn you off forever, juvenilia, or make you laugh until you cry. (I also just read Samantha Irby's Meaty, and I am musing on a theory of humor as body humor/outrage I see in both of their works).
But the images that stick with me, really, are the contrapuntal ones of Megg in tears, torn by depression, eyes in horror. Madness. Hanselmann is one great cartoonist, both alt-comix guy in the wacked-out, drugged-out sixties tradition of Crumb and Tijuana Bibles and Beavis and Butthead AND a glimpse into the nightmare side of it all. Quite an accomplishment, really.
This collection doesn't give us anything we didn't know before: Megg and Mogg are struggling; Megg turns to Booger for release; Werewolf Jones is the worst and most irresponsible human being (and father) we can imagine, and everyone is mean to Owl. Culled from a collection of work spanning ten years and found in zines, alternative comix rags, alternative newspapers, and so on, it is still a must-have for Simon Hanselmann completists. It's hard to read, as it is in very small print to make the book marketable, but worth the effort, most of the time. There are what amounts to "outtakes" and experimental sketches, even some sci-fi tales. Psychedelia, of course. A range of sketchy self-published work to gorgeous full-color nightmare paintings.
Let's see, some highlight/lowlights: There's no food in the house, so Werewolf Jones suggests that they go trick or treating, and get candy to eat. It's not Halloween, so nobody plays along wiht the joke, people aren't home, so WWJ plays tricks on the homeowners. They all get away except Owl, of course.
WWJ wants the money from a Princess contest, so he forces two of his sons to dress up in drag. They win the contest.
There's really gross stuff I'm not telling you about, sexual stuff, anything involving a range of bodily fluids, which will either turn you off forever, juvenilia, or make you laugh until you cry. (I also just read Samantha Irby's Meaty, and I am musing on a theory of humor as body humor/outrage I see in both of their works).
But the images that stick with me, really, are the contrapuntal ones of Megg in tears, torn by depression, eyes in horror. Madness. Hanselmann is one great cartoonist, both alt-comix guy in the wacked-out, drugged-out sixties tradition of Crumb and Tijuana Bibles and Beavis and Butthead AND a glimpse into the nightmare side of it all. Quite an accomplishment, really.
February 5, 2021
It appears that, like Chris Ware, at this stage in his career Hanselmann can request whatever bizarre packaging he damn well pleases. This collection of anthology work and self-published zines features all kinds of paper colors and ink colors with a mylar book cover that gives the appearance of medication packaging and comes with a bonus comic enclosed in a plastic pill bottle.
Hanselmann sporadically announces the sale of his self-published work on social media, and they typically sell out within hours. So, even if you're on the lookout, they can disappear before you have the chance to order. Although I have managed to score a decent amount of the self-published work collected here, there was a ton I hadn't seen.
All in all, a truly wonderful collection of Megg & Mogg stories.
Hanselmann sporadically announces the sale of his self-published work on social media, and they typically sell out within hours. So, even if you're on the lookout, they can disappear before you have the chance to order. Although I have managed to score a decent amount of the self-published work collected here, there was a ton I hadn't seen.
All in all, a truly wonderful collection of Megg & Mogg stories.
September 13, 2020
My Meg and Mogg head canon cast is:
- Natasha Lyonne as Meg
- Donald Glover as Mogg
- Michael Cera as Owl
- Jason Matzoukus as Werewolf Jones
- Natasha Lyonne as Meg
- Donald Glover as Mogg
- Michael Cera as Owl
- Jason Matzoukus as Werewolf Jones
February 12, 2023
Some of the balloons were to small to read
January 19, 2021
This is by far the weirdest graphic novel I have ever feasted my eyes on and I loved every second of it! It is so out there and hilarious and I have NEVER read anything like it before and I doubt I ever will again. I bought this on a whim because the cover and title just totally intrigued me. I definitely wasn’t expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. Behind the weirdness and hilarity the writing is actually surprisingly good which I wasn’t expecting. The artwork is so great too, this one really is the whole package. Hilarious content and stunning art, I couldn’t have asked for better. Consider me and my eyeballs pleasantly surprised, incredibly amused and wishing there was another volume to this!
August 25, 2020
I had read a few of these stories as stand-alone zines, but Fantagraphics has put together a simply stunning book. The attention to detail, from the orange plastic book sleeve complete with a prescription sticker, to the vivid end pages and table of contents, really make this a worthwhile collection to grab even if you already own the contents.
