Posted in: Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News, Image | Tagged: Hip Flask, Ladronn

Twenty-Five Years Late, Ladrönn's Final Fifth Issue of Hip Flask

Twenty-five years late, here comes Ladrönn's final fifth issue of Hip Flask, as well as preview art you won't anywhere else.

Published Sat, 03 May 2025 15:01:09 -0500

by Rich Johnston

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Article Summary

Hip Flask #5, the long-awaited finale by Ladrönn and Richard Starkings, arrives after 25 years.
This issue concludes the epic Big Here and The Long Now saga, resolving major storylines and origins.
Creator Richard Starkings teases more Hip Flask sequels coming soon, with surprises for fans.
Hip Flask, a detective hippo in a Blade Runner-inspired future LA, was born from Comicraft ads.

The fifth and final issue of Hip Flask, the sequel to Richard Starkings' long-running Image series, Elephantmen, is being published by Comicraft on Kickstarter nearly twenty-five years after they first published the first issue. "Ladrönn started work on Hip Flask in 1999," says Richard Starkings, creator and writer of the series, "He was still working on Inhumans for Marvel, although that series was cut short and he was able to start Hip Flask in 2000. No, I never thought I would be waiting 25 years for this issue, but I'm very happy that it is ready now!"

Twenty-Five Years Late, Ladrönn's Final Fifth Issue of Hip Flask — Hip Flask #5 by Richard Starkings and Ladronn

Hip Flask: Irreversible ties up The Big Here and The Long Now storyline, which began in Hip Flask #3: Mystery City. "All five issues are, of course, one big epic storyline, including the origin of the Elephantmen and the death of some major characters. The trick was creating Elephantmen as a 90-issue (and counting) prequel to Hip Flask." Says Starkings.

"Long-time readers will be happy to know that Axel Medellin, our regular Elephantmen artist, and I have already created sequels to the Hip Flask storyline, which will appear in the not-too-distant future! No spoilers, as some characters will be missing after Irreversible!"

Hieronymous "Hip" Flask is a anthropomorphic hippopotamus and 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. 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. Set in a dystopian future Los Angeles, much of the imagery of Hip Flask's world is reminiscent of the movie Blade Runner.

In the meantime, Hip Flask #5 is available on Kickstarter throughout May. You can see preview of the fifth and final issue there… but here are some pages on Bleeding Cool that you won't find anywhere else.