once upon a time in san francisco
THE BLACK HATCHET
graphic novel & film PREVISION
CREATOR - WRITER - PRODUCER - ARTIST - MICHAEL TRACHIOTIS
CHARACTERS, BIOS, BACKSTORIES & HISTORY
ART BY MOTI FRIEDMAN, ALLAN JEFFERSON, RAHSAN EKEDAL, MICHAEL TRACHIOTIS & MIDJOURNEY
MALCOLM HUTCHINS AKA THE BLACK HATCHET
Malcolm Hutchins/Black Hatchet – Once Upon A Time In San Francisco – © Michael Trachiotis 2024
Malcolm Hutchins is the 26 year-old son of Robert and Fionnsgoth Hutchins from Scotland who moved to Mt. Shasta and started a cattle ranch in the 1880's. At night as the vengeful, guilt driven and tormented Black Hatchet he hunts the back alleys of the Barbary Coast and Chinatown for his 14 year-old kidnapped sister, Rose, and the Hatchet Men who took her, defending himself with dual, Okwanuchu (Native American), black obsidian hatchets.
He acquired superior hatchet warfare skills from the Okwanuchu, including their leader and his blood brother White Crow, whom he grew up with on his ranch. Because of his upbringing near the Siskiyou Trail, Hutchins encounters many drifters seeking work and meets the exiled and outlaw Werewolf Shaolin Monk Grand Master Tai Djin who teaches him the ancient White Crane fighting style.
The Black Hatchet character is based on a nameless vigilante who carved up the Hatchet Men and an amalgamation of Police Officer Robert Ingham and sailor John Lang (or Father Charles Ramm depending on which version of the story you believe). When the flames threatened to cross Van Ness Avenue and the tower of St. Mary’s Cathedral was blazing, Ramm climbed up to the top of the tower, using a gunny sack and hatchet to dose and cutaway the blazing woodwork, saving the building and preventing the blaze from crossing the fire line.
harbor hospital HEAD NURSE LORNA VAN DEUSEN
Nurse Lorna Van Deusen – Once Upon A Time In San Francisco – © Michael Trachiotis 2024
Nurse Lorna Van Deusen is a well-educated trust-funder on the lamb from an arranged marriage in New York to fulfill her dream in San Francisco of becoming doctor.
She works at the hospital next to Yerba Buena Hotel where the Black Hatchet stays and over three weeks takes care of his wounds and eventually falls for him. She goes to the Sweetwater Saloon to find him and when he leaves suddenly, she follows him into the nasty Barbary Coast Streets, eventually being cornered by Hatchet Men.
The Black Hatchet saves her, but she realizes it is Malcolm. After the melee, she attempts to save one of Hatchet Men by performing a tracheostomy. After the earthquake and during the inferno, the doctor dies from a heart attack and Lorna takes over Harbor Hospital and performs life saving operations.
She never gives up hope that Malcolm survives, even though there are stories of his demise rescuing trapped victims and in the end they reunite.
ROSE HUTCHINS - BLACK HATCHET'S kidnapped SISTER
Rose Hutchins – Once Upon A Time In San Francisco – © Michael Trachiotis 2024
Rose Hutchins is Malcolm's kidnapped 14 year-old sister. When Malcom's mother Fionnsgoth died, Robert married widowed Okwanuchu Little Bird and she had Rose who learned how to shoot, use a bow and arrow by 8 to hunt and defend herself with her big brother Malcolm being her mentor.
She also learned White Crane from the Werewolf Monk Grand Master and causes her captors, Lord Jinrong's twin son's Bobby and Charlie trouble. She never gave up hope that Malcolm would rescue her and payback the the Hatchet Men who took her.
JAMES "SHANGHAI" KELLY
James “Shanghai” Kelly – Once Upon A Time In San Francisco – © Michael Trachiotis 2024
James “Shanghai” Kelly, a real outlaw, ruled the Barbary Coast until his disappearance in the 1880's when he was beaten and left for dead by Tong Hatchet Men on a freighter to South Africa. He survived and returns to San Francisco to lead his gang of Mad-hatters in robbing and walloping drunk victims, beating to death Hatchet Men with Billy clubs and kidnapping girls for the sex peddlers.
NUN MARIA PARDINI SWAMP ANGEL LEADER
Nun Maria Pardini Swamp Angel Leader – Once Upon A Time In San Francisco – © Michael Trachiotis 2024
Nun Maria Pardini is the Swamp Angel Gang Leader who crosses paths with the Black Hatchet as she attempts to save a girl from the Tong Hatchet Men. She has with a shaved head and cross tattoo on her face who leads a gang of women in Catholic clergy robes with hoods wielding bull whips dedicated to liberating girls from the Hatchet Men and the gangs that prey on runaway or orphaned girls.
