Angel and the Ape | |
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![]() Angel and the Ape's first appearance in Showcase #77 (December 1968). Pencils by Bob Oksner, inks by Tex Blaisdell. | |
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 |
No. of issues | (vol. 1): 7 (vol. 2–3): 4 each |
Main character(s) | Angel O'Day Sam Simeon |
Creative team | |
Created by | E. Nelson Bridwell & Bob Oksner |
Written by | (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 |
Angel and the Ape is a humor comic book created by E. Nelson Bridwell & Bob Oksner published by DC Comics. The characters first appeared in 1968 in Showcase #77 [1] 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, being renamed to Meet Angel for its final appearance. [2]
Angel O'Day is a private investigator who manages the O'Day and Simeon Detective Agency with her partner Sam Simeon. [3] Sam differs from many stereotypical detectives; besides helping Angel, Sam is both a comic book artist and a talking gorilla. [4] Sam's name is a double-pun on the word "simian" ("of or pertaining to an ape or monkey") and the San Simeon estate of publisher William Randolph Hearst. [5] In the first few stories, Sam draws comics for a self-obsessed editor named Stan Bragg, then moves to a competitor, working for Morton Stoops. [6]
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 the 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 convince 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.
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.
In 2011, "The New 52" rebooted the DC universe. Sam Simeon was a scientist at A.R.G.U.S. where he was paired with Dr. O'Day. An accident involving gorilla DNA from Gorilla City turned Sam into a humanoid gorilla. During the "Forever Evil" storyline, Simeon fell under the control of Cheetah who had him operate as Primeape. [7]
In 2012, Angel and Sam appeared in a segment of the anthology title Joe Kubert Presents.
Angel and Sam are briefly seen when they sense Miguel Montez using the H-Dial for the first time. [8]
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Notable events of 1976 in comics.
[E. Nelson Bridwell] and artist Bob Oksner injected pretty primitive humor into the classic beauty and the beast concept when they opened the O'Day and Simeon Detective Agency for business.