Hip Flask (comics) - Overview

Overview

The character of Hip Flask first appeared in a number of advertisements for Comicraft comic book fonts in the late 1990s in which he was originally depicted as a private detective (this has since changed in the pages of his own comics). The character was created by Starkings when he failed to receive authorization from Marvel or DC Comics to use their characters in his Comicraft ads. He later graduated to his own series of one-shots by writers Richard Starkings, Joe Casey and artist Ladrönn.

His strip adventures have placed him firmly in the science fiction genre, in a dystopian future (2262). Much of the imagery of Hip Flask's world is reminiscent of the movie Blade Runner, especially as both are set in Los Angeles. The comics have been published once every one or two years, with three issues available as of July 2006.

A monthly series called Elephantmen was first available for sale in stores in July 2006, published by Image Comics. Set in the same universe, focuses mainly on other human/animal hybrids, fleshing out the continuity of the main series, though Hip will feature as well.

In 2001, the character's similarities with an Australian comic book character called Hairbutt (a bumbling anthropomorphic hippopotamus private detective) led Hairbutt co-creator Bodine Amerikah and Darren Close of OzComics to accuse Hip Flask creator Richard Starkings of plagiarism. Starkings replied that he created Hip Flash without any knowledge of Hairbutt, and that their similarities were a bizarre coincidence.