The Mystery of the Hipster Cops
April 19, 2011 2:00 PM   Subscribe

Comics writer Scott Synder has noticed that the same two background characters appear in a number of different Marvel and DC comics. Who are these 'Hipster Cops'?
posted by fearfulsymmetry (48 comments total) 25 users marked this as a favorite
 
F'ing Hipster Cops...
posted by pupdog at 2:02 PM on April 19, 2011


You've probably never heard of them.
posted by Mister Fabulous at 2:03 PM on April 19, 2011 [36 favorites]


I'll cop to it. The one on the right is me.
posted by carsonb at 2:04 PM on April 19, 2011


Vegan Police?
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 2:04 PM on April 19, 2011 [5 favorites]


I was totally into cops before it was cool.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 2:06 PM on April 19, 2011 [2 favorites]


Can this be our new mystery to replace taters?
posted by shakespeherian at 2:09 PM on April 19, 2011 [4 favorites]


I'm unaware of what makes them hipsters... facial hair circa 1995 Limp-Bizkit? Anyhow, that is pretty cool. It's strange that it's consistent across authors, illustrators, and characters.
posted by codacorolla at 2:10 PM on April 19, 2011 [6 favorites]


We are through the looking glass people! The hipster cop conspiracy is now the hipster cop fact!

Hipster Cops Facts:

"They don't eat donuts they eat beignets."

"They knew Spiderman back when he was Spiderboy."

"Yeah, they leave parking tickets on the Batmobile. Got a problem with that?"

"They don't walk a beat, they walk rocking a beat."

"They're not doing undercover work, they just don't like wearing uniforms."

"They don't taze or mace you, they just sneer derisively at you from their squad car blaring LCD soundsystem bootlegs."

"Yeah, one looks like Rusty Venture, only because its uncool to look like Rusty Venture."

Saw Scott speak on a panel recently in Chicago. Nice guy.
posted by damn dirty ape at 2:12 PM on April 19, 2011 [12 favorites]


Clearly they're the history monks in charge of comicbook Roundworld.
posted by kmz at 2:12 PM on April 19, 2011 [3 favorites]


Dude needs to seriously stop gnawing his nails.
posted by Thorzdad at 2:12 PM on April 19, 2011 [3 favorites]


God I love stuff like this. But now I must know.
posted by six-or-six-thirty at 2:12 PM on April 19, 2011 [1 favorite]


From the comments, also spotted in "Transformers."
posted by zennie at 2:13 PM on April 19, 2011


Oh, yeah, those guys. They were pretty cool when they used to do cameos in Love and Rockets, but their Marvel/DC stuff sucks.
posted by steambadger at 2:13 PM on April 19, 2011 [18 favorites]


Hipster jokes are boring. I demand more superhero jokes!
posted by shakespeherian at 2:13 PM on April 19, 2011


Same two cops at every crime scene? Clearly, we need to have more tryouts.
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 2:15 PM on April 19, 2011 [5 favorites]


I think I used to work with the redheaded one.
posted by jonmc at 2:17 PM on April 19, 2011


Did anybody else get nervous/excited when they read "comics writer"? Sorry...
posted by queensissy at 2:17 PM on April 19, 2011 [1 favorite]


You know how pretty much every flying superhero uses the Superman stance, fists in front, blocking their view for no very obvious purpose? Superman did it first and then everyone imitated because the stance wasn't patented or anything.

So when you need a couple of DudeBros in the background of a scene, and you find some guys in another comic who look the part but aren't too distinctive, and they aren't even named characters? Sure, why not copy.

Comic books get away with much greater feats of laziness all the time.
posted by LogicalDash at 2:18 PM on April 19, 2011 [2 favorites]


Same two cops at every crime scene?

Maybe they're hipster speedsters, always first on the scene.
posted by jedicus at 2:18 PM on April 19, 2011 [2 favorites]


The Confirmation Bias Police
posted by Seamus at 2:18 PM on April 19, 2011 [5 favorites]


One of them is Rusty Venture, I think.
posted by rmd1023 at 2:19 PM on April 19, 2011 [10 favorites]


I wish the dude had posted a little more info, like authors, titles, publishers, and illustrators, just to see what the connecting details between the books are (if any). I want to see just how deep this rabbit hole goes, but I don't know if I can justify the hours of searching it would take to do it.
posted by codacorolla at 2:20 PM on April 19, 2011


They're rejects from the Moustache Squad.
posted by Zed at 2:21 PM on April 19, 2011


Very considerate of Braniac to design the wrists on his battlesuit to accommodate being handcuffed.
posted by brain_drain at 2:22 PM on April 19, 2011 [5 favorites]


I love the first panel. Hipster Cop #1 calmly handcuffs Lex Luthor with the same expression he'd have on his face during a routine traffic stop, while Luthor glowers over the indignity of being transferred into custody by two ordinary troopers and HC #2 shrugs and smirks as if to say "Eh, it's a living."
posted by The Card Cheat at 2:23 PM on April 19, 2011 [2 favorites]


So much great stuff on Metafilter no time to read it all I need to eat dinner must buy laptop or fancy smart phone so I don't have to get off the internet to eat and do other necessary functions.

