Elephantmen

Last updated
Elephantmen
Publication information
Publisher Comiccraft (Image Comics)
ScheduleMonthly
Format Ongoing series
Publication dateJuly 2006
No. of issues80
Creative team
Written by Richard Starkings
Tom Scioli
Joe Kelly
Jill Freshney
Artist(s) Moritat
Chris Bachalo
Rob Steen
Chris Burnham
Letterer(s) Richard Starkings
Colorist(s) Moritat
Nick Filardi
Aron Lusen
Gregory Wright
Collected editions
Wounded Animals ISBN   978-1-58240-691-6
Fatal Diseases ISBN   978-1-60706-177-9
Dangerous Liaisons ISBN   978-1-60706-268-4
Damaged Goods ISBN   978-1-60706-137-3
No Surrender ISBN   978-1-58240-980-1
Enemy Species ISBN   978-1-60706-351-3

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.

Contents

Overview

Some 200 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.

These Elephantmen are trained from birth to be the perfect emotionless super soldiers and merciless killers. They 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 treated with distrust and horror from humans. Many of the Elephantmen were assigned jobs by the government.

Living with humans has proven to be incredibly difficult for the Elephantmen. The war in which they fought had great consequences as people from both sides (Elephantmen included) lost many loved ones. Not all of those who survived retained their sanity; in fact, some became active hunters who tracked down Elephantmen and then executed them. The series shows that the characters are haunted by memories that are still raw, with some people being driven to insanity due to being unable to let go of the past. It is evident that the Elephantmen themselves show some level of regret towards what they did during the conflict. It is also evident that crimes such as the ivory trade are seen as a good excuse to commit murder, and that even the Elephantmen themselves are involved with the seedy underworld and drug abuse. Women who befriend and become romantically involved with the Elephantmen are treated as outsiders, frowned upon, yet some have nightmares about their offspring and the chances of survival during childbirth. At this time in the series, the species do not accept each other.

The series as a whole is similar to the book Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? . Thus it also bears similarities to the film adaptation of the aforementioned book.

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

Characters

Elephantmen

Humans

Collected editions

Film adaptation

At WonderCon in 2010 Comicraft/Active Images said the option of their Image Comics series Elephantmen was bought by Zucker Productions for development into a film. Starkings himself was working on the draft treatment: "Jerry [Zucker] 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". [1] [2] The project's status is unknown.

Related Research Articles

<i>Der Freischütz</i> German opera by Carl Maria von Weber

Der Freischütz is a German opera with spoken dialogue in three acts by Carl Maria von Weber with a libretto by Friedrich Kind, based on a story by Johann August Apel and Friedrich Laun from their 1810 collection Gespensterbuch. It premiered on 18 June 1821 at the Schauspielhaus Berlin. It is considered the first German Romantic opera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Darkness (character)</span> American comic series

The Darkness is a superhero created by Marc Silvestri, Garth Ennis, and David Wohl, who first appeared in Witchblade #10, published by Top Cow Productions. Jackie Estacado is a New York mafioso who, after turning 21, inherits the curse of the Darkness.

<i>Stray Bullets</i> (comics) American comic book series

Stray Bullets is an independent American comic book series published in black and white by El Capitan Books and Image Comics. It is written and drawn by David Lapham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Starkings</span> British font designer

Richard Starkings is a British font designer and comic book letterer, editor and writer. He was one of the early pioneers of computer-based comic-book lettering, and is one of the most prolific creators in that industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hip Flask (comics)</span>

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.

<i>Nocturnals</i> (comics) 1994–95 comic book series by Dan Brereton

Nocturnals is a comic book title created by artist Dan Brereton which debuted as a six-part limited series in 1994–1995 under Malibu Comics collectively subtitled as Black Planet.

<i>Godland</i> (comics) American comic book series

Gødland is an American comic book series by Joe Casey and Tom Scioli, set in the Image Universe and published by Image Comics from 2005 to 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batman/Aliens</span> 1997 crossover comic book

Batman/Aliens is a crossover between the Batman and Aliens comic book franchises. It was published in 1997. A sequel was released in 2003.

