Angel and the Ape

Supercbbox
title = Angel and the Ape


caption = Angel and the Ape's first appearance in "Showcase" #77 (December 1968). Pencils by Bob Oksner, inks by Tex Blaisdell
schedule = Bi-monthly
format = (vol. 1)
Ongoing series
(vol. 2-3)
Limited series
ongoing=y
limited=y
publisher = (vol. 1-2)
DC Comics
(vol. 3)
Vertigo Comics
date = (vol. 1)
1968
(vol. 2)
1991
(vol. 3)
2001
issues = (vol. 1)
7
(vol. 2--3)
4 each
main_char_team = Angel O'Day
Sam Simeon
writers = (vol. 1)
E. Nelson Bridwell
(vol. 2)
Phil Foglio
(vol. 3)
Howard Chaykin and David Tischman
artists = (vol. 1)
Bob Oksner
(vol. 2)
Phil Foglio
(vol. 3)
Philip Bond
pencillers =
inkers = (vol. 1)
Wally Wood
colorists =
creative_team_month =
creative_team_year =
creators = E. Nelson Bridwell
subcat=DC Comics
sort=PAGENAME

"Angel and the Ape" was a humour 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.

eries overview

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.Citation | last = Wallace | first = Dan | author-link = | contribution = Angel and the Ape | editor-last = Dougall | editor-first = Alastair | title = The DC Comics Encyclopedia | pages = 15 | publisher = Dorling Kindersley | place = London | year = 2008 | ISBN = 0-7566-4119-5]

Revivals

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. Although critically acclaimed by fansFact|date=January 2008, plans for a regular series were shelved when DC company politics dictated a move away from humor titlesFact|date=January 2008.

A second attempt at a revival was made in early 2001 under DC's Vertigo imprint, with a vastly different take. It was written by Howard Chaykin and David Tischman, with art by Philip Bond. The title was not a big seller, and plans for an ongoing series were shelvedFact|date=January 2008.

Appearances

# Showcase #77 (September 1968): "Angel and the Ape"
# Angel and the Ape Vol. 1 #1 (November-December 1968)
# Angel and the Ape Vol. 1 #2 (January-February 1969)
# Angel and the Ape Vol. 1 #3 (March-April 1969)
# Angel and the Ape Vol. 1 #4 (May-June 1969)
# Angel and the Ape Vol. 1 #5 (July-August 1969)
# Angel and the Ape Vol. 1 #6 (September-October 1969)
# Meet Angel #7 (November-December 1969)
# Limited Collectors' Edition #C-34 (February-March 1975) (Christmas with the Super-Heroes)
# Showcase #100 (May 1978): "There Shall Come a Gathering"
# Crisis on Infinite Earths #11 (February 1986): "Aftershock" (Angel appears with Harvey Bullock and Jonni Thunder and Sam appears with Detective Chimp, but they do not appear together.)
# Swamp Thing Annual Vol. 2 #3 (1987): "Distant Cousins"
# Angel and the Ape Vol. 2 #1 (March 1991): "Shaking the Family Tree"
# Angel and the Ape Vol. 2 #2 (April 1991): "The Apes of Wrath"
# Angel and the Ape Vol. 2 #3 (May 1991): "Family Feud"
# Angel and the Ape Vol. 2 #4 (June 1991): "Monkey See - Monkey Doom"
# Guy Gardner: Warrior #29 (March 1995): "It's My Party And I'll Fight If I Want To"
# Martian Manhunter Annual #2 (1999): "Fear and Loathing on the Planet of Apes"
# Angel and the Ape Vol. 3 #1 (October 2001): "Model Behavior"
# Angel and the Ape Vol. 3 #2 (November 2001): "Death Becomes Her"
# Angel and the Ape Vol. 3 #3 (December 2001): "36DD For Death"
# Angel and the Ape Vol. 3 #4 (January 2002): "Deux Ex Machina"

External links

* [http://www.toonopedia.com/angelape.htm Angel and the Ape at Don Markstein's Toonopedia]

References