"One thing I've learned in life is you can never have too many comic books!"
--Dennis the Menace, 5/12/99
******
        The two best comic books in the known universe are Akiko by Mark Crilley
and Clan Apis by Jay Hosler.  I've written about Akiko in at least a dozen
previous columns, so I'm going to assume you're already buying it on a
regular basis and remembering me in your prayers for turning you on to such
a great comic.  Well, it's time to invest in another pair of knee pads.
        Hosler, previously noted for the "Cow-Boy" strip which used to appear in
these very pages, is an amazing cartoonist and a science guy.  Specifically,
he is an entomologist, which, in English, means "he's buggy for bugs."
These dual occupations combine marvelously in Clan Apis, the story of a
young bee named Nyuki and the life of the hive of which she is a member.
It's an educational comic, yes, but it's also a hoot-and-a-half for readers
of all ages.
        Clan Apis #1 (Active Synapse; $2.95) is the first issue of the five-issue
series and was funded by a generous grant from the Xeric Foundation.  It
opens with veteran bee Dvorah explaining the "Big Bloom" theory to larvae
Nyuki.  Dvorah is capping Nyuki's cell as a step in her kid sister's
metamorphosis into a fully-formed pupa.  Dvorah explains the process; Nyuki
thinks he's just trying to gross her out.  As Hosler recognizes, nature, in
its infinite variety, can get pretty yucky at times.  As Nyuki puts it:
        "I emerge from a cocoon built with my own feces?  Did you say I'd be a pupa
or a 'poop-pa'?  Ha ha!"
        Digression.  My son Eddie was home sick earlier this week and, when he
asked for some comics to read, I gave him Clan Apis #1-4.  It was a thrill
to sit in my office writing while listening to him laughing out loud in his
bedroom.  Never underestimate the power of bodily function humor on the
young, even if the bodies happen to be those of insects.
        Hosler scores big on all counts with this series.  Clan Apis has
fascinating facts, great characters, and very clever dialogue.  Even if
you're not "buggy" about the subject matter, you're going to be intrigued by
the scientific information which the cartoonist entertainingly weaves into
his tale.  Nyuki and Dvorah are as fully realized as any human characters in
comics...and more so than many I could name.  Even the supporting characters
have that spark of reality that's so important to creating and sustaining a
reader's suspension of disbelief.  And, the conversations between all these
characters are nothing short of delightful.
        I think Clan Apis has what it takes to crossover from comics to mainstream
success, both critical and sales-wise.  One pal tells me it's the only comic
his wife reads.  Eddie has suggested we give copies to his teachers to use
in class.  That's a pretty good range for a comic book.
        Here's hoping a Clan Apis collection follows the completion of the series.
This work deserves to be in a format which will allow it to reach as many
readers as possible.
        I recommend Clan Apis to comics fans of all ages, as well as to librarians
and teachers.  You couldn't ask for a better example of what comics, in
their infinite variety, can be.

Read Tony's Tips in the pages of Comics Buyers Guide or online at Tony's Online Tips