Rex, the Wonder Dog 4

We’re a little ahead of ourselves as I’ve been jumping around with postings. So, instead of offering you a history of primates on the covers of DC comic books, we’re gonna jump right in with World Chimpanzee Day. A history of apes and DC Comics will be forthcoming in about 10 days.

Sorry.

Rex, the Wonder Dog

Anyway, World Chimpanzee Day is a celebration established in 2018 through members of the Jane Goodall Institute. July 14 was chosen to commemorate the exact date Dr. Goodall first sat foot into the Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania in 1960. Goodall dedicated 30 years of her life studying chimps and their culture.

While we applaud the good doctor’s work, we’re gonna delve into stories involving one of the most intelligent of the species – though fiction – with Detective Chimp.

Originally dubbed Bobo the Detective Chimp by owner Fred Thorpe, the sleuthful simian is mainly known as just Detective Chimp these days. He was transplanted from the equatorial region of Africa by Thorpe in 1953. He was to be used as a sideshow attraction, answering predetermined questions via signals. However, Detective Chimp was given higher cognitive reasoning and the ability of speech when Rex, the Wonder Dog, showed him the Fountain of Youth in Florida.

His first appearance is in Rex the Wonder Dog issue four.

Detective Chimp became a detective for hire following the death of Thorpe.

Former Bobo assumed a more child-friendly appearance and demeanor as time passed. Detective Chimp would piggyback with other headliners and DC stars such as John Jones, the Martian Manhunter, a detective himself. The private eye primate was pulled out of retirement on different occasions to retain the copyright.

He was even granted a (very) small cameo on an episode of Teen Titans GO!