Elephantmen

Elephantmen
250x450px Cover of Elephantmen #1
Publication information
Publisher	Comiccraft (Image Comics)
Schedule	Monthly
Format	Ongoing series
Publication date	July 2006
Number of issues	33 (as of June 2011)
Creative team
Writer(s)	Richard Starkings Tom Scioli Joe Kelly Jill Freshney
Artist(s)	Justin Norman (Moritat) Chris Bachalo Rob Steen Chris Burnham
Letterer(s)	Richard Starkings
Colorist(s)	Justin Norman Nick Filardi Aron Lusen Gregory Wright
Collected editions
Wounded Animals Fatal Diseases Dangerous Liaisons Damaged Goods No Surrender Enemy Species	ISBN 158240691X ISBN 1607061775 ISBN 1607062682 ISBN 9781607061373 ISBN 1582409803 ISBN 1607063514

Elephantmen is an American ongoing monthly comic book published by Image Comics and written by Richard Starkings with art by Moritat and a number of other artists. Issue #1 was released in July 2006.

Overview

Some two hundred years from now, the MAPPO Corporation, headed by the misanthropic and megalomaniacal Japanese scientist, Dr Kazushi Nikken, breeds human/animal hybrids in a secure, top secret facility somewhere in North Africa. The Hybrids are composed of numerous African animal species including Warthogs, Elephants, Camels, Zebras, Rhinos, Hippos, Giraffes and Crocodiles. The process involves implanting embryos into the wombs of kidnapped local women who are disposed of after giving birth. Each child is branded after birth marking them as the property of MAPPO.

These Elephantmen are trained from birth to be soldiers and killers and are indoctrinated with an Orwellian mindset to think of themselves as property of the MAPPO Corporation and to deny any concept of free thought.

Upon discovering these experiments, the United Nations send in an army to storm MAPPO's Secret base. While their mission has not been elaborated at this stage it seems to be a combination of liberating the Elephantmen, investigating the attacks on the local populace and ending the development of MAPPO's illegal army.

MAPPO turns the Elephantmen on the U.N. troops, and horrendous casualties are inflicted on both sides. Ultimately, the U.N. succeed in subduing the Elephantmen and the MAPPO Personnel are arrested. The Elephantmen are rehabilitated and released to establish their own lives in the outside world where they are generally welcomed with distrust and horror from humans. Many of the Elephantmen were assigned jobs by the government.

Publication history

The Elephantmen series is a spin-off from the series Hip Flask, set in the same universe and expanding on details of various minor characters from that series. Each issue features two stories. The first spotlights a different Elephantman and their lives. The second tells, in several parts, a longer story involving a side adventure of Heironymous "Hip" Flask questing for an African artifact.

Elephantmen: War Toys is a three-issue mini-series prequel.

Characters

Elephantmen

• Hieronymus (Hip) Flask - Hippopotamus Hybrid Flask #7A. Hip Flask's tattoo is distorted by a scar so that "Hippopotomas Hybrid Flask #7A" instead reads just "Hip Flask #7A", hence his name. A product of the Human/Animal hybrid research of The MAPPO Corporation, Hip Flask is a walking, talking hippopotamus who works as an advisor for the Information Agency, a government body tasked with monitoring data and information as an aid to law enforcement. He is partnered by a beautiful young woman named Vanity Case who seems to have romantic feelings towards him (much to Hip's embarrassment). Despite his traumatic childhood Hip Flask is shown to be a calm, kind and friendly individual, unlike many of the other Elephantmen who display a great deal of bitterness. Hip Flask was possibly the only Elephantman who dared to ask questions during his childhood education, an act for which he was placed in solitary confinement.
• Ebenezer Hide - Elephant Hybrid. "Ebony" works in the Information Agency with Hip Flask.
• "Tusk" - Warthog Hybrid. He was driven to insanity due to MAPPO's extensive chemical Experimentation to see if the Elephantmen could withstand poisons and harsh chemicals. His body did withstand it but his mind could not. He currently resides at the Elephantmen hospital in downtown Santa Monica
• Casbah Joe - Camel Hybrid. Runs a floating restaurant/night club called the Eye of the Needle.
• Obadiah Horn - Rhinoceros Hybrid. Horn has climbed the ranks of society and has become a successful Los Angeles businessman. He is married to Sahara.
• Elijah Delaney - Crocodile Hybrid. No known characteristics.
• Trench - Zebra Hybrid. He is a Lieutenant in the Los Angeles Police Department.

Humans

• Bianca "Vanity" Case - Hip Flask's partner. She seems to have romantic feelings towards him.
• Joshua Serengheti - The main antagonist in the story. He despises the Elephantmen and wants them all killed.
• Herman Strumm - Mouth Almighty Herman Strumm and his delectable sidekick, Rabbi, entertain satellite radio listeners via Dogstar Radio. He was visited by Elijah Delaney for an interview.
• Sahara - The wife of Obadiah Horn.
• Savannah - A little girl that is interested in the Elephantmen, in particular Ebony.
• Miki - She is a cab driver in Santa Monica. Has a huge crush on Hip.
• Dr. Nikken - Dr. Nikken of the MAPPO corporation used kidnapped women as incubators to bring to term several experimental human/animal hybrids. He originally intended them to be used as "weapons of mass destruction", despite soldiers being incapable of qualifying for the term. This is likely an oversight on the part of the comic writer.

