| Angel and the Ape | |
|---|---|
Angel and the Ape's first appearance in Showcase #77 (December 1968). Pencils by Bob Oksner, inks by Tex Blaisdell |
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | (vol. 1-2) DC Comics (vol. 3) Vertigo Comics |
| Schedule | Bi-monthly |
| Format | (vol. 1) Ongoing series (vol. 2-3) Limited series |
| Publication date | (vol. 1) November 1968-September 1969 (vol. 2) March-June 1991 (vol. 3) October 2001-January 2002 |
| Number of issues | (vol. 1): 7 (vol. 2-3): 4 each |
| Main character(s) | Angel O'Day Sam Simeon |
| Creative team | |
| Writer(s) | (vol. 1) E. Nelson Bridwell (vol. 2) Phil Foglio (vol. 3) Howard Chaykin and David Tischman |
| Artist(s) | (vol. 1) Bob Oksner (vol. 2) Phil Foglio (vol. 3) Philip Bond |
| Inker(s) | (vol. 1) Wally Wood |
| Colorist(s) | (vol. 2) Tom Ziuko |
| Creator(s) | E. Nelson Bridwell |
Angel and the Ape was a humor comic book created by E. Nelson Bridwell published by DC Comics. The characters first appeared in 1968 in Showcase #77 then graduated to their own title, with art by comic artist Bob Oksner, most often inked by Wally Wood. The title lasted for seven issues, changing its name to Meet Angel for its final appearance.
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Angel O'Day is a private investigator who manages the O'Day and Simeon Detective Agency with her partner, Sam Simeon. Sam differs from many stereotypical detectives; besides helping Angel, Sam is both a comic book artist and a talking gorilla.[1] Sam's last name is obviously a play on the word "simian" ("of or pertaining to an ape or monkey").
The series has been revived twice. The first was by Phil Foglio in the 1990s, where Angel and the Ape stuck true to its zany roots. In Phil Foglio's 1991 mini-series, Angel is revealed to be the half sister of Dumb Bunny, a member of the super-heroic group the Inferior Five, also created by Bridwell. Sam is changed, too; he is not only employed by "DZ Comics" as an artist, but is also the grandson of Gorilla Grodd, a nemesis of The Flash. As such, Sam has mental powers that he can use to make a limited number of people see him as a human being. However, a break in his concentration allows people to see him in his true form. This is in contrast to the original series, wherein people see Sam's true form but convinced themselves he is simply an unusually ape-like human male, since it is "impossible" for there to be such a thing as a talking gorilla.
In JLA: Another Nail, "Karl" and Lois went to see an Angel and the Ape film. Karl comment that the Ape "didn't look real", Lois told him it was CGI.
A second revival was made in early 2001 under DC's Vertigo imprint, with a vastly different take. The four issue limited series was written by Howard Chaykin and David Tischman, with art by Philip Bond and covers by Arthur Adams.
The two appeared in a one-page story in DC Holiday Special 09, written and drawn by Andrew Pepoy.
They have also appeared in Infinite Crisis #5 (April 2006) in the gathering of heroes in the opening spread set in a church.
Angel and the Ape made an appearance in an issue of the comic book tie-in to Batman: The Brave and the Bold. They helped Batman to apprehend some criminals in the first portion on the comic.