Videos and Lectures
Here is my TEDx lecture "Science Comics Save the World!"
Texas Lutheran University invited me to speak at the Krost Symposium. Watch the video of the talk.
I spoke at the Juniata College Senior Awards Convocations and read them a story. Watch the video (speech is in first 10 minutes of video).
The Juniata College Museum of Art had an exhibit of my science comics. Watch the intro video here.
For you process junkies, here is a time lapse video of me drawing and inking a comics page.
Here is my TEDx lecture "Science Comics Save the World!"
Texas Lutheran University invited me to speak at the Krost Symposium. Watch the video of the talk.
I spoke at the Juniata College Senior Awards Convocations and read them a story. Watch the video (speech is in first 10 minutes of video).
The Juniata College Museum of Art had an exhibit of my science comics. Watch the intro video here.
For you process junkies, here is a time lapse video of me drawing and inking a comics page.
News
Science comics are part of the Art of Children's Books exhibit at the Mansfield Museum of Art.
Last of the Sandwalkers is a 2016-2017 Black-Eyed Susan Nominee
Gene Yang, the Library of Congress's National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, recommends Last of the Sandwalkers!
The Los Angeles Public Library has included Last of the Sandwalkers on its Best of 2015: Teen Books list!
Last of ths Sandwalkers has been named to the Texas Little Maverick Reading List by the Texas Library Service!
The Young Adult Library Services Association has named The Last of the Sandwalk Adventures as a 2016 Great Graphic Novel for Teens.
Compass Book Ratings has included The Sandwalk Adventures on their Give the Best Books! 2015 Holiday Gift Guide
Harper College has selected Clan Apis as part of its community reading initiative One Book, One Harper!
Scholastic Instructor lists Last of the Sandwalkers as one of their 50 Best Books for Summer!
The Washington Post shares Fifty Great Books for Kids to Read this Summer and Last of the Sandwalkers is on the list!
Wired features Last of the Sandwalkers on its Must-Read Insect Books of the Summer!
Science comics are part of the Art of Children's Books exhibit at the Mansfield Museum of Art.
Last of the Sandwalkers is a 2016-2017 Black-Eyed Susan Nominee
Gene Yang, the Library of Congress's National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, recommends Last of the Sandwalkers!
The Los Angeles Public Library has included Last of the Sandwalkers on its Best of 2015: Teen Books list!
Last of ths Sandwalkers has been named to the Texas Little Maverick Reading List by the Texas Library Service!
The Young Adult Library Services Association has named The Last of the Sandwalk Adventures as a 2016 Great Graphic Novel for Teens.
Compass Book Ratings has included The Sandwalk Adventures on their Give the Best Books! 2015 Holiday Gift Guide
Harper College has selected Clan Apis as part of its community reading initiative One Book, One Harper!
Scholastic Instructor lists Last of the Sandwalkers as one of their 50 Best Books for Summer!
The Washington Post shares Fifty Great Books for Kids to Read this Summer and Last of the Sandwalkers is on the list!
Wired features Last of the Sandwalkers on its Must-Read Insect Books of the Summer!
Interviews
I've had the opportunity to answer to some very interesting questions lately. Here are a few interviews I've done for the release of Last of the Sandwalkers.
Jay Hosler Interview (about 40 minutes) on the The Busy Librarian Podcast (August 14, 2015)
Bugging Jay Hosler About His Graphic Novel Last Of The Sandwalkers: Bleeding Cool (April 8, 2015)
Jay Hosler Interview: Comics are the “most powerful” medium for teaching: The Beat (April 8, 2015)
Adventure, Science & Beetles - These are the "Last of the Sandwalkers: Comic Book Resources Comic Book Resources (May 14, 2015)
I've had the opportunity to answer to some very interesting questions lately. Here are a few interviews I've done for the release of Last of the Sandwalkers.
Jay Hosler Interview (about 40 minutes) on the The Busy Librarian Podcast (August 14, 2015)
Bugging Jay Hosler About His Graphic Novel Last Of The Sandwalkers: Bleeding Cool (April 8, 2015)
Jay Hosler Interview: Comics are the “most powerful” medium for teaching: The Beat (April 8, 2015)
Adventure, Science & Beetles - These are the "Last of the Sandwalkers: Comic Book Resources Comic Book Resources (May 14, 2015)
Reviews
Last of the Sandwalkers
Booklist: “A sprawling, fully realized mythology with a complexity that rivals Tolkien…[The] characters are far from human, but filled with humanity.”
