Angel and the Ape


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.

Series 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. Sam's last name is a play on the word "simian". 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.

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 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 2012, they 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.

Appearances

  1. Showcase #77 : "Angel and the Ape"
  2. Angel and the Ape Vol. 1 #1
  3. Angel and the Ape Vol. 1 #2
  4. Angel and the Ape Vol. 1 #3
  5. Angel and the Ape Vol. 1 #4
  6. Angel and the Ape Vol. 1 #5
  7. Angel and the Ape Vol. 1 #6
  8. Meet Angel #7
  9. Limited Collectors' Edition #C-34
  10. Showcase #100 : "There Shall Come a Gathering"
  11. Crisis on Infinite Earths #11 : "Aftershock"
  12. Swamp Thing Annual Vol. 2 #3 : "Distant Cousins"
  13. Angel and the Ape Vol. 2 #1 : "Shaking the Family Tree"
  14. Angel and the Ape Vol. 2 #2 : "The Apes of Wrath"
  15. Angel and the Ape Vol. 2 #3 : "Family Feud"
  16. Angel and the Ape Vol. 2 #4 : "Monkey See - Monkey Doom"
  17. Guy Gardner: Warrior #29 : "It's My Party And I'll Fight If I Want To"
  18. Martian Manhunter Annual #2 : "Fear and Loathing on the Planet of Apes"
  19. Angel and the Ape Vol. 3 #1 : "Model Behavior"
  20. Angel and the Ape Vol. 3 #2 : "Death Becomes Her"
  21. Angel and the Ape Vol. 3 #3 : "36DD For Death"
  22. Angel and the Ape Vol. 3 #4 : "Deux Ex Machina"
  23. Infinite Crisis #5
  24. DC Holiday Special 2009 : "Angel and The Ape"
  25. Joe Kubert Presents #1
  26. Joe Kubert Presents #2
  27. Joe Kubert Presents #3
  28. Joe Kubert Presents #4
  29. Joe Kubert Presents #5
  30. Joe Kubert Presents #6

    In other media

Angel O'Day appears in the Young Justice episode "Influence", voiced by Danica McKellar.