In the past, when I've reviewed Hanselmann, I've squirmed at the level of depravity and sexual violence in his comics. But I think this collection is balanced by the true and tragic consequences all of the characters face at the end of their surreal, offensive, bizarre and often hilarious adventures. They are not having a good time! But I was having an incredibly good time reading this collection.
ALSO: It was extremely cool to see Hanselmann's different styles--sometimes pristine ink work, sometimes a little messier than usual.
In the past, when I've reviewed Hanselmann, I've squirmed at the level of depravity and sexual violence in his comics. But I think this collection is balanced by the true and tragic consequences all of the characters face at the end of their surreal, offensive, bizarre and often hilarious adventures. They are not having a good time! But I was having an incredibly good time reading this collection.
ALSO: It was extremely cool to see Hanselmann's different styles--sometimes pristine ink work, sometimes a little messier than usual.
September 9, 2020
Raw unadulterated laughs guaranteed. Hanselmann rules 🤘
August 18, 2020
Lots of previously published material on this but those color pages are pretty good!
December 15, 2020
A collection of previously harder to find one offs from various publications. Missing some of the cohesion that makes the other MM&O volumes work, it’s still very enjoyable if you’re a fan of Hanselmann’s work with these characters. Definitely not a starting point though.
September 22, 2021
terrifying
July 18, 2023
This isn’t my usual thing and I’m not sure who I would recommend this too, probably no one, but it was really well done. The art is cool and the humor was extremely sophomoric. Quite frankly, a lot of the humor in this is probably very offensive to most people, and I’m pretty sure that’s the point. Soooo, I can’t believe I’m saying this, and this comic isn’t for everyone, and quite frankly is probably triggering for some,but 4 stars and best reads pile. I enjoyed it! I only deducted one star because my eyes aren’t what they used to be,and some of the print was a little small which wasn’t that big of a deal.
October 6, 2022
Another well balanced anthology on the Megg, Mogg and Owl collection, right on a par with the excellent One More Year. As advertised on its cover this is a book of outtakes and rare shorts, so one would think it is not a good place to start reading Simon Hanselmann's stoner comic series, on the contrary I do believe these characters are better portrayed in this very form, sketches and fluctuating short-stories, chronologically imprecise and hazy like their very lives. In its 360 pages Seeds and Stems presents a varied set of stories, previously appearing on zines and other independent publications. In addition to very early stories (from 2008! back when we were pure and happy), we get to see side-characters like Mike & his mom and Werewolf Jones & sons on their own solo adventures.
As usual Hanselmann's style thrive on absurd scenarios and depressingly humorous situations, he tackles substance abuse, mental illness, internet trends and relationship dramas in a blunt manner while still managing to provide a nuanced view on several of the topics covered. At this point I must admit I hold an affectionate attachment to Simon's singular voice and art, so I could go on and on about how I love his experiments on form when portraying drug use; how smartly and dumbly (for funny effects) he weaves an array of cultural references from cult cinema director Michael Snow to Young Sheldon; how emotionally charged his characters can get when he decides to highlight their emotional journeys (Fuck Squad, Xmas 2019 get deep), how he articulates internet lingo and culture to subtly criticize extremely on-line behavior (this gets to a genius point in Crisis Zone). As said before I could go on. This was my last Megg, Mogg and Owl book... now I must wait for Simon to put out new stuff (Megg's Coven WHEN?) while I save money to buy his translated material being published in my country (and probably re-reading Crisis Zone).
As usual Hanselmann's style thrive on absurd scenarios and depressingly humorous situations, he tackles substance abuse, mental illness, internet trends and relationship dramas in a blunt manner while still managing to provide a nuanced view on several of the topics covered. At this point I must admit I hold an affectionate attachment to Simon's singular voice and art, so I could go on and on about how I love his experiments on form when portraying drug use; how smartly and dumbly (for funny effects) he weaves an array of cultural references from cult cinema director Michael Snow to Young Sheldon; how emotionally charged his characters can get when he decides to highlight their emotional journeys (Fuck Squad, Xmas 2019 get deep), how he articulates internet lingo and culture to subtly criticize extremely on-line behavior (this gets to a genius point in Crisis Zone). As said before I could go on. This was my last Megg, Mogg and Owl book... now I must wait for Simon to put out new stuff (Megg's Coven WHEN?) while I save money to buy his translated material being published in my country (and probably re-reading Crisis Zone).