Collected editions

The series is being collected into volumes:

Hardcovers

• Elephantmen: Wounded Animals - Collects #1-7. "They were genetically engineered to be supra-human weapons of mass destruction, but ultimately dismissed collectively as Elephantmen. Hip Flask, Ebony Hide and Obadiah Horn count amongst their number; wounded animals who, despite their differences and origins, must live in the world of man." ISBN 158240691X

• Elephantmen: Fatal Diseases - Collects #8-15 & The Pilot. "A meteor falls in Santa Monica Bay, and the lives of Hip Flask, Ebony Hide, Obadiah Horn, Sahara and her father, Joshua Serengheti converge once again with far-reaching consequences for all." ISBN 1582409153

• Elephantmen, vol. 3: Dangerous Liaisons - Collects #16-23 "The Elephantmen were soldiers – weapons of mass destruction – but now they must live out their lives amongst us. Even so, as three of their number, Hip Flask, Ebony Hide and Obadiah Horn go about their business in Los Angeles, 2259, a MAPPO sleeper cell has plans of their own for them." ISBN 160706250X

Trade Paperbacks

• Elephantmen, vol. 1: Wounded Animals - Collects #1-7. "They were genetically engineered to be supra-human weapons of mass destruction, but ultimately dismissed collectively as Elephantmen. Hip Flask, Ebony Hide and Obadiah Horn count amongst their number; wounded animals who, despite their differences and origins, must live in the world of man." ISBN 158240934X

• Elephantmen, vol. 2: Fatal Diseases - Collects #8-15 & The Pilot. "A meteor falls in Santa Monica Bay, and the lives of Hip Flask, Ebony Hide, Obadiah Horn, Sahara and her father, Joshua Serengheti converge once again with far-reaching consequences for all." - WorldCat - ISBN 1607061775

• Elephantmen: Damaged Goods - Collects #18-20. "Featuring a new cover and short story written and illustrated by Image Comics' rising star Marian Churchland, this full-color trade collects the sold-out issues of Elephantmen focusing on the mademoiselles of Mystery City - Miki, Sahara and Vanity Case. Complete with an extensive sketchbook of Churchland's art." ISBN 9781607061373

• Elephantmen, vol. 3: Dangerous Liaisons - Collects #16-23 "The Elephantmen were soldiers – weapons of mass destruction – but now they must live out their lives amongst us. Even so, as three of their number, Hip Flask, Ebony Hide and Obadiah Horn go about their business in Los Angeles, 2259, a MAPPO sleeper cell has plans of their own for them." ISBN 1607062682

The prequels have also been collected:

• Elephantmen: War Toys, vol. 1: No Surrender - Collects War Toys #1-3. "The battlefield: Europe, recently devastated by a lethal virus. Enter: MAPPO’s soldiers, The Elephantmen. Even in the face of blistering resistance, it seems that nothing can stop MAPPO’s advance across France to the North. But as Hip Flask comes face to face with the last vestiges of humanity in the frozen Scandinavian wastes, he discovers that only the dead see the end of warfare." ISBN 1582409803

• Elephantmen: War Toys, vol. 2: Enemy Species. "In this sequel to the sold-out War Toys Volume 1: No Surrender TP, Yvette is alive, and artist Boo Cook (Judge Dredd, X-Factor) pits her against a new foe... with Hip Flask, Ebony Hide, and Obadiah Horn caught in the middle!" ISBN 1607063514

Film adaptation

At WonderCon in 2010 it was announced by Comicraft/Active Images the option of their Image Comics series Elephantmen by Zucker Productions for major motion picture development. The treatment for the film is being drafted by Richard Starkings, creator and writer of Elephantmen. Starkings shares, "I'm very pleased to be working with producer Janet Zucker and everyone at Zucker Productions. Janet has a wonderful instinct for story and totally understands the more subtle tones of the Elephantmen series." "Richard has created a world of implausible ideas and impossible characters, a world where transgenic animals and human beings come together in a dark, yet hopeful universe," says Janet Zucker. "Jerry (Zucker, Director of Ghost) and I can't wait to bring the stories of Hip, Horn and Sahara to life on screen in a way that will simply take your breath away Starkings was approached by a number of companies and directors interested in optioning the project, but until recently he brushed them away, preferring to concentrate on putting out a good book. "On the road to the creation of Elephantmen, I talked to everyone else in the business and listened to their advice. It's taken a very long time to build the series -- I created these characters fifteen years ago -- and I'm very grateful for our loyal readers and the incredible professional support that the book has received." says Starkings. "I didn't set out with a movie in mind, but I am grateful that this opportunity has come along and allows me to continue to write something that is very dear to me."

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References

• Elephantmen at the Grand Comics Database
• Elephantmen at the Comic Book DB
• Elephantmen: War Toys at the Comic Book DB

External links

• Official website

Interviews

• comiXology.com's podcast with Richard Starkings on Elephantmen #11 and War Toys