Hammerspace (also known as malletspace) is an imaginary extradimensional and instantly accessible storage area in fiction, which is used to explain how characters from
animation
Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby still images are manipulated to create moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Animati ...
,
comics
a Media (communication), medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of Panel (comics), panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, Glo ...
, and
video game
A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
s can produce objects out of thin air. Typically, when multiple items are available, the desired item is available on the first try or within a handful of tries.
This phenomenon dates back to early
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
' ''
Looney Tunes
''Looney Tunes'' is an American media franchise produced and distributed by Warner Bros. The franchise began as a series of animated short films that originally ran from 1930 to 1969, alongside its spin-off series ''Merrie Melodies'', during t ...
''/''
Merrie Melodies
''Merrie Melodies'' is an American animated comedy short film series distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It was part of the ''Looney Tunes'' franchise and featured many of the same characters. Originally running from August 2, 1931, to Septem ...
'' and
MGM cartoons produced during the
Golden age of American animation
The golden age of American animation was a period that began with the popularization of Sound film, sound synchronized cartoons in 1928 and gradually ended in the 1960s when theatrical animated shorts started to lose popularity to the newer medi ...
. For example, in the 1943
Tex Avery
Frederick Bean "Tex" Avery (; February 26, 1908 – August 26, 1980) was an American animator, cartoonist, animation director, director, and voice actor. He was known for directing and producing animated cartoons during the golden age of America ...
short ''
What's Buzzin' Buzzard
''What's Buzzin' Buzzard?'' is a 1943 American animated short film directed by Tex Avery, produced by Fred Quimby, and musical score by Scott Bradley. The short pokes fun at the food shortages common at the time. The plot focuses on two turkey ...
'', a starving vulture prepares to cook his friend by pulling an entire kitchen's worth of appliances out of thin air.
Origins
The phenomenon of a character producing plot-dependent items seemingly out of thin air dates back to the beginning of animated shorts during the
Golden age of American animation
The golden age of American animation was a period that began with the popularization of Sound film, sound synchronized cartoons in 1928 and gradually ended in the 1960s when theatrical animated shorts started to lose popularity to the newer medi ...
.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
cartoon characters are particularly well known for often pulling all sorts of things—
hammer
A hammer is a tool, most often a hand tool, consisting of a weighted "head" fixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object. This can be, for example, to drive nail (fastener), nails into wood, to sh ...
s,
gun
A gun is a device that Propulsion, propels a projectile using pressure or explosive force. The projectiles are typically solid, but can also be pressurized liquid (e.g. in water guns or water cannon, cannons), or gas (e.g. light-gas gun). So ...
s,
disguise
A disguise can be anything incognito which conceals one's identity or changes a person's physical appearance, including a wig, glasses, makeup, fake moustache, costume or other items. Camouflage is a type of disguise for people, animals and o ...
s,
match
A match is a tool for starting a fire. Typically, matches are made of small wooden sticks or stiff paper. One end is coated with a material that can be ignited by friction generated by striking the match against a suitable surface. Wooden matc ...
es,
bomb
A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted mechan ...
s,
anvil
An anvil is a metalworking tool consisting of a large block of metal (usually Forging, forged or Steel casting, cast steel), with a flattened top surface, upon which another object is struck (or "worked").
Anvils are massive because the hi ...
s,
mallet
A mallet is a tool used for imparting force on another object, often made of rubber or sometimes wood, that is smaller than a maul or beetle, and usually has a relatively large head.
General overview
The term is descriptive of the ...
s—from behind their backs or just off-screen. However, this phenomenon was mostly just left to
suspension of disbelief
Suspension of disbelief is the avoidance—often described as willing—of critical thinking and logic in understanding something that is unreal or impossible in reality, such as something in a work of speculative fiction, in order to believe i ...
. Only decades later was the term ''hammerspace'' jokingly coined to describe the phenomenon.
The term itself originates from a gag common in some
anime
is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...
and
manga
are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...
