Clan Apis
Clan Apis | |
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![]() Clan Apis (hardback edition) | |
Publication information | |
Publisher | Active Synapse |
Creative team | |
Created by | Jay Hosler |
Written by | Jay Hosler |
Artist(s) | Jay Hosler |
Clan Apis is an award-winning graphic novel created by then Assistant Professor (now Full Professor) of Biology at Juniata College, Jay Hosler. It was originally published by Active Synapse in 1998 as five comic books, and as a single graphic novel in 2000.
Plot
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Clan Apis is the life story of a honey bee named Nyuki.
The story begins with introducing a fictional myth about the ”World Flower”. Nyuki’s life begins a bee larvae, being tsken care of by another bee named Dvorah.She goes through metamorphosis and serves various tasks throughout the beehive.
When the hive swarms Nyuki gets separated from the other bees and ends up almost getting eaten, the final time saved unintentionally by a dung beete named Sisyphus.
Soon the hive runs into trouble, a rogue honeybee from another hive wants to steal their honey. Then a woodpecker attacks the hive, Dvorah getting killed fending it off.
Nyuki meets many new bees working in the hive, Mellissa, Zambur and many others. She also befriends a flower named Bloomington.
Throughout the book Nyuki acts very naively and is often described by other bees as a “goofball”.
At the end of the book, Nyuki dies peacefully at the stem of a Bloomington.
Reception
Popular Science called it "absolutely wonderful" and a "beautiful story", with a "delightful cast".[1] Modern Farmer stated that it was "one of the better graphic novels we’ve ever read, period", commending Hosler's linework and composition and noting the novel's "surprisingly touching plot";[2] similarly, Discover observed its "moving conclusion".[3]
Awards
Xeric Award (1998)[4]
References
- ^ Learning About Bees With Clan Apis, by Maki Naro, at Popular Science; published November 14, 2014; retrieved February 7, 2019
- ^ This Is the Best Comic Book About Bees You’ll Ever Read, by Jake Swearingen, at Modern Farmer; published May 9, 2013; retrieved February 7, 2019
- ^ REVIEWS, by Corey S. Powell; in Discover; published February 1, 2000; retrieved February 7, 2019
- ^ Xeric 1998 Archived 2018-07-26 at the Wayback Machine, at the Xeric Foundation; retrieved February 7, 2019