(no subject)

[camwyn]

Test-floating a possible headvoice in m_m today, Zira from Planet of the Apes. I haven't seen the movie yet, although it's at home on top of my video cabinet- I'm using the Boulle novel as the source canon. A little easier to reference at will, a little more likely to throw caltrops under the wheels of people who assume they know what's going on with the character. Not to mention that I can effectively use pictures of any young-to-early-adult female chimpanzee I find as icons, since Ulysse Merou explicitly states in his narration that the only differences in the apes' appearance from the apes of Earth are that they wear clothing as if it were perfectly normal for them to do so and that they're walking upright rather than knuckle-walking.

For ease of introduction I've got her coming in partway through the novel; Merou has taught her a significant amount of French but not learned very much Simian (the apes are better at learning to imitate others than humans are). They have not, however, gotten to the point of attempting to locate the Professor in the zoo.

Comments

[sdelmonte]

Just thinking about how I have pups from two versions of the DC Universe where talking apes are not unheard of. And one known talking ape speaks French!

[camwyn]

The only talking ape from a DC comic I can think of off the top of my head is the one in Doom Patrol, but I can't for the life of me remember his name.

[sdelmonte]

That would be Monsieur Mallah, who showed up on Teen Titans in its final season. He's the one who speaks French.

More prominently, there is Gorilla Grodd, who usually fights Flashes. But he's from a whole city of sentient apes called - what else - Gorilla City. His schemes were often big news, so Charlie, and most other mere mortals. know about the talking apes.

And there is, less famously. Detective Chimp. Who was just a really smart chimp for a long time till someone decided he'd more fun if he could talk. He used to wear the sort of hat Sherlock Holmes is often depicted wearing. Because he's a detective.

[camwyn]

Gotcha. I remembered the Doom Patrol ape was Monsieur *something*, but couldn't remember the other part, and I figured ape #2 was Grodd, since I couldn't remember Grodd ever speaking French. Didn't know about Detective Chimp, though.