. A typical example would be when a male character would anger or otherwise offend a female character, who would proceed to produce, out of thin air, an over-sized wooden rice mallet (''
okine'') and hit him on the head with it in an exaggerated manner. The strike would be purely for comic effect, and it would not have any long-lasting effects. The term was largely popularized first by fans of the 1978 series ''
Urusei Yatsura
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It was serialized in Shogakukan's ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' from September 1978 to February 1987. Its 366 individual chapters were collected in 34 ''tankōbon'' volum ...
'' and later by fans of ''
Ranma ½
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It was serialized in ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' from August 1987 to March 1996, with the chapters collected in 38 volumes by Shogakukan. The story revolves a ...
'' in the 1980s. It is believed by some that the term "hammerspace" itself was coined based on the ''Ranma ½'' character
Akane Tendo
Akane (, ) is the Japanese word for 'deep red' (, ''Akane'', ''Rubia cordifolia'') and is associated with red (from the red dye made from its roots) and brilliant red. ''Akane'' (written in a variety of forms) is both a female Japanese given nam ...
due to the fan perception that she has a tendency to produce large hammers from nowhere. In the original manga she much more frequently uses her fists or objects that were pictured in the nearby scenery. The anime makes more use of hammers as a comedic tool than the manga.
Another series that may have contributed to the term is ''
City Hunter
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tsukasa Hojo. It was serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from 1985 to 1991, with its chapters collected in 35 volumes. The manga was adapte ...
''. One of the lead characters in ''City Hunter''—Kaori—makes extensive use of the "transdimensional hammers" as they are sometimes called, as they are one of the two main running gags in the series; the other is the extreme lecherousness of the other main character—Ryo—which almost invariably leads to the use of said hammers. The ''City Hunter'' hammers also require more explaining in terms of storage, as they are often considerably larger than the characters themselves, and thus more likely to provoke surprise. Starting in 1985, ''City Hunter'' predates ''Ranma ½'' by two years, and already had an extensive fanbase.
Another series that made extensive use of hammerspace was ''
Kodomo no Omocha
is a Japanese manga series by Miho Obana. The series was adapted as an OVA by J.C. Staff and released on December 16, 1995, by Shueisha under their Ribon Video label. An anime television series was produced by NAS and TV Tokyo, animated ...
'', where the mother of the main character would pull toy hammers of varying sizes to tap her daughter on the head to forge breaks in her ranting and offer a chance to glean understanding and wisdom.
Trope
Trope or tropes may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Trope (cinema), a cinematic convention for conveying a concept
* Trope (literature), a figure of speech or common literary device
* Trope (music), any of a variety of different things in medi ...
-laden webcomic ''
Okashina Okashi – Strange Candy
Okashina Okashi – Strange Candy is a webcomic hosted on Comic Genesis, a free hosting provider for webcomics. It is drawn by Emily Snodgrass (Emi-chan) and written by Allison Brownlow (Tanzy), Karen Olympia (Kourin), and J. Baird (Xuanwu). It ...
'' also features hammerspace, this time named directly as such, accessible by the weapons nut Petra.
In other media
Games
One of the oldest known usages of hammerspace in games is the
bag of holding
A bag, also known regionally as a sack, is a common tool in the form of a floppy container, typically made of cloth, leather, bamboo, paper, or plastic. The use of bags predates recorded history, with the earliest bags being lengths of animal ...
from the ''
Dungeons & Dragons
''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) originally created and designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by TSR (company)#Tactical ...
''
role-playing game
A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, or abbreviated as RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out ...
, a magical container capable of holding more items than normally possible, its contents actually being held in a
pocket dimension
A pocket universe or bubble universe, also called pocket dimension, is a concept in inflationary theory, proposed by Alan Guth.
Description
It defines a realm like the one that contains the observable universe as only one of many inflationary z ...
or part of the
Astral Plane
The astral plane, also called the astral realm, or the astral world, or the soul realm, or the spirit realm, is a plane of existence postulated by classical, medieval, oriental, esoteric, and New Age philosophies and mystery religions.G. R. S. ...
. An early computer example of the concept is the 1984
Infocom
Infocom, Inc., was an American software company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that produced numerous works of interactive fiction. They also produced a business application, a relational database called ''Cornerstone (software), Cornerston ...
text adventure
Interactive fiction (IF) is software simulating environments in which players use text Command (computing), commands to control Player character, characters and influence the environment. Works in this form can be understood as literary narrati ...