July 22, 2023
My millennial boss gave me this and it’s about what I expected. “We’re all just floating molecules…” mmm that line made me want to throw up! But anyway, it felt somehow prescient in the sense that like these characters, these situations felt familiar to me, and I know the depression slump. This book does a good job of portraying self-inflicted wallowing, but also—it could use a few less dicks. The dick stuff just felt like the author hit a beat he didn’t know how to get around and decided “Fuck it, I’m going to draw someone getting a blowjob for the millionth time cuz that’s cool and edgy and nobody’s doing that.” Surprise: everyone is doing that.
October 14, 2020
I wouldn't recommend this collection to anyone who hasn't read Megahex before.
I remember absolutely loving Megahex, but despite the beautiful artwork and print variations, the content of this collection didn't really do it for me.
Too much gross Werewolf Jones.
I remember absolutely loving Megahex, but despite the beautiful artwork and print variations, the content of this collection didn't really do it for me.
Too much gross Werewolf Jones.
September 21, 2021
I just finished reading SEEDS AND STEMS which was written and illustrated by cartoonist Simon Hanselmann. I haven’t read any of Hanselmann’s work before, but recognize the style from memes/image macros/etc. and wanted to check it out after seeing the book in my library’s collection. If you’re a big fan of weird gross out humor you will love this little collection. Nudity, drugs, taboo subjects; really nothing is “too far” for this comic to get into. I don’t really want to talk about some of the topics in this book on goodreads, to be honest, but trust me when I say “it get’s dark”. My only gripe with the collection is that there are a handful of comics dealing with the topic of abuse that didn’t sit right with me. Maybe Hansellmann has dealt with abuse in their life and use these comics to work through that trauma, but it’s a lot harder to laugh at something like that than it is to laugh about poop and vomit. Read the Jones Boys Mystery comic if you’re really curious on how the book deals with these topics (trigger warning obviously).
While it’s raunchy and completely inappropriate to read around others, the book also carries these moments of extreme sadness. One of my favorite stories in the book is a strip about Megg the witch worrying about her mother who she hasn’t heard from in a week and had just been released from rehab. She spends the day getting high on suboxone and throwing up during a band practice. The cycles of dependence and addiction that Megg and her mother are both going through is heart breaking and relatable, even if you aren’t a drug user or have issues with addiction. Don’t get me wrong it’s mostly a goofy book, but every 20 pages or so Hanselmann will punch you in the gut with something truly profound. Check it out if you can track it down. If you wince while watching Pink Flamingoes, however, maybe this one isn’t for you.
While it’s raunchy and completely inappropriate to read around others, the book also carries these moments of extreme sadness. One of my favorite stories in the book is a strip about Megg the witch worrying about her mother who she hasn’t heard from in a week and had just been released from rehab. She spends the day getting high on suboxone and throwing up during a band practice. The cycles of dependence and addiction that Megg and her mother are both going through is heart breaking and relatable, even if you aren’t a drug user or have issues with addiction. Don’t get me wrong it’s mostly a goofy book, but every 20 pages or so Hanselmann will punch you in the gut with something truly profound. Check it out if you can track it down. If you wince while watching Pink Flamingoes, however, maybe this one isn’t for you.
March 13, 2021
Great supplemental collection and still full of essential episodes. I’ve read all of the Megg & Mogg series, and now that I got through this, I can say with a full heart just how much I missed these characters in my life. One of the best comics of all time.
September 22, 2020
Svag fyra!
April 17, 2025
increíble, a nivel editorial de lo mejor que he visto
chef kiss
chef kiss
June 25, 2025
tan especial, tan perfecto, tan guarro, tanto servicio...
August 25, 2024
This book is a "More of the Same" collection of zines and unpublished MM&O material. Half of the punches are expected and half-cooked, most of them were executed better in the previous books.
What I loved about the book are the stories that followed other characters, like the movie the gang went to watch and the pups adventures at school.
It's a must-have collection for die-hard fans, but a skippable story overall (the last five pages are related to the story in the distant future).
