Hamegg is a frequent player in the Osamu Tezuka Star System, and a regular antagonist in various Astro Boy series. He usually appears as a shady circus ringleader, the second person to own and raise Astro, and often appears as a general criminal throughout the rest of the series.
Appearance[]
Osamu Tezuka was inspired to create Hamegg from two sources, one being the villain of Milt Gross's He Done Her Wrong, and the Hungarian-German actor Peter Lorre. Hamegg has a very distinct round face, based on Lorre's, and a wide toothy grin, based on Gross's villain.
Most often, Hamegg is depicted as a lanky man in his 30s-40s, with a mustache and slicked-back black hair. On rare occasion he has been depicted with differently-coloured hair (dark green, Metropolis) or even as a different ethnicity (Jetter Mars).
Personality[]
Hamegg can be best described as shady and slimy. He is often scheming, or helping others pursue their schemes. His most well-known Star System roles are as a crooked circus owner or as a mob henchman. Hamegg is generally motivated towards crime by a love of money and power. Despite this, he is also cowardly and easily frightened. He may be comfortable pushing Astro around, but has been intimidated by Dr. Ochanomizu and Skunk.
He often appears as a criminal alongside Lamp, Marukabi Boon, and Skunk, but Hamegg is the most meek and skittish out of the group.
Manga[]
The Original Astro Boy[]
Hamegg, drawn by Ken Steacy
Hamegg, appearing under the name Mr. Cacciatore, is a secondary antagonist in the 1987 NOW! Comics series. He is a shady businessman and ringmaster who purchases Astro from Dr. Boynton. Cacciatore maintains aggressive control over Astro with a robot spider bomb called Bruno, and for the most part, neglects the upkeep of his other robots. When Cacciatore's circus burns down, he turns to organized crime, and acts as the middleman in orchestrating a robot siege on the Institute of Science.
Anime[]
1963 series[]
Ringmaster Hamegg
Hamegg first appears in the 1963 series, buying Astro from Dr. Tenma. He takes him into the circus as a main attraction. He is cruel towards Astro and easily frustrated with him, but regardless, Astro still saves Hamegg's life when the circus collapses and starts on fire. Ochanomizu meets Hamegg in the hospital, taking Astro away, much to Hamegg's dismay. In the English dub, he is named Mr. Cacciatore and given a heavy Italian accent.
From this point, Hamegg's design appears throughout the 1963 series as a part-time criminal, an odd-job worker or at times a scientist, under various names. As per the Tezuka Star System, these are not instances of Hamegg himself reappearing, rather the design is recycled to depict entirely separate characters.
1980 series[]
Hamegg in the 1980 episode "Robot Circus"
Hamegg meets Astro on a cruise ship early in the 1980 series, after Astro accidentally destroys a dinner party on the ship. Hamegg convinces Astro that he can take him to a freer, happier life, but forces the boy to sign an ownership contract and stuffs him in a box. Astro is then taken to work in his traveling robot circus in America.
Hamegg's only human cohort in the circus is a young woman named Kathy. He does sometimes yell at her, but treats her with far more respect than his robots. It is revealed that is circus is partly funded by the Chicago mafia, and he is in great fear of their boss.
2003 series[]
Hamegg in the 2003 episode "Secret of the Blue Knight"
In the 2003 series, Hamegg is the ringmaster of an illegal robot fighting ring, and at one point owned the Blue Knight. Hamegg's robot battle ring was brutal and grueling, leading to numerous destroyed robots, but he still insisted the robots fight as long as they were operable. Upon discovering the Blue Knight was leading a group of robots in an escape attempt, he violently whipped the Blue Knight and left him for dead in space.
Hamegg is a frequent buyer at the stolen robot auction sales on Mars, where he attempts to accumulate more robot fighters and staff. He appears in the episodes, "The Rise of Pluto" and "Secret of the Blue Knight." In the English dub, he renamed as Brunard.
Little Astro Boy[]
Hamegg also in Little Astro Boy as the series' main villain. He lives in a pig-themed castle with his robot bodyguard Gora and scientist friend Dr. Flau. Together, the three of them use pig-themed robots and machines, and attempt to stir up chaos and steal things. Much like the overall series, Hamegg and his antics are goofy and light-hearted. He also owns a pet lizard that tends to bite him.
Jetter Mars[]
Hamegg and Hamsalad with Mars and Miri.
Hamegg appears in the 1977 show "Jetter Mars" as the main antagonist of episode 05, in the episode, Mars and Miri were going on a trip together, when they come across Hamegg and his wife Hamsalad, who were looking for people to join his robot circus. Mars, after signing a contract, found out about how poorly Hamegg treated his robots. So when he was suppose to fight a robot, he refused to. Hamegg then ordered the big robot to punish mars by whipping him. Then a Clown Robot who met Mars before interfered, and was whipped as well. Mars managed to put a stop to the robot, though. Saving the day, but not in time to save the clown robot. Then Miri, Dr. Yamanoue, and Doctor Kawashimo came in, and took Mars away from the circus, and with that, the episode ends.
Films[]
Astro Boy (2009)[]
Hamegg appears in the 2009 Imagi movie as an orphanage caretaker and the owner of a robot battle ring. Several of the kids under Hamegg's care find Astro in a junkyard and take him home. Hamegg initially appears to be a caring father figure, and even calls Astro "son" at one point. However, upon finding Astro is a robot with super strength, he changes his focus and turns Astro into a spectacle for his ring. It is revealed that he had worked at the Ministry of Science at one point, but was eventually kicked out for his unscrupulous practices. After his true nature is revealed, Hamegg is abandoned by both the children and his robots.
He is played by Nathan Lane in the film, with his character design modeled after his actor with minor influences from the original design.
Metropolis[]
Hamegg also appears in the 2001 film Metropolis as a Zone 2 maintenance worker, overseeing garbage collecting robots and sewer treatment. Hamegg twice interacts with the Marduk leader Rock, guiding him around the rubble of Dr. Laughton's burned laboratory, and escorting him to Zone 2's disposal area. However, when Rock sees the robot Tima, who he was searching for, Rock opens fire into the area. Hamegg protests this, in fear of damaging the robots of equipment, and Rock shoots him.
Video Games[]
Astro Boy: Omega Factor[]
Ham Egg, spelt as two words, appears working for Dr. Black Jack. He was bribed by Sharaku to keep him from operating on anyone, Prime Rose in particular. So Ham Egg had Skunk kidnap the doctor's "daughter", Pinoko. After Astro Boy rescues her, Ham Egg sent a giant Roboid against him, after Astro defeated Ham Egg confessed to what happened. He is notably dressed in an outfit similar to when he was the ringmaster of the circus Astro was sold to. This was most likely just a homage as Dr. Tenma merely left Astro so he could evolve instead of selling him to that circus.