Publishers Weekly: “… an intriguing look at life from only a few millimeters off the ground….Hosler peppers real-world facts throughout the story, showcasing the wild and wonderful ways bugs have adapted to nature. With that he mingles themes of family, forgiveness, and freedom of ideas, and even manages to make big-eyed, mandibled crawlers emotive without getting too cartoony."
Kirkus: “Hosler’s sincere excitement in both the pursuit of knowledge and the power of comics makes these bugs eminently memorable. “
New York Times Sunday Book Review: "Hosler, a biologist, packs this graphic novel with facts about bugs, but the action hurtles forward. The suspenseful story features an isolated society of beetles unaware that many other kinds of creatures exist. Lucy, our intrepid heroine, leads a scientific mission to explore beyond the oasis, uncovering the terrifying wonder of birds, snakes, et al., as well as the machinations of nefarious elders that had kept the beetles veiled in superstitious ignorance. Bad plan: You can’t squash science!"
Boing Boing: "Last of the Sandwalkers masterfully combines storytelling with science"
Bleeding Cool: "It’s a beautiful blend of adventure and science-fiction, abundant in humor (“BOOGA BOOGA!”), and with plenty of twists and turns keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end....Last of the Sandwalkers has been one of the most enjoyable reads in recent memory."
Open Book Society: "Last of the Sandwalkers is a graphic novel that even non-comic readers can pick up and enjoy. It’s a joyous story of insects and their trials and tribulations in a world hither unknown to them. It speaks to tweenies and to the oldest of us all, with the story well paced and exciting, yet keeping all factors of insect life firmly rooted in science."
Panels: "It’s a story that fits squarely in the Disney tradition, with plucky anthropomorphic creatures standing in for people and exploring concepts like tradition, home, and finding your place in the world. It’s helped along tremendously by Hosler’s lively art, which does a great job conveying the world from the perspective of inches-high creatures."
Word Spelunking (blog): “Part graphic novel, part adventure story, Jay Hosler’s Last of the Sandwalkers is an exciting, entertaining, and enlightening book!”
What'cha Reading(blog): "I was blown away by this book, not only for the tight storytelling, but the sheer amount of science included in the story... Hosler [also] provides some fascinating art..."
Goodreads: 4.22 stars
Compass Book Reviews: "A fantastic read with delightful pictures, this is a great graphic novel for children or teens who are interested in biology, specifically entomology, but aren't quite ready for heady text books."
TeenReads: This book manages to capture something rare --- the spirit of scientific curiosity and exploration merged seamlessly with a story of a family succeeding against incredible odds....a compelling and fun read.
Last of the Sandwalkers
Booklist: “A sprawling, fully realized mythology with a complexity that rivals Tolkien…[The] characters are far from human, but filled with humanity.”
Publishers Weekly: “… an intriguing look at life from only a few millimeters off the ground….Hosler peppers real-world facts throughout the story, showcasing the wild and wonderful ways bugs have adapted to nature. With that he mingles themes of family, forgiveness, and freedom of ideas, and even manages to make big-eyed, mandibled crawlers emotive without getting too cartoony."
Kirkus: “Hosler’s sincere excitement in both the pursuit of knowledge and the power of comics makes these bugs eminently memorable. “
New York Times Sunday Book Review: "Hosler, a biologist, packs this graphic novel with facts about bugs, but the action hurtles forward. The suspenseful story features an isolated society of beetles unaware that many other kinds of creatures exist. Lucy, our intrepid heroine, leads a scientific mission to explore beyond the oasis, uncovering the terrifying wonder of birds, snakes, et al., as well as the machinations of nefarious elders that had kept the beetles veiled in superstitious ignorance. Bad plan: You can’t squash science!"
Boing Boing: "Last of the Sandwalkers masterfully combines storytelling with science"
Bleeding Cool: "It’s a beautiful blend of adventure and science-fiction, abundant in humor (“BOOGA BOOGA!”), and with plenty of twists and turns keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end....Last of the Sandwalkers has been one of the most enjoyable reads in recent memory."
