Hamegg
Also known as ハム・エッグ (Hamu ・Eggu)
Hello, My Name (in English) is…
In another example of Tezuka using English words in pun-like fashion, Hamegg’s name is directly lifted from a popular breakfast combination.
Distinguishing Features
Hamegg’s appearance is one of the most distinctive among Tezuka’s varied cast. His round head, permanent grin and large, peering eyes help illustrate him as a consummate shyster. Osamu Tezuka patterned his design after Hollywood actor Peter Lorre, but he also draws a lot of his design from the works of American cartoonist Milt Gross. As Tezuka himself noted in the Afterword to the Osamu Tezuka Complete Manga Works edition (MT-253) of The Mysterious Underground Men (1948), Hamegg was inspired by the villain in an American comic called He Done Her Wrong.
Status: Major Star (★★★★)
Hamegg is one of Osamu Tezuka’s most widely used character actors. Motivated by greed, he is extremely dishonest and a true coward – character traits that make him perfect as a cringe-worthy villain. He is usually cast alongside Acetylene Lamp (in a partnership Tezuka thought worked particularly well) as a henchman or lackey to another star, such as Duke Red, Skunk Kusai or Marukabi Boon.
Notable Roles
His roles run the gamut from lighthearted comedy to darker, more violent characters, and oftentimes the parts he plays involve elements of both.
As one of Tezuka’s oldest characters, he appeared for the first time in Tezuka’s early amateur work, The Old Man’s Treasure Island (1945). Of course, with a repetoire as large as his, he has had many memorable performances, including as Secret Police Inspector Akabane in A Message to Adolf (1983-85), the hunter in Jungle Emperor (1950-54), and numerous ones in Astro Boy (1952-86).
Manga Appearances
If you spot an appearance not already listed, please let us know in the comments section below!
1945
The Old Man’s Treasure Island as “Hamegg”
1948
The Mysterious Underground Men as “Hamegg”
The Four Fencers of the Forest as “Shogun Akahana”
Tobi’s 20 as “a gangster”
King Rocket as “King Rocket’s henchman”
The World of the Queen from a Thousand Years in the Future
Secret Base on the Shari River
Lost World as “a member of the crowd”
1949
Angel Gunfighter
Men with Tails as “the station’s cargo master”
Metropolis as “a Red Party member”
Tarzan’s Cave as “the doctor”
1950
The Wonderful Journey as “Mr. Nonemo’s butler”
Mad Jungle as “a member of the Atomic Energy Committee”
Manga University as “the bartender”
Jungle Emperor (“The Death of Panja“) as “Hamegg, the hunter”
1951
Pippy as “a passenger on the train”
Next World as “Mr. Hick”
Mr. Cactus as “a villain”
Age of Adventure as “the bad guy”
The Moony Men [Manga Shonen] as “the swindler”
Fossil Island as “Morgan”
1952
The Adventure of Rock as “one of the delegates at the Bird Men conference”
1953
X-Point in the South Pacific as “Crack Wolf”
The Monster of the 38th Parallel as “one of the boy’s associates”
Cyrano the Hero as “one of the tax collectors”
Lemon Kid as “Jack Bed”
The Bean President
1954
The Devil of the Earth as “the crooked pachinko parlour owner”
The Phoenix [Manga Shonen] as “a soldier (Scorpion)”
1955
Chief Detective Kenichi (“The Case of the Gorilla”) as “a member of the circus staff”
Astro Boy (“Electro”) as “Skunk’s henchman”
Astro Boy (“Youth Gas”) as “a spectator at the Robotting match”
The Story of Tonkara Valley as “the human trader”
Meteor Prince as “Doragunet’s henchman”
1956
Astro Boy (“Atlas”) as “an evil white man”
The Crane’s Fountain as “Sozu”
Lion Books (“The Next Human Beings”) as “Yasuki”
1957
Whirlwind Z as “a newspaper reporter”
Lion Books (“Skipper Skeleton”) as “a spectator”
The Golden Trunk
1958
Astro Boy (“Crucifix Island”) as “Shikaku Shimen”
The Three Who Glimpse the Future as “Duke Red’s henchman”
Super Taiheiki as “scratch six”
1959
Light
The Song of the White Peacock as “Masukomi”
Dr. Thrill
1960
Someone’s Crazy! as “a crew member”
The Hatsuyume Family
Captain Ken as “the martian mining facility manager”
1961
Astro Boy (“The Third Magician”) as “a spectator at the circus”
Adventure Broadcasting Station as “a member of the criminal gang”
