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Sneak Peek: Hip Flask: Elephantmen

Posted: Monday, July 7
By: Markisan Naso

Comicraft’s publishing arm, Active Images has released six First Look preview pages from Hip Flask: Elephantmen which hits stores July 16th.

The story of Hip Flask is set in the world of the 23rd century. Hieronymous "Hip" Flask is a human/hippo hybrid, one of the survivors of a series of genetic engineering experiments conducted by the sinister MAPPO organization at a secret facility deep in the heart of Africa. Led by Doctor Kazushi Nikken, MAPPO sponsored the creation of human/African animal hybrids with the intention of breeding a race of suprahuman biological weapons they could sell to the highest bidder. After the emancipation of Flask -- and hundreds more creatures like him -- by a UN coalition, they are rehabilitated and allowed to live peacefully in the world of man which dismisses them as "Elephantmen."

Elephantmen, by Richard Starkings, Joe Casey and Ladronn, picks up the story begun in Hip Flask: Unnatural Selection and establishes the key players of the epic The Big Here & The Long Now that will follow these two prologue stories. Set in the city of Los Angeles, circa 2262, Elephantmen reintroduces Hip Flask and reveals the world he now lives in, and how he and the rest of the Elephantmen are being treated twenty years after being released from captivity.

Hip now works for a government bureau known as The Information Agency. The young and lovely and very human Vanity Case is Hip’s fellow Information Agent, a rookie who has been partnered with Hip because no one else wants the job; Obadiah Horn is a human/rhino hybrid who seems to have overcome the obstacles and prejudices presented to the Elephantmen by man and has established himself as an enormously wealthy and successful trader. Horn enjoys the support and devotion of the beautiful Sahara.

Elephantmen also introduces readers to Serengheti, a rival trader whose envy of Hornıs success is matched only by his hatred for all the Elephantmen, and The Silencer, a former MAPPO employee who somehow escaped judgement for the part he played in the corruption and abuse of Hip Flask and his kind.

If you were blown away by Ladronn’s beautiful color art for Unnatural Selection, youıre going to be startled by the advances he’s made in Elephantmen.

Ladronn, Joe Casey and Richard Starkings will be signing copies of Elephantmen at the Comicraft/Active Images booth at the upcoming San Diego Comic Con.