By Roberta Alvarado | OBSERVER Correspondent
Artelias Guyton stands beside her daughter, Love, in a park dotted with small white flowers, beneath the shade of three tall oak trees. Both were dressed as queen bees — yellow wigs, bold black-and-yellow stripes, flowing skirts, and bee puppets grasping jars of deliciously sweet golden honey glimmering in the sunlight.
Guyton is the founder of Tea Time Honey Flavors, launched in 2019. Her infused honeys, including mint, orange blossom, turmeric, and more, have grown from two hives to 100, with a goal of 1,000 by 2027.
Mentored by Dennis Freeman of Liberation Foods, Guyton is expanding into skincare products for sensitive skin, all of her products are preservative and GMO-free.
Beekeeping, she says, is therapeutic and educational. Guyton is earning a master’s degree in bee biology at UC Davis, studying bee behavior and the production of honey, a natural, non-perishable food.
“If the great pollinators ceased to exist, the world would starve in a year’s time,” she warns, encouraging people to support bee survival which she says doesn’t take much. “Plant a flower in a pot. Put it on the porch for the bees to refuel during their travels.”
At the African Marketplace, Guyton and Love were vending in their bee costumes when Janice Dennie, creator of Kente Comics, approached them. Dennie asked if Guyton would play Star Angel, Defender of the Universe, and if Love would portray Agent Eris, both superheroes from Planet Dubhe on a mission to save humankind in Dennie’s comic series. Since then, they’ve developed a passion for cosplay and storytelling, using it as a meaningful way to reach new audiences.
“People are way more valuable than money, and it’s a lot of fun,” she said.
Snow Angel and Agent Eris will be among the superheroes to appear at the Digital Cafe Digital Cafe on April 26, 2025, from 1–5 PM for the launch of Chalawan Uranus: Rise of the Half-Humanoids. Come dressed as your favorite superhero or anime character and enter the costume contest! Kids under 12 are free; adult tickets are $10 and include a free comic book.