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Hip Flask comicbooks
01/02/2006 . Source: Paul Skevington 
Hip Flask: Unnatural Selection. (pub: Comicraft. 32 page comic. Price: $ 2.99 (US)). Hip Flask: Elephant Man. (pub: Comicraft. 33 page comic. Price: $ 3.50 (US)). Hip Flask: Mystery City. (pub: Comicraft. 53 page comic. Price: $ 4.99 (US). ISBN: 0-9766761-9-2. Buy from Amazon US - Buy from Amazon UK
nb: US titles may only be available from Amazon US, and UK titles from Amazon UK. check out websites: www.comicraft.com and www.hipflask.com
When I first saw these comics with their lurid images of a strangely dressed bipedal hippopotamus, I wasn't quite sure what I was letting myself in for. I immediately started to fear that they would prove to be nothing more than an annoyingly gimmicky and predictably clichéd series of books that would probably adhere to all of the most negative connotations I had of the word 'pulp'. I began to suspect that it would be filled with terrible, lackadaisical writing and doubted whether the interior art would stand up to the high quality of the covers.
I couldn't have been more wrong.
It didn't take me very long to fall in love with 'Hip Flask' and its strange world of genetically engineered animal-men, shadow-draped streets and overwhelmingly tall buildings. I can only be thankful that I received all three existing issues in one go, allowing me to avoid the painful experience of gnawing at my knuckles in frustration, waiting for the next instalment to arrive.
'Hip Flask: Unnatural Selection' introduces us to this world by depicting the creation of the so-called Elephant Men. A mad scientist lurks in his compound in the desert, accompanied by a massive staff of scientists and security guards. Here, thousands of women are being used as the vessels of an obscene experiment involving the merging of human and animal DNA with the aim of creating the ultimate soldier. We follow these fledgling creatures as they grow and receive the training that will transform them into death-dealing monsters or so the facility hopes. Attempts are made to eliminate from within them any lingering sense of self-worth or individuality.
Things inevitably go wrong and eventually the creatures are liberated from the compound, setting up the beginning of the next issue 'Hip Flask: Elephant Men'. This second issue continues the tale of two of the hybrid creatures featured in the opening instalment. A side story briefly shows Obadiah Horn, now the owner of a hugely successful company, as he attempts to find a surcease to his inner turmoil in the company of the animals his DNA is partly drawn from. He is accompanied by Sahara, a human woman who is also his wife. The main thrust of the issue introduces us to the titular character Hip Flask, a hard-bitten gumshoe who works for a group called the Information Agency alongside his partner, Vanity Case. When we first meet them they are helping out another Elephant-man named Jeremiah as he clears up the mess that has been made of his specialist clothing store, having been vandalised by prejudiced humans.
The comic draws to a close with a time-travel experiment that goes spectacularly haywire, leading us nicely into the latest issue 'Hip Flask: Mystery Men'. Hip begins to investigate the scientist's failed endeavour and as the comic's title suggests, the deeper he gets the more the questions multiply. The amoral scientist who created the Elephant-men promises that he will escape his prison and Obadiah Horn becomes embroiled in a war that may have been instigated by an unknown third party. It could be something to do with the prejudice experienced by the Elephant-men in the predominantly human society or is this just an excuse for the hidden manipulation of the key players? Events build to a to a powerful and emotive double climax.
From these brief synopses it should be clear that 'Hip Flask' draws on the ideas and imagery of what we would term 'pulp' Science Fiction. It has a mad scientist and intelligent animal-men. In scale of narrative and grandeur of vision, it matches the greatest of space operas. However, do not mistake this for a bland retread of these ageing literary edifices. These comics are the culmination of a process of cultural distillation, siphoning the best elements from a variety of mediums, before placing them within one lovingly crafted package. The aesthetics of 'Blade Runner' are present in the sweeping panels filled with neon-lit advertisements and the grimy streets infested with noodle shacks and people wearing questionable headgear. The double page spread in 'Elephant-men' that depicts the towering skyline of the city's buildings and the complex tangling of its metallic roadways tellingly has a road-sign advising drivers to 'exit at Miyazaki for Shirow'. This, of course, refers to two people, both of whom are Japanese artists. Hayao Miyazaki is the creator of the animated masterpiece 'Spirited Away' along with several other highly respected anime films including most recently 'Howl's Moving Castle'. His influence is most readily observable in the Elephant-men as the creators, like Miyazaki, manage to imbue inhuman characters that could easily have seemed ridiculous with the kind of credibility and pathos they require. The fact that Sahara can love someone so monstrously different does not seem absurd. Hip's concealed love for Vanity is tragically moving where it could have so easily been tragically flawed. This isn't 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'. It's adult-orientated important art.
Masamune Shirow is the artist and writer behind such classic anime and manga as 'Appleseed', 'Dominion' and 'Ghost In The Shell'. Those familiar with his works will recognise his influence in the textures and shapes of the city itself and the technology it is filled with, organic and yet still obviously man-made.
'Hip Flask' is more than the sum total of its reference material though. It has an unprecedented ability to depict scenes of genuine horror, leaving the poor unsuspecting reader stricken, before moving onwards to something completely different. It's filled with charming humour, such as Hip singing 'Mud Glorious Mud' to himself whilst in the bath and the plot is engaging. On top of this, Ladronn's artwork is stunning and virtually flawless. This is the kind of art that will have you flicking through the pages of the books time and time again. My copies have barely left my side since I received them.
My fondest hope for this series is that it gets the reception from the SF community that it deserves. Perhaps with a growth in readership, the release schedule will increase to more than one a year. In the meantime, I've got some serious knuckle gnawing to do.
Paul Skevington
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