Inspired by real nun Donaldina Cameron who did all the above except no bull whips or tattoos. She also led raids on brothels and was called Fahn Quai, or White Devil, by her adversaries.
100+ YEAR-OLD GATOR (MUD DRAGONs) TONG LORD JINRONG
Mud Dragon “Gator” Tong Lord Jinrong – Once Upon A Time In San Francisco – © Michael Trachiotis 2024
Lord Jinrong is the ancient leader of the Mud Dragon (Gator) Tong in San Francisco who was sent by the Shanghai Green Dragon to oversee the gambling, bribes, extortion, opium and prostitution in Chinatown and Barbary Coast.
Under his Green Dragon restaurant is a large opium den with dozens of stalls. Above it is the bordello. His twin mixed race son's Bobby and Charlie are his minions overseeing the opium den and Hatchet Men used to kidnap young white girls for the sex trade.
Jinrong has a trap door in his office he uses to "dispose" of enemies or malcontent Hatchet Men that drops them into an alligator pool. He has a feud with the Pale Devil, the Green Dragon's albino enforcer from Shanghai that has been sent to eliminate the Black Hatchet.
bobby and charlie - lord jinrong's twin sons
Bobby and Charlie Jinrong's Twin Sons – Once Upon A Time In San Francisco – © Michael Trachiotis 2024
Jinrong's progeny are the result of a young white girl captive that he sent to Shanghai to be a prostitute. He uses his sons to run errands, oversee the Hatchet Men, to kidnap runaway white girls and run the opium den under the Green Dragon restaurant.
The Pale Devil enforcer, along with Bobby and Charlie ambushed Malcolm and Rose Hutchins. Rose deeply scratched Bobby's face as she was fighting off the twins. Charlie is an opium fiend and constantly attempts to molest captured girls, but Rose never let's him have his way.
Bobby is the law and order keeper. They keep the outlaw Werewolf Monk Tai Djin prisoner on their rotting clipper ship hideout in a secret underground lagoon where they stash their gold and money. From there, they use a series of gold rush era tunnels that criss-cross under the city to extricate their captors to waiting ships.
OKWANUCHU LEADER WHITE CROW
Okwanuchu Leader White Crow – Once Upon A Time In San Francisco – © Michael Trachiotis 2024
Okwanuchu Leader White Crow is the young chief of the last remaining, small tribe of Okwanuchu Indigenousness people living at the base of Mt. Shasta. When Robert and his family settled, they lived in harmony with the Okwanuchu.
Malcolm and White Crow were born about the same time and grew up together on the mountain and plains and became blood brothers. They both mastered wilderness living performing the Elk hunt rite of passage together and training on obsidian forged weapons.
The exiled and outlaw Werewolf Shaolin Monk Tai Djin taught them White Crane Kung Fu and how to use the hatchets as extensions of the wing tips and beaks.
When Malcom returns to the ranch after Rose is kidnapped and to recover from his near death at the blade of the Pale Devil, White Crow helps him plan his quest to find Rose and deliver justice to the Hatchet Men.
While they confer under the giant oak tree next to Fionnsgoth's grave, smoke rises from the ranch. They race to the house to find it engulfed in flames with Robert and Little Bird, White Crow's aunt and Rose's mother, inside wailing for help as they are incinerated.
WEREWOLF SHAOLIN MONK GRAND MASTER TAI DIJIN
Werewolf Monk Grand Master Tai Djin – Once Upon A Time In San Francisco – © Michael Trachiotis 2024
Werewolf Shaolin Monk Grand Master Tai Djin was a real person who was an exiled outlaw. As a new born, his superstitious family mistook him for a hairy demon and left him to die in a nearby forest. Fukien Shaolin Monks heard his cries and rescued him. Djin's entire life was spent in the Temple.
On the rare times he left sanctuary, and because of his animal like hair, villagers believed a beast or werewolf resided in the Temple. Due to his banishment and Djin's superior abilities, he was treated as everyone's favorite son and quickly mastered more than 200 "empty hand" fighting techniques and was proficient with more than 100 weapons.
Djin is the only Monk to master every branch of Shaolin training and earned his appointment as the Grand Master "Su Kong" in charge of the warrior monks' mental and physical mastery of martial arts.