Great post! I'll check it out later!
posted by marxchivist at 2:32 PM on April 19, 2011


Endemic misidentification of hipsters: yet another symptom of America's failing educational system?
posted by oinopaponton at 2:33 PM on April 19, 2011 [8 favorites]


Oh right Luthor not Braniac
posted by brain_drain at 2:34 PM on April 19, 2011


The cops are great but J Jonah Jameson harassing young coeds on a college campus with his "monster lizard" sign is really the WTF moment here. I also can't take my eyes of how huge Spiderman's head is in this picture. Its like he has a man-sized head but some supervillian zapped him with a ray that gives you a 11 year old girl's body.
posted by damn dirty ape at 2:38 PM on April 19, 2011


Well, they are not Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird.
posted by zennie at 2:41 PM on April 19, 2011 [1 favorite]


This is a Fringe division matter.
posted by clavdivs at 2:53 PM on April 19, 2011 [2 favorites]


Damn, I guess Jensen and Cougar from The Losers found day jobs...
posted by Katemonkey at 3:00 PM on April 19, 2011 [1 favorite]


One of them is Scott Adams.
posted by Strshan at 3:04 PM on April 19, 2011


And the other is Neal Adams.

Together...
posted by ursus_comiter at 3:07 PM on April 19, 2011 [1 favorite]


Doctor Venture, I presume?
posted by chairface at 3:14 PM on April 19, 2011


I dunno about the dark-haired one but the ginger is obviously Metafilter's own Adam Savage.

A younger version.

Sorry, Adam!
posted by mr_crash_davis at 3:19 PM on April 19, 2011


Hm. The redhead/blond is almost Nicholas Angel, but the brunette is totally the wrong build for Danny.
posted by maryr at 3:36 PM on April 19, 2011


they're just a pair of New York City Cops
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 4:44 PM on April 19, 2011


My bet is that Marvel and DC have a big stack of 5-point turnaround studies of nameless characters that can be slipped into the background as needed.

Or even better, Kirby did it.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 5:52 PM on April 19, 2011


They're Skrulls!
posted by Nedroid at 6:47 PM on April 19, 2011 [2 favorites]


It's part of a massive crossover called Crisis At Infinite Deerhunter Concerts. They're all from Elseworlds, and we discover that nothing is as it seems. COLLECT ENTIRE EVENT, IT IS ARCHITECTED BY GRANT MORRISON ON THE BACK OF A SMALL NAPKIN AND WILL HAVE SEVERE AND TEMPORARY IMPACTS ON THE COSTUMES OF BOOSTER GOLD AND BLUE BEETLE, LEADING TO SPINOFF TITLES BOOSTER BEETLE AND BLUE GOLD, WHICH WILL LAST THREE ISSUES EACH BEFORE BEING MULCHED. BATMAN APPEARS IN EVERY ISSUE. ALSO JUSTICE LEAGUE WILL HAVE A BUMPER-SIZED RAPE ISSUE. EXCELSIOR!
posted by tumid dahlia at 6:52 PM on April 19, 2011 [12 favorites]


Okay but more importantly, can anyone tell me why the foreign listings on Netflix Instant are suddenly glutted with James Bond movies?
posted by shakespeherian at 6:55 PM on April 19, 2011


The answer is simple. Find the two friendliest, most helpful editors in the industry, and they will look just like these guys, that's who they are. See also: Mastermind, The Perfesser and Mr. Nice (who also makes an appearance as Iron Horse in Green Lantern).
posted by Slap*Happy at 7:11 PM on April 19, 2011 [4 favorites]


Crisis At Infinite Deerhunter Concerts

I did not read this entire comment. You still got a Favorite out of me for it. If only. Earth 606 State.
posted by yerfatma at 8:01 PM on April 19, 2011


Oh for god's sake they're names are Dylan and James and they need the work and love each other very much. Sheesh.
posted by The Whelk at 8:31 PM on April 19, 2011 [4 favorites]


From the comments under the article - Draw Me In. One man's quest to become a comic book extra! What a fun idea. He's been quite successful too (22 so far).
posted by unliteral at 8:46 PM on April 19, 2011 [1 favorite]


You know what, that's a good idea.

I'm gonna auction off roles as featured background characters for my project.

I am deadly serious.
posted by The Whelk at 9:13 PM on April 19, 2011 [3 favorites]


Oh for god's sake they're names are Dylan and James and they need the work and love each other very much. Sheesh.

"A gay, hipster cop? You're an interesting guy, Brian."
posted by defenestration at 10:16 PM on April 19, 2011 [1 favorite]


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