''
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' is a Science fiction comedy, comedy science fiction franchise created by Douglas Adams. Originally a The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (radio series), radio sitcom broadcast over two series on BBC ...
,'' which contained a "Thing your Aunt gave you which you don't know what it is" as a humorous variant of the bag of holding concept (and which proved critical to finishing the game itself).
The idea of hammerspace can also be applied to many other
video game
A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
s, as game mechanics often defy those of the real world: for instance, a character may be able to carry a sword larger than themselves without any sign of it before use, and most video game characters can carry an implausible number of tools or other objects. This is particularly visible in traditional
adventure game
An adventure game is a video game genre in which the player assumes the role of a protagonist in an interactive story, driven by exploration and/or puzzle-solving. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based m ...
s and
RPG
RPG may refer to:
Military
* Rocket-propelled grenade, a shoulder-launched anti-tank weapon
**''Ruchnoi Protivotankoviy Granatomyot'' (Russian: ''Ручной Противотанковый Гранатомёт''), hand-held anti-tank grenade laun ...
s, such as ''
The Legend of Zelda
is a media franchise, video game series created by the Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. It is primarily developed and published by Nintendo; some portable installments and re-releases have been outsourced to Flags ...
''. In ''
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
is a 2009 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii. A follow-up to '' New Super Mario Bros.'', it was first released in Australia, North America, and Europe in November 2009, followed by Japan a month later. It was released ...
'', the player has endless space to put their items. In many Super Mario games, the
Hammer Bros.
The ''Mario'' franchise is a media franchise created by Nintendo. Nintendo is usually the developer and publisher of the franchise's games, but various games are developed by third-party companies such as Intelligent Systems and Nintendo Cub ...
are capable of throwing an infinite supply of hammers from hammerspace. Early (and some modern)
first-person shooter
A first-person shooter (FPS) is a video game genre, video game centered on gun fighting and other weapon-based combat seen from a First person (video games), first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action directly through t ...
games tend to have the player character carry an entire arsenal of weapons (with a full level of ammunition) without any visible drawback such as loss of pace or fatigue. In the ''
Grand Theft Auto
''Grand Theft Auto'' (''GTA'') is an action-adventure video game series created by David Jones and Mike Dailly. Later titles were developed under the oversight of brothers Dan and Sam Houser, Leslie Benzies and Aaron Garbut. It is prima ...
'' game series, players are capable of holding an extremely large arsenal and equipment in hammerspace. This capability has a more significant appearance in ''
Grand Theft Auto V
''Grand Theft Auto V'' is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the seventh main entry in the Grand Theft Auto, ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 2008's ''Grand Theft Auto IV'', and ...
'', where the characters are able to carry multiple pistols, SMGs, LMGs, assault rifles, carbines, shotguns, sniper rifles, melee weaponry, throwables, explosive projectile launchers and a minigun all at once on themselves, with large amounts of ammunition, and all of them being previously invisible. In the ''
Fallout
Nuclear fallout is residual radioactive material that is created by the reactions producing a nuclear explosion. It is initially present in the radioactive cloud created by the explosion, and "falls out" of the cloud as it is moved by the ...
series,'' NPCs and the player use hammerspace extensively, being capable of holding large amounts of weaponry, healing items, and more. For the player, these items are accessed via the
Pip-Boy
The Pip-Boy is a fictional wearable computer in the post-apocalyptic ''Fallout'' video game franchise. Manufactured by RobCo Industries prior to the apocalyptic nuclear Great War, it is capable of numerous functions, depending on the model. In t ...
.
Many comical adventures make gags on space in item inventories. In ''
Space Quest
''Space Quest'' is a series of six comic science fiction adventure games released between 1986 and 1995. The games follow the adventures of a hapless janitor named #Protagonist, Roger Wilco, who campaigns through the galaxy for "truth, justice, ...
'' series III and VI, protagonist
Roger Wilco crams a full-sized ladder into his pocket. In ''
Simon the Sorcerer
''Simon the Sorcerer'' is a 1993 point-and-click adventure game developed and published by Adventure Soft, for Amiga and MS-DOS. The game's story focuses on a boy named Simon who is transported into a parallel universe of magic and monsters, ...
