Talking Chimps Turned Detectives

In April 1941 and February 1952, the world was introduced to a pair simian sleuths, Gabby and Detective Chimp. Gabby was the first to appear, the result of experimentation done by the once evil turned good Doc Wackey, both of whom assisted Doc's one-time adversary Midnight (aka Dave Clark) over at Quality Comics. It was later determined the Midnight, and by extension his colorful supporting cast, resided on Earth-Two before the hero moved to Earth-X. Gabby paled around with the domino masked hero in several adventures during his 66 issue run of Smash Comics.

The second hero to appear was Earth-One's Detective Chimp, himself the culmination of experimentation by a couple of inquisitive aliens. Chimp assisted Sheriff Fred Thorpe of Oscaloosa County, Florida on 41 adventures in the back pages of the Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog. In his last appearance decades later, it was revealed that both the Chimp and the Wonder Dog had partaken of the Fountain of Youth, gaining virtual immortality. While Chimp was initially unable to communication verbally like Gabby, he found other means of doing so until he eventually gained this ability as well through undisclosed means.

In the 1960's, a third simian sleuth would debut under the Showcase run of Angel and the Ape, the latter known as Sam Simeon who was a more humanized resident of Gorilla City who became her fellow detective. People failed to connect that Sam was actually a gorilla, thinking him just an odd looking human. It was later revealed (in Showcase #100) that this duo resided on Earth-One, as Angel’s offices was located there where heroes of the world… and the visiting Inferior Five of Earth-One… congregated during a global crisis.