3.5/5
What I loved about the book are the stories that followed other characters, like the movie the gang went to watch and the pups adventures at school.
It's a must-have collection for die-hard fans, but a skippable story overall (the last five pages are related to the story in the distant future).
3.5/5
April 18, 2025
Terminada la saga más divertida que me he leído en cómic jamás. Todo el mundo que conoces es un arquetipo de Meg, Mogg, Búho, WWJ y demás satélites, raya de keta arriba-carajillo abajo.
Le doy el único espacio que conquistaremos en esta línea temporal: el mental 🧠
Le doy el único espacio que conquistaremos en esta línea temporal: el mental 🧠
November 29, 2025
ughhh they could never make me hate you
July 14, 2021
Hilarious, horrifying, disgusting, raw, beautiful.
June 21, 2024
Seeds and Stems is a collection of the odds and ends of Simon Hanselmann's "Megg, Mogg & Owl" strips, pooled together in a brilliantly designed package. Pulling stories from across anthologies and zines from various stretches of Hanselmann's career, Seeds and Stems is a must have for any fan of the series. The equal parts lovable and repulsive losers that are Megg and Mogg are partaking in the exact same self-destructive behavioral loops one has come to expect, with ample self-medication via drug usage and failing to achieve any meaningful goals due to their slacker tendencies. Adding to the mix are Owl and Werewolf Jones, who present polar opposites with respect to accountability and responsibility. The jokes are juvenile and crass by design, but Hanselmann uses this type of humor as a front for more serious reflection on topics like friendship, addiction and poor decisions. Brilliant stuff as always, and filled with fantastic artwork of varying media styles since a lot of the collected strips here shows a more experimental side to Hanselmann.
October 9, 2020
First of all I am a huge fan of Hanselmann’s work. His comics and zines are the closest things to drugs I consume. His writing is really good, deep and personal. The drawing is fluid and dynamic... when you look at a panel from Simon you know it’s his work. This collection is a grouping of his stories from the various zines he self published over the years. It’s not a complete collection of all of his zines, but for those who haven’t read his zine comics it gives you an idea of the content that was released. Really good work and worth the read for comics fans of all comic platforms.
July 19, 2025
Còmic molt Underground. Drogues, sexe, perversió... M'he rigut molt en alguns moments i en d'altres m'he sentit fins i tot incòmode. El que m'ha costat més ha sigut el canvi de color de les pàgines i alguna lletra tan petita que costava de llegir.
December 16, 2020
The characters born from Simon Hanselmann's mind are both awful and grotesque but they're also the realest, most brilliant ever created.
August 19, 2021
I imagine people really into psychedelics would dig these, but beyond that niche, I don't understand the appeal. I pushed myself through these pages.
December 19, 2023
The drawing style is deceiving—simple and slapdash at first glance, but on closer inspection, very complex-yet-spare, and nuanced. The walls, for instance: you would think they are just the space between the lines that delineate the corners; but then you realize that the walls have texture. Sometimes obviously, but sometimes just a few dots here or there.
The content: eeeyeah! It went through a wide gamut of emotions, disorders, and humorous situations, all varying levels of haunting, inappropriate, violent, crude, but with a very existential underpinning. And, as they are cartoon characters, no matter how messed-up they get in one comic, everyone's alive in the next story. Sometimes the four-character structure felt analogous to the Furry Freak Brothers (down to the cat being a character), but aside from the heavy drug use, the narratives veered far away from most FFB bits.
And it was cruder than a John Waters film at just about every opportunity, which was often.
I found myself laughing. What a bleak, grim, spare, funny, absolutely weird set of comics. Definitely NSFW or the subway or yeah, just read it at home with a nice beverage.
The content: eeeyeah! It went through a wide gamut of emotions, disorders, and humorous situations, all varying levels of haunting, inappropriate, violent, crude, but with a very existential underpinning. And, as they are cartoon characters, no matter how messed-up they get in one comic, everyone's alive in the next story. Sometimes the four-character structure felt analogous to the Furry Freak Brothers (down to the cat being a character), but aside from the heavy drug use, the narratives veered far away from most FFB bits.
And it was cruder than a John Waters film at just about every opportunity, which was often.
I found myself laughing. What a bleak, grim, spare, funny, absolutely weird set of comics. Definitely NSFW or the subway or yeah, just read it at home with a nice beverage.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews