In the midst of the chaos and uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, a Bay Area mom channeled her anxiety into a series of relatable comics.
Alison Wong has been drawing comics since she was a child, but when she became a mother, she created her own strip, New Mom Comics. Her latest installment finds levity in the many ways the novel coronavirus has upended life as she knows it.
“I felt like everywhere I looked was anxiety-provoking news, and my friends were all worried,” Wong told HuffPost. “I wanted to bring some humor to people’s lives, to bring a bit of a break in everyone’s feed. I felt like I had a responsibility to help in some small way.”
The coronavirus-related comics find the humor in social distancing with her 2-month-old and 5-year-old, grocery store chaos, and more. She also paid tribute to workers who still have to report for duty in this time.
For Wong, finding light moments in the midst of trying times is therapeutic.
“I started New Mom Comics when I had my first child, because I realized that new parents had a lot of anxiety,” she explained. “I wanted to bring some humor to the daunting experience of new parenthood and compiled a comic series of the first year. I think the experience might have also helped me here, as I’m trying to pull out something positive in a rather stressful time.”
As Wong’s family shelters in place in the Bay Area, there have been challenges, but she maintains her positive attitude.
“We’re fortunate that my husband can work from home, but it can get a bit crazy in the house,” she noted. “We are taking it one day at a time. In the last week, I feel like every day had a new update that drastically changed our lifestyle.”
Wong said the social media response to her coronavirus-related comics has been “amazing.”
“I have friends from around the world acknowledging how they needed these right now,” she explained. “Like, ‘Thank you so much for this. It’s the perfect balm for a tense and uncertain time.️’”
Ultimately, she’s glad she can provide some respite from the intensity of the global crisis.
Said Wong, “I hope people can have a break from all the news ― to have a laugh and bond with a friend around humor, and not fear.”
Keep scrolling and visit Wong’s Instagram and Facebook page for more comics.