Bongo
1964
Astro Boy (“Bad-Guy Robots”) as “one of the bad guys”
The Great Zeo as “the cabinet minister’s secretary”
1965
Astro Boy (“The Blue Knight”) as “a member of the French Ministry of Science”
Astro Boy (“Slippery Catfish In Imminent Danger”) as “an Agent of Spector”
Wonder 3 as “Jinnai”
Ambassador Magma as “a member of the human resistance”
1967
Astro Boy (“Zolomon’s Jewels”) as “the director of the robot orthopedic hospital”
Astro Boy (“Once Upon a Time”) as “the ringmaster of the robot circus”
Dororo (“The Misery Chronicles”) as “Itachi”
Phoenix [“Future”]
1968
Astro Boy (“The Man Who Returned From Mars”) as “an attendee at Dr. Ochanomizu’s funeral”
Swallowing the Earth as “a sailor”
Norman as “a member of the crowd”
1969
The Crater (“The Octagonal Mansion”) as “one of the gangsters”
The Crater (“The Two-Headed Snake”) as “Ericsson”
The Crater (“The Bell Rings”) as “the owner of the inn”
I.L (“Ransom”) as “a passenger on the bullet train”
Rubbish Poetry as “a member of the audience”
1970
The Crater (“Bag Containing the Future”) as “teacher”
Gachaboi’s Biography as “Hamegg”
Phoenix (“Resurrection”) as “Chin, one of the smugglers”
1971
Lion Books (“Mirage”) as “Shinji’s brother’s hencman”
Lion Books (“Seranade of a Pig’s Navel”) as “a member of Hedoro-bumi”
1972
Lion Books (“Mother River”) as “a member of the Ichimura Yoko Theater troupe”
Lion Books (“The March Covered with Mud”) as “a journalist”
1973
Black Jack (“Is there a Doctor?“) as “Mr. Nikula’s Assistant”
Lion Books (“The Distant Planet”) as “the truck driver”
Black Jack (“A Girl who Became a Bird”) as “the promoter”
1974
Black Jack (“Twice Dead”) as “a member of the jury”
Black Jack (“Captain Park”) as “a spectator”
Black Jack (“Sometimes Like Pearls”) as “a passenger on the train”
Black Jack (“The Two Jans”) as “a member of the German Science Academy”
Black Jack (“Burned Doll”) as “a member of Tempo-gumi”
Black Jack (“Two Loves”) as “a customer at the sushi bar”
1975
Black Jack (“The Two Pinokos”) as “the President’s secretary”
Black Jack (“Gas”) as “the patient who committed suicide”
Black Jack (“A Star Is Born”) as “the interviewer”
Black Jack (“Emergency Shelter”) as “the executive director”
Black Jack (“Treasure Island”) as “one of the kidnappers”
Black Jack (“Con Man, Aspiring’) as “the father’s friend”
The Lower Angel as “the labourer”
Astro Boy (“Astro Boy II”) as “the government official”
Astro Boy (“The Birth of Astro Boy”) as “the robot merchant”
1976
Black Jack (“Pinoko Goes West”) as “the detective”
Black Jack (“Timeout”) as “a member of Yarisugi Construction”
Black Jack (“Burglary”) as “Pete with white eyes”
Black Jack (“Hospital Jack”)
The Three-Eyed One (“Mystery of the Shell Mound”) as “the government official”
The Three-Eyed One (“Prince of the Underground World”)
The Three-Eyed One (“Skeleton Show”) as “the TV station staff”
The Three-Eyed One (“Easter Island”) as “Garcia”
Unico (“Bison Hill”) as “the white man who attacks the Indian village”
1977
Black Jack (“Lost Youth”) as “Abraham Oil’s HR staff”
Black Jack (“A Hill for One”) as “the circus performer”
The Three-Eyed One (“The Underground Captial”) as “the site director”
1978
Black Jack (“Helping Each Other”) as “the executive director”
Black Jack (“Bad Stunt”) as “the manager”
Black Jack (“After the Typhoon”) as “the manager”
1979
The Two Shoguns as “the President of Yarisugi Construction’s right-hand man”
Don Dracula (“The Jaws of Dracula”) as “the smugglers’ delivery man”
1981
The Rainbow Parakeet (“The Lower Depths“) as “Yaocho, the con man”
1982
The Rainbow Parakeet (“The Final Act“) as “the villain trader”
1983
A Message to Adolf as “Inspector Akabane”
1985
Say Hello to Bookila! (“Why Studio 13?”) as “Mr. Nikomi”
Say Hello to Bookila! (“It’s Tough Being a Reporter”) as “Mr. Nikomi”
Say Hello to Bookila! (“The First Attack”) as “Mr. Nikomi”
1986
Atom Cat (“Atom’s First Love”) as “the ringmaster of the robot circus”
Atom Cat (“Pirate Treasure”) as “Murakami Suigun’s pirate henchman”
1987
Atom Cat (“Atom the Artist”) as “the ringmaster of the robot circus”
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