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Meet Detective Chimp in Rex the Wonder Dog #4, at Auction

Detective Chimp made his debut in a 1952 story which explains how he began solving crimes and sets up the backstory for his future adventures

Detective Chimp made his debut in a backup story by John Broome and Carmine Infantino in Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog #4.  The title had cycled through a number of different animal-focused backup features through its early issues, but none of the other trial balloon stories had stuck — until Detective Chimp.  The character has gone on to become a favorite as part of DC Comics' pantheon of animal heroes and was the focus of a collection of his early adventures in 2023.

The debut story, Meet Detective Chimp, was narrated by Sheriff Chase of "Oscaloosa County," Florida, who explains that he met Bobo the Chimpanzee during the investigation of what he calls the most famous case he ever worked on in the area — the murder of Fred Thorpe.  Thorpe had been the operator of the "famed Thorpe Animal Farm", apparently a sanctuary for apes or exotic animals.  Bobo was Thorpe's star, an incredibly intelligent chimpanzee of whom he was very proud.  As explained by Sheriff Chase, it was Bobo himself who solved Thorpe's murder.

The story in Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog #4 ends with Bobo returning to the Thorpe Animal Farm and seemingly little indication his adventures might continue.  Issue #5 featured a backup called The Saga of Leapin' Lena, the story of an intelligent kangaroo who used her boxing and jumping ability to thwart a gang of robbers. The series was a bimonthly title at the time, and by issue #6, it seems that editor Julius Schwartz had seen enough to determine that Detective Chimp was the regular backup they were looking for in the title.  The Return of Detective Chimp! in that issue features Bobo as Sheriff Chase's "invaluable assistant" with no additional explanation.

As it turns out, "Bobo" is not an uncommon name for chimps, both fictional and otherwise.  It's likely inspired by the term Bonobo, which is the name for a species of apes that look similar to chimpanzees.  Florida would remain the location of the Detective Chimp backup feature during its Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog run, likely because Broome was aware that the state has a number of ape sanctuaries because the warm, humid climate is ideal for them. It appears that Broome had spent some time there or had perhaps lived there at some point, and the stories demonstrate a familiarity with the location.

Detective Chimp has gone on to play a role in numerous DC Comics stories over the decades, as well as appearing in DC animated series and video games. A fan-favorite DC Comics animal hero character, there's a copy of his first appearance in Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog #4 (DC, 1952). Condition: GD is up for auction in this week's 2024 April 28-30 Sunday, Monday & Tuesday Comic Books Select Auction #122418 from Heritage Auctions.

Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog #4 (DC, 1952) Condition: GD. First appearance of Detective Chimp. Gil Kane cover. Carmine Infantino art. Large piece missing from back cover, 2" tear on front cover, spine split 1.25" from top and 1.5" from bottom, hole in spine. Overstreet 2023 GD 2.0 value = $53.

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