Hieronymous "Hip" Flask is a fictional anthropomorphic hippopotamus who appears in comic books published by Active Images and Image Comics. He was created by Richard Starkings. 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, it focuses mainly on other human/animal hybrids, and fleshing out the continuity of the main series, though Hip features 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 Flask without any knowledge of Hairbutt, and that their similarities were a bizarre coincidence. Fictional character biography 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, Hyenas, 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. Hip Flask's scar is distorted so that "Hippopotomas Hybrid Flask #7A" instead reads just "Hip Flask #7A", hence his name. These Elephantmen are trained from birth to be soldiers and killers, they are indoctrinated in an Orwellian mindset