Broken Frontier

With the excitement mounting higher as the release of ELEPHANTMEN from Image Comics draws near, Active Images announces that the book that started it all, HIP FLASK: UNNATURAL SELECTION, has sold out! The total number of UNNATURAL SELECTION books sold is an amazing 26,000 copies, an outstanding number for a small press publisher.

Image Comics and Active Images are arranging for a Director's Cut reprint of UNNATURAL SELECTION soon to support the all-new monthly HIP FLASK series, ELEPHANTMEN, which launches this July.

“HIP FLASK's success has been very rewarding for me,” said Richard Starkings, creator of HIP FLASK and ELEPHANTMEN. “To see it grow and mature, and sell so successfully in such a competitive market, just blows me away. I can’t thank retailers and fans enough for their support of this book over the years. And, of course, I couldn't have made the book without my good friends Ladronn and Joe Casey.”

A few copies of the hardcover edition of HIP FLASK: UNNATURAL SELECTION (Active Images, Writers: Starkings and Joe Casey, Artist: Ladronn; $29.95, ISBN: 0-9740567-0-7, full color, 48-page oversized hardcover) are still available at good comic book stores and on Amazon.com  The book collects the remastered and expanded 'widescreen' art and story from UNNATURAL SELECTION and also pages and covers from HIP FLASK: ELEPHANTMEN.

ELEPHANTMEN (Image Comics, $2.99, 32 pages, ongoing monthly series) begins this July with covers by Ladronn and stories by Starkings and regular series artist Moritat.  Future issues will feature back-up stories by guest artists such as Henry "DREDD/ALIENS" Flint, Tom "GODLAND" Scioli, Duncan THE NIGHTMARIST" Rouleau, David "SPAWN" Hine, and a whole issue by Joe "SUPERGIRL" Kelly, Chris "X-MEN" Bachalo and Aron "DEAD SAMURAI" Lusen. For more on ELEPHANTMEN, go to http://www.hipflask.com/issues/elephantmen01/index.html

Issues 2 and 3 of HIP FLASK -- HIP FLASK: MYSTERY CITY and HIP FLASK: ELEPHANTMEN -- are still available in finer comic book stores.

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ELEPHANTMEN #1

written by RICHARD STARKINGS
art & flip cover by MORITAT
cover by JOSE LADRONN

“SEE THE ELEPHANT“
They were genetically engineered to be supra-human weapons of mass destruction, but now they must walk amongst the people they were created to destroy. Hip Flask and Ebony Hide count amongst their number: Elephantmen. Even when befriended by a small girl, Hide is still haunted by his past and is forced to recognize that suspicion and contempt will always be his constant companions.

July 19 • 32 pg • FC • $2.99