The Werewolf Monk became an outlaw because the Green Dragon put a bounty on his head for leading a revolt against of his enslavement and sex slavery of women. One of the Werewolf Monk's ex-students, the Pale Devil, became the Green Dragon's enforcer and was sent to find Djin who fled to California.
While taking refuge in a secret devotee’s monastery in San Francisco, the Werewolf Monk's location was compromised, so he began trekking the Siskiyou Trail to Portland to book passage back to Shanghai. On his journey, he took refuge on Hutchins cattle ranch becoming the Black Hatchet's friend, teacher and mentor.
Together with Rose and White Crow, the Werewolf Monk spent many hours in the practice of meditation and White Crane Kung Fu that included the use of the hatchet as an extension of the Crane wing tip.
As a gift for Malcolm's mastering of White Crane, Djin gave him a black bandana with the White Crane symbol that the Black Hatchet wears to hide his face and the ugly scar from the Pale Devil's hatchet.
NURSE BRENDA SMITH - harbor hospital
Nurse Brenda Smith – Once Upon A Time In San Francisco – © Michael Trachiotis 2024
Nurse Brenda Smith is Lorna’s cynical best friend, mentor and confidant. Brenda is suspicious of Malcolm and believes he might be the man-with-no-name vigilante in the papers chopping up the Hatchet Men.
Brenda sarcastically prods Lorna to admit she's in love with Malcolm and nudges her to go into the seedy Barbary Coast to the Sweetwater Saloon run by her friend Jill McBain (Claudia Cardinale character) who informed Brenda a man with a large scar on his face comes in nightly to drink whiskey.
When Lorna takes over the hospital after the earthquake and during the fire, Brenda assists her in managing the patients and later they reunite at St. Mary's cathedral.
pale devil - green DRAGON'S ASSASSIN & ENFORCER
The Pale Devil Assassin and Enforcer – Once Upon A Time In San Francisco – © Michael Trachiotis 2024
The albino Pale Devil, a former student of the Werewolf Monk, is the hitman and arbiter for the Shanghai Green Dragon overseeing the San Francisco Tongs. The Pale Devil nearly killed the Black Hatchet when he sliced his face with his hatchet as Bobby and Charlie kidnapped Rose.
He is assigned to eliminate the Black Hatchet and return to Shanghai with the outlaw Werewolf Monk imprisoned by the Gator Tongs and the first shipment of girls in three weeks. After the earthquake and during the inferno, the Pale Devil, Bobby and Charlie with Rose and the other girls, plus the Werewolf Monk, attempt to escape through an underground tunnel to a waiting freighter.
However they are trapped and the Black Hatchet, also seeking a way to the surface, stumbles into their hiding place where an epic martial arts battle ensues as the subterranean lair fills with water populated with ravenous giant alligators that attack Rose and the girls.
JILL MCBAIN - CLAUDIA CARDINALE - SWEETWATER SALOON
Jill McBain Sweetwater Saloon – Once Upon A Time In San Francisco – © Michael Trachiotis 2024
Jill McBain played by Claudia Cardinale from "Once Upon A Time in The West" is shown here in her 40’s in the Sweetwater Saloon she opens in San Francisco's Barbary Coast with the riches she amassed building the town of "Sweetwater" along the railroad line pushing through Arizona.
She is feisty and befriends the Black Hatchet. When Lorna comes to the saloon she supports Lorna to interact with the loner Black Hatchet, then advises her to follow him when he abruptly bolts at midnight on his secret search and rescue mission.
CHINATOWN AND BARBARY COAST TONG HATCHET MEN
Chinatown/Barbary Coast Chinese Tongs – Once Upon A Time In San Francisco – © Michael Trachiotis 2024
Chinese Tongs and Secret Societies used the Hatchet Men to enforce their rule, kidnap young girls into sex slavery, supply the opium to the dens, collect pay offs, exploit gamblers and pimp prostitutes.
BOHEMIAN BAILEY MILLARD
Bohemian Bailey Millard – Once Upon A Time In San Francisco – © Michael Trachiotis 2024
Real Bohemian Bailey Millard rises every morning at sunrise to a panoramic view of San Francisco from his Russian Hill Spanish Villa terrace. His circle of friends included Jack London and Lionel Barrymore.
It is his terrace the Black Hatchet finds solitude after a night of bloody hatchet brawls. Millard at first tries to shoot him, then befriends him and becomes an ally. It is here the Black Hatchet finds refuge after a blood splashing and limb severing hatchet fight with Jinrong and his Hatchet Men after the earthquake.
Millard takes care of him so the Black Hatchet can continue his quest to find Rose and punish the Hatchet Men. From his perch we witness, along with Millard, the earthquake devastation, inferno disaster and near annihilation of San Francisco.
