Nyoka the Jungle Girl #18

Lumber Jack's insufferable bragging about his own physique finally gets a comeuppance when Nyoka and Trader Tom decide they've heard quite enough of his boasting. This quick jungle humor tale skewers vanity with a perfectly timed punchline that'll make you smile.

Lion-hearted Leo, a nervous animal trainer working in the circus, has had enough of getting bitten during his cage act—so he comes up with a plan involving banana peels to keep a charging lion at bay during his next performance. When his scheme backfires in the most slapstick way possible, Leo finds himself in a wild chase that turns into something entirely unexpected. It's a four-page romp through circus chaos and comedic mishaps that shows sometimes the best acts are the ones you don't plan.

Nyoka finds herself trapped by the murderous artist Van Morte, who's determined to finish his twisted masterpiece—her portrait—before silencing his model forever. When an FBI agent arrives to help, he discovers Van Morte's obsession with his painting runs deeper than his will to live, leading to a desperate gambit in the jungle that turns the tables in ways neither Nyoka nor her rescuer anticipated.

Trader Tom gets a customer named Blakely looking to purchase a suitcase, only to discover the salesman's inventory contains some decidedly unusual inventory—everything from exploding cigars to itchy powder and stink bombs. This quick-witted jungle tale plays the comedy for all it's worth as these peculiar goods take center stage in the transaction.

Nyoka's companion Wilbur learns a hard lesson in restaurant etiquette when he decides a fingerbowl is the perfect place to rinse off his dirty fork—much to the waiter's bewilderment. This quick-witted humor piece plays on the confusion between a diner's delicate table manners and pure practicality, all in the span of half a page.

Nyoka the Jungle Girl takes readers on a tour of one of Africa's most unusual residents in this educational feature—the aardvark, a peculiar insect-eater with a pig's nose, bear's fur, and donkey's ears that's earned itself the dubious distinction of being nature's homeliest creation. Through Nyoka's eyes, we learn how this stocky creature uses its powerful claws to excavate termite mounds at night and dig burrows for shelter, while also discovering why these rare animals face pressure from local hunters who consider them a prized food source.

Nyoka agrees to guide Mr. Cummings on a jungle hunting expedition, but when a blow to the head leaves him delusional, he declares himself the Emperor of the Jungles and forces captives to fight his caged gorilla for sport. Now Nyoka must outwit the unhinged Cummings and stop his brutal games before she becomes his next victim.