'', Simon similarly obtains a ladder at one point, which he stores in his hat. In ''
The Secret of Monkey Island
''The Secret of Monkey Island'' is a 1990 point-and-click graphic adventure game developed and published by Lucasfilm Games. It takes place in a fictional version of the Caribbean during the age of piracy. The player assumes the role of Guyb ...
'', as a recurring gag,
Guybrush Threepwood
Guybrush Ulysses Threepwood is a fictional character who serves as the main protagonist of the '' Monkey Island'' series of computer adventure games by LucasArts. He is a pirate who adventures throughout the Caribbean in search of fame and treasu ...
usually barely fits an oversized item in his clothes, from a six-foot-long cotton swab to a huge figurehead, or even a monkey (which is shown moving underneath his coat). At one point early in ''
The Curse of Monkey Island
''The Curse of Monkey Island'' is an adventure PC game developed and published by LucasArts in 1997. A sequel to 1991's '' Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge,'' it is the third game in the ''Monkey Island'' series.
It follows protagonist Guyb ...
'', he makes a shocked face after sheathing a
bread knife
Bread knives are used for cutting bread and are one of many kitchen knife, kitchen knives used by cooks. The serrated blades of bread knives are able to cut soft bread without crushing it.
History
One such knife was exhibited at the World's Co ...
down his pants. A similar concept is evident in ''
Sonic the Hedgehog
is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese developers Yuji Naka, Naoto Ohshima, and Hirokazu Yasuhara for Sega. The franchise follows Sonic the Hedgehog (character), Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battle ...
'', most notably with
Amy Rose
The ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' video game franchise began in 1991 with the video game ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' for the Sega Genesis, which pitted a blue anthropomorphic hedgehog named Sonic against a rotund male human villain named Doctor Eggman ( ...
, who actually materializes hammers from hammerspace.
In some non-humorous cases, hammerspace may be recognized as a seemingly normal in-universe phenomenon. Characters from the ''
Kingdom Hearts
is a series of action role-playing games developed and published by Square Enix (originally by Square) and owned by The Walt Disney Company. A collaboration between the two companies, it was conceptualized by Square employees, Japanese gam ...
'' series are capable of materializing weapons from thin air and making them disappear again, notably in the case of main character Sora and his Keyblade, though it's implied that they are stored as magic in the wielders' hearts.
Although there are numerous examples from the genre, hammerspace usage is not just limited to
adventure game
An adventure game is a video game genre in which the player assumes the role of a protagonist in an interactive story, driven by exploration and/or puzzle-solving. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based m ...
s. In ''
The Sims 2
''The Sims 2'' is a 2004 social simulation video game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. It is the second major title in ''The Sims'' series, and is the sequel to ''The Sims''. The game was released for Microsoft Windows on ...
'', ''
The Sims 3
''The Sims 3'' is a 2009 social simulation video game developed by the Redwood Shores studio of Maxis, and published by Electronic Arts. Part of ''The Sims'' series, it is the sequel to ''The Sims 2''. It was released on June 2, 2009, for Micros ...
'' and ''
The Sims 4
''The Sims 4'' is a social simulation game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. The game was released on September 2, 2014 for Windows, and is the fourth main installment in ''The Sims'' series, following ''The Sims 3'' (2009 ...
'', the Sims make extensive use of hammerspace, regularly pulling items out of their back pockets which could not possibly fit there. Examples include rakes, hairdryers, watering cans and bags of flour, even though this may be a result of gameplay limitations.
Similarly, in the sandbox game ''
Minecraft
''Minecraft'' is a 2011 sandbox game developed and published by the Swedish video game developer Mojang Studios. Originally created by Markus Persson, Markus "Notch" Persson using the Java (programming language), Java programming language, the ...
'', the player character can carry thousands of tonnes of material such as gold or diamond in the character's inventory without encumbrance, as if an empty inventory were the same as a full one. In reality, just one block of most materials in Minecraft would weigh hundreds or thousands of kilograms, meaning the player can carry up to a little under 64,000 blocks in their inventory without hindrance. Since some blocks can be converted into multiple blocks of another type, it is possible to carry enough material in a single inventory to build a large settlement.