<i>The Astounding Wolf-Man</i> Comic book series

The Astounding Wolf-Man is a superhero comic book series launched by American company Image Comics on May 5, 2007. It ran until its final 25th issue in 2010. A spin-off of Robert Kirkman's Invincible, the series was created and written by Kirkman with art by Jason Howard. The first issue of The Astounding Wolf-Man was given away for free as part of Free Comic Book Day. A "director's cut" edition of the first issue was released in the same date as the second issue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamie McKelvie</span> British illustrator of comic books and graphic novels

Jamie McKelvie is a British cartoonist and illustrator, known for his both work on books such as Phonogram, Young Avengers and The Wicked + The Divine, and his approach to comic character design.

<i>Proof</i> (comics) 2007–2010 comic book series

Proof is an American comic book series, published by Image Comics and created by writer Alex Grecian and artist Riley Rossmo. The story concerns John "Proof" Prufrock, a sasquatch, who works for a secret government organization. He hunts cryptids with his partner, Ginger Brown, and seeks clues to his past. The book was influenced by The X-Files and Tarzan.

<i>The Sword</i> (comics) Image Comics limited series by the Luna Brothers

The Sword is a monthly comic book limited series created by the Luna Brothers and published by American company Image Comics. The first issue was released in October 2007 and the series concluded in May 2010 with a giant-sized 24th issue.

<i>The Mice Templar</i>

The Mice Templar is an American comic book series created by Bryan J. L. Glass, and Michael Avon Oeming that is published by Image Comics. The series is an anthropomorphic fantasy tale that follows the struggles of a small group of mice against an evil tyrant king.

<i>Dark Avengers</i> Group of fictional characters

Dark Avengers is a 2009–2013 American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is part of a series of titles that features various iterations of the superhero team the Avengers, with this version of the team - unbeknownst to the public in its stories - having several members who are actually supervillains and anti-heroes disguised as the established superheroes.

<i>I Kill Giants</i> 2008–09 American comic book series

I Kill Giants is an American comic book limited series published by Image Comics beginning in 2008. The comic was created by writer Joe Kelly and artist J. M. Ken Niimura and features Barbara Thorson, a girl struggling with life by escaping into a fantasy life of magic and monsters.

<i>Chew</i> (comics) American comic book series

Chew is an American comic book series about a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) agent, Tony Chu, who solves crimes by receiving psychic impressions from whatever he consumes as food, no matter what. It is written by John Layman with art by Rob Guillory and published by Image Comics across the storylines Taster's Choice, International Flavor, Just Desserts, Flambé, Major League Chew, Space Cakes, Bad Apples, Family Recipes, Chicken Tenders, Blood Puddin’, The Last Suppers, and Sour Grapes. The series has won two Eisner Awards and two Harvey Awards.

<i>The Invincible Iron Man</i> (comics) Marvel comic book series

The Invincible Iron Man is a comic book series written by Matt Fraction with art by Salvador Larroca, published by Marvel Comics and starring the superhero Iron Man. After issue #33 The Invincible Iron Man returned to its original numbering with issue #500. It concluded with issue 527, succeeded by the Marvel NOW!–imprinted Iron Man series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silver Surfer</span> Fictional character in Marvel Comics

The Silver Surfer is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character also appears in a number of movies, television, and video game adaptations. The character was created by Jack Kirby and first appeared in the comic book Fantastic Four #48, published in 1966.

Nathan Edmondson is an American comic book writer, best known for his creator-owned series Who is Jake Ellis?, published by Image Comics, as well as the runs on The Punisher and Black Widow for Marvel Comics.

<i>Clone</i> (comic)

Clone is a comic book series published by Skybound Entertainment and Image Comics on November 12, 2012. It ran for 20 issues, ending in 2014. The series was created by David Schulner and written by Schulner, Aaron Ginsburg, and Wade McIntyre with art by Juan Jose Ryp and Felix Serrano.

References