Open Book Society: "Last of the Sandwalkers is a graphic novel that even non-comic readers can pick up and enjoy. It’s a joyous story of insects and their trials and tribulations in a world hither unknown to them. It speaks to tweenies and to the oldest of us all, with the story well paced and exciting, yet keeping all factors of insect life firmly rooted in science."
Panels: "It’s a story that fits squarely in the Disney tradition, with plucky anthropomorphic creatures standing in for people and exploring concepts like tradition, home, and finding your place in the world. It’s helped along tremendously by Hosler’s lively art, which does a great job conveying the world from the perspective of inches-high creatures."
Word Spelunking (blog): “Part graphic novel, part adventure story, Jay Hosler’s Last of the Sandwalkers is an exciting, entertaining, and enlightening book!”
What'cha Reading(blog): "I was blown away by this book, not only for the tight storytelling, but the sheer amount of science included in the story... Hosler [also] provides some fascinating art..."
Goodreads: 4.22 stars
Compass Book Reviews: "A fantastic read with delightful pictures, this is a great graphic novel for children or teens who are interested in biology, specifically entomology, but aren't quite ready for heady text books."
TeenReads: This book manages to capture something rare --- the spirit of scientific curiosity and exploration merged seamlessly with a story of a family succeeding against incredible odds....a compelling and fun read.
Essays
Boing Boing Cover Reveal
The ineffable joy of transforming boring scientific explanations into exciting comics
Last of the Sandwalkers Blog Tour
To promote the release of Last of the Sandwalkers, First Second arrange for me to go on a blog tour. At each stop I drew a beetle from the book and wrote a short essay about the species. Click on the links below to get even more information about beetles than was packed in the book.
Bark beetles: Seven Impossible Things (Tuesday, March 24)
Professor Bombardier and bombardier beetles: Great Kid Books (Wednesday, March 25)
Bugs and ant-loving rove beetles: The Brain Lair (Thursday, March 26)
The Carrion-Burying Beetle: Supernatural Snark (Friday, March 27)
Cokie and lady bugs: The Book Rat (Monday, March 30)
Eliza the diving beetle: Miss Print (Tuesday, March 31)
Lucy and the desert fog harvesting beetle: Mr. Schu Reads (Wednesday, April 1)
Ma-dog the tiger beetle: Geek Dad (Thursday, April 2)
Miriam and burrowing beetles: Cuddlebuggery (Friday, April 3)
Mossy the rhinoceros beetles: Librarian’s Quest (Monday, April 6)
Professor Owen: SLJ Scope Notes (Tuesday, April 7)
Raef the firefly: Alice Marvels (Wednesday, April 8)
Captain of the soldier beetle: The Roarbots (Thursday, April 9)
Whirligig beetles: Sharp Read (Friday, April 10)
Boing Boing Cover Reveal
The ineffable joy of transforming boring scientific explanations into exciting comics
Last of the Sandwalkers Blog Tour
To promote the release of Last of the Sandwalkers, First Second arrange for me to go on a blog tour. At each stop I drew a beetle from the book and wrote a short essay about the species. Click on the links below to get even more information about beetles than was packed in the book.
Bark beetles: Seven Impossible Things (Tuesday, March 24)
Professor Bombardier and bombardier beetles: Great Kid Books (Wednesday, March 25)
Bugs and ant-loving rove beetles: The Brain Lair (Thursday, March 26)
The Carrion-Burying Beetle: Supernatural Snark (Friday, March 27)
Cokie and lady bugs: The Book Rat (Monday, March 30)
Eliza the diving beetle: Miss Print (Tuesday, March 31)
Lucy and the desert fog harvesting beetle: Mr. Schu Reads (Wednesday, April 1)
Ma-dog the tiger beetle: Geek Dad (Thursday, April 2)
Miriam and burrowing beetles: Cuddlebuggery (Friday, April 3)
Mossy the rhinoceros beetles: Librarian’s Quest (Monday, April 6)
Professor Owen: SLJ Scope Notes (Tuesday, April 7)
Raef the firefly: Alice Marvels (Wednesday, April 8)
Captain of the soldier beetle: The Roarbots (Thursday, April 9)
Whirligig beetles: Sharp Read (Friday, April 10)