Hammerspace is also used frequently in fighting games. In the ''
Super Smash Bros.
is a series of platform fighting video games published by Nintendo. Created by Masahiro Sakurai, the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series is a crossover featuring many characters from other video game series created by Nintendo and other develope ...
'' games,
Princess Peach
is a character in Nintendo's Mario (franchise), ''Mario'' franchise. She was created by Shigeru Miyamoto and introduced in the 1985 original ''Super Mario Bros.'' game as Princess Toadstool. She is the Queen regnant, princess regnant and hea ...
is said to pull a Toad out of hammerspace for a blocking move. In the ''
Punch-Out!!
is a boxing video game series created by Genyo Takeda, and published by Nintendo. The player controls Little Mac, a boxer who aims to become the World Video Boxing Association (W.V.B.A.) champion.
The original '' Punch-Out!!'' arcade game w ...
'' series many characters can pull out objects from hammerspace. In
Guilty Gear
''Guilty Gear'' is a series of fighting games by Arc System Works, created and designed by artist Daisuke Ishiwatari. Guilty Gear (first video game), The first game was published in 1998, and has spawned several sequels. It has also adapted to o ...
,
Faust
Faust ( , ) is the protagonist of a classic German folklore, German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust (). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a deal with the Devil at a ...
is capable of pulling various items out from his medical scrubs in order to use in battle (though the items vary between games).
Live-action television
* Bill Smith, a character on ''
The Red Green Show
''The Red Green Show'' was a half-hour Canadian television television comedy, comedy series. It aired on various channels in Canada from April 4, 1991 until April 7, 2006. The show was created and entirely co-written by Canadian comedian Steve S ...
'' (played by series co-creator
Rick Green), regularly employs hammerspace in the "Adventures With Bill" segments. Bill is often seen pulling large objects—hammers, saws, bicycles, weightlifting equipment, camping equipment, sports gear, and the like—out of his trousers.
* In the British sci-fi series ''
Doctor Who
''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...
'' many objects are shown to be "bigger on the inside", most notably the
TARDIS
The TARDIS (; acronym for "Time And Relative Dimension(s) In Space") is a fictional hybrid of a time machine and spacecraft that appears in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and its various spin-offs. While a TARDI ...
, although
the Doctor
The Doctor, sometimes known as Doctor Who, is the protagonist of the long-running BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. An extraterrestrial Time Lord, the Doctor travels the universe in a time travelling spaceship called th ...
has also stated that pockets on their clothes are similar due to
Time Lord
The Time Lords are a fictional ancient race of extraterrestrial life, extraterrestrial people in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Time Lords are so named for their command of time travel technology and their Nonli ...
technology.
* An example of hammerspace working in reverse is
Odo
Odo is a name typically associated with historical figures from the Middle Ages and before. Odo is etymologically related to the names Otho and Otto, and to the French name Odon and modern version Eudes, and to the Italian names Ottone and Udo; a ...
, the chief of security from ''
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine''. Odo is frequently seen shapeshifting into much smaller objects, such as birds, drinking glasses, small animals, etc., but with no corresponding increase in mass. What actually happens to Odo's extra mass is never revealed.
Film
*The character of
Harpo Marx
Arthur "Harpo" Marx (born Adolph Marx; November 23, 1888 – September 28, 1964) was an American comedian and harpist, and the second-oldest of the Marx Brothers. In contrast to the mainly verbal comedy of his brothers Groucho and Chico, Harp ...
is often seen retrieving large numbers of items from his seemingly bottomless coat pockets.
*
Curly Howard
Jerome Lester Horwitz (October 22, 1903 – January 18, 1952), better known by his stage name Curly Howard, was an American comedian and actor. He was a member of The Three Stooges comedy team, which also featured his elder brothers Moe and ...
of
the Three Stooges
The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short-subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical, farce, and slapstick comedy. Six total ...
similarly would have tools or other objects in the lining of his jacket, as in, for example, ''
In the Sweet Pie and Pie
''In the Sweet Pie and Pie'' is a 1941 short subject directed by Jules White starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard). It is the 58th entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures st ...