ROBERT & FIONSSGOTH HUTCHINS - ROBERT & LITTLE BIRD HUTCHINS
Hutchins Family Pictures – Once Upon A Time In San Francisco – © Michael Trachiotis 2024
In 1886, Robert and Fionnsgoth Hutchins, with 6 year old Malcom, trekked from the Scottish Highlands with their shaggy coat long horns to start a cattle ranch in the plains below Mt. Shasta.
They live in harmony sharing the land and cultures with the Okwanuchu as the ranch grows. Fionnsgoth, a well educated woman from the wealthy and ancient MacDonald clan, who speaks several languages, dutifully home schools a bright Malcolm, who excels in his studies.
However she dies five years later. Then Robert meets younger, widowed, Okwanuchu Little Bird, White Crows aunt, and they are married. That same year, she gives birth to Rose, 12 years younger than Malcolm.
When Robert, Malcolm and Rose go to San Francisco for a cattle auction, the Pale Devil with Tong Hatchet Men ambush and kidnap Rose and slice up Malcom who is left for dead. Malcolm survives and returns with Robert to the ranch to grieve and heal. Malcolm and White Crow meet to plan his search and rescue mission under the giant oak where Fionnsgoth's tombstone is enveloped in the tree's roots.
As they discuss his vengeance, smoke rises from the ranch not far away. Malcolm and White Crow gallop to the house that is engulfed in flames as Robert and Little Bird wail. Malcolm tries to save them, but he is too late.
Later, when he encounters the Pale Devil, he tells Malcom he hired Black Bart to burn down the house to kill him and his family. It is these family pictures and Rose's red ribbon Malcolm carries with him on his journey to remind him of what he lost and inspire his revenge.
fire captain john dougherty - fireman john wickerson
Captain Dougherty - Fireman Wickerson – Once Upon A Time In San Francisco – © Michael Trachiotis 2024
Fire Captain John Dougherty is the tough as nails leader who takes over for Chief Sullivan who dies as the inferno spreads. He implements Sullivan’s plans and tactics, plus his on the fly improvisation combined with the respect of the firemen pay off as he rallies them at the fire line and they extinguish the blaze with help from the wind.
When Dougherty enlists the Black Hatchet as a volunteer, he free climbs the side of the burning Victorian Hotel to rescue three kids. Wickerson partners with the Black Hatchet to catch the tykes the Black Hatchet drops to Wickerson from a third story window.
When the Black Hatchet returns to the fiery and collapsing hotel to rescue more victims, an aftershock caves it in and Dougherty, Wickerson and the firemen believe the Black Hatchet is dead. Later, Wickerson shares the story with Lorna, who is in shock, but has to deal with the onslaught of burn victims.
When the Black Hatchet climbs a burning church tower and performs his heroic act to stave off the fire from spreading and falls, Wickerson, Lorna and firemen are there with the tarp to save him.
COWBOY BUCK LARSON - MALCOM'S SHASTA FRIEND
Cowboy Buck Larson – Once Upon A Time In San Francisco – © Michael Trachiotis 2024
Cowboy Buck Larson works for the Hutchins cattle ranch and is Malcom's friend who comes to San Francisco to tell him they found the culprits who burned down his house and murdered his parents - highwayman Black Bart and his gang. Malcolm and Buck agree to meet under the oak tree in a few days after Malcom rescues Rose to plan their revenge. Buck survives the earthquake but he and his horse Roscoe are buried in an avalanche of bricks during an aftershock.
HOSTESS AT THE GREEN DRAGON RESTAURANT
Hostess at the Green Dragon Restaurant – Once Upon A Time In San Francisco – © Michael Trachiotis 2024
This hostess encounters the Black Hatchet when he arrives looking for the Pale Devil. She is skeptical he can afford the "special" alligator dish - code for entrance into the opium den. He pays her off and she leads him to a dead end hallway to a giant painting of the Tornado Li Kui, that slides open into the secret stairway down into the opium den.
PAINTING OF THE TORNADO LI KUI
Li kui Painting Green Dragon Restaurant – Once Upon A Time In San Francisco – © Michael Trachiotis 2024
The giant painting of the Tornado Li Kui, that slides open into the secret stairway down into the opium den and 600 year old guardian of the establishment. He was the strongest of the 108 outlaw warriors. A giant who used his two axes to hack his way through the enemy leading the outlaws into battle. Naked. The Hatchet Men think it is the ghost of Li Kui that is haunting the alleys and dismembering them to take their souls to hell as punishment for their evil transgressions.