''.
* The title character of the ''
All That
''All That'' is an American sketch comedy children's television series created by Brian Robbins and Mike Tollin. The series originally aired on Nickelodeon from April 16, 1994, to October 22, 2005, lasting ten seasons, and was produced by Tol ...
'' sketch Baggin' Saggin' Barry spends the entirety of his sketches pulling whatever item is required at the moment, regardless of its size, from his baggy pants.
*The character of Jerry Steiner in the TV show ''
Parker Lewis Can't Lose
''Parker Lewis Can't Lose'' (rebranded simply as ''Parker Lewis'' for the third and final season) is an American teen sitcom that originally aired on Fox from September 1990 to June 1993. It was produced by Clyde Phillips Productions, in asso ...
'' possessed the same capacity, often using it to feed Larry Kubiac with raw fish he pulls out of his infinite pockets.
*In ''
Pirates! Band of Misfits'', the Pirate Captain is known to stash various items inside his beard, including an umbrella, an alarm clock and his pet dodo, Polly.
*In ''
The Mask'' film,
Jim Carrey
James Eugene Carrey (; born January 17, 1962) is a Canadian and American actor and comedian. Known primarily for his energetic slapstick performances, he has received two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for BAFTA Awards and ...
's character The Mask produces numerous items from pockets during a fight scene for comic effect.
*
Mary Poppins Mary Poppins may refer to:
* Mary Poppins (character), a nanny with magical powers
* Mary Poppins (franchise), based on the fictional nanny
** Mary Poppins (book series), ''Mary Poppins'' (book series), the original 1934–1988 children's fanta ...
's carpetbag easily holds a floor lamp, a hat stand, and other such outlandish items, and their removal from the bag is used for comic effect, and to establish her as a somewhat magical entity.
*In ''
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World'',
Ramona Flowers pulls a hammer from hammerspace to fight.
*Within the
Potterverse, magical examples akin to hammerspace include the Niffler, a creature prominently featured in ''
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them may refer to:
* ''Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'' (book), a 2001 book by J. K. Rowling
* ''Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'' (film), a 2016 film by David Yates
** ''Fantastic Beasts and Wher ...
'' (2016), which can store excessive amounts of loot in its pouch; and
Hermione Granger
Hermione Jean Granger ( ) is a fictional character in the ''Harry Potter'' series of novels by J. K. Rowling. She first appeared in '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' (1997), as a first-year student on her way to Hogwarts. She becom ...
's small handbag, which contains vast quantities of items that she can retrieve on demand.
*In ''
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish'', Jack Horner carries around a magical bag that stores an excessive amount of tools and weapons,
*In ''
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse'',
Miguel O'Hara mentions hammerspace explicitly when he observes the
renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
universe
Vulture
A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to Nort ...
pulling a spare set of wings from seemingly nowhere; this is accompanied by a little box at the bottom of the screen defining the term.
Notes
* The term "hammerspace" is often used synonymously with "magic satchel"; however, hammerspace is an actual extra dimension where items are stored, whereas a magic satchel uses
magic
Magic or magick most commonly refers to:
* Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces
** ''Magick'' (with ''-ck'') can specifically refer to ceremonial magic
* Magic (illusion), also known as sta ...
to either contain these items or to access hammerspace itself.
* More often than not, non-animated occurrences in film or television are explained as a
plot hole
In fiction, a plot hole, plothole, or plot error is an inconsistency in a storyline that goes against the flow of logic established by the story's plot.
Plot holes are usually created unintentionally, often as a result of editing or the writers ...
rather than hammerspace access, and dismissed due to
suspension of disbelief
Suspension of disbelief is the avoidance—often described as willing—of critical thinking and logic in understanding something that is unreal or impossible in reality, such as something in a work of speculative fiction, in order to believe i ...
. Examples include the live-action ''
Highlander'' TV series, where the sword-wielding
Immortals often have their weapons readily available despite their lack of a suitable container or article of clothing in which to carry a concealed sword.
References
{{Reflist
Anime and manga terminology
Cartoon physics
Fictional dimensions