(, ) is a Mexican superhero television comedy series that aired from 1973 to 1979 and parodied superhero shows. It was created by actor and comedian Roberto Gómez Bolaños, who also played the main character. It was first aired by Televisa in 1973 in Mexico, and then was aired across Latin America and Spain until 1981, alongside El Chavo del Ocho, which shared the same cast of actors. Both shows have endured in re-runs and have won back some of their popularity in several countries such as Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. Although the series has a regular cast, all actors but Roberto Gómez Bolaños play different characters each episode, and it is therefore described as an anthology series.
Overview
"Chapulín Colorado" translates literally in English as "The Red Grasshopper" or "The Cherry Cricket" (the word chapulín is of Nahuatl origin and applies to a Mexican species of grasshopper, while colorado means "red"). The show embodies many aspects of Mexican culture while making a critique on the unrealistic image of superheroes. In each episode, people recognized El Chapulín Colorado wherever he appeared (one episode took place on the planet Venus), believing him to be a great superhero. Recognition caused him to boast, only to stumble and fall right away, proving himself to be puny and timid, and disappointing his fans. Despite this, Chapulín tried his best to help, and all his adventures ended well (though sometimes by sheer good luck or outside help).
In Chapulín's universe, Chapulín is summoned to his "victims" when they are involved in a tough predicament or a challenging situation (whereas other superhero film/show were the hero is summoned to save someone from a life-threatening situation or an emergency). Such examples of this include:
A mad scientist whose co-workers refused to cooperate with him on an experiment. A woman who is quite annoyed about her uncle playing pranks towards her and her husband. A woman who refuses to be married to a man that was set up by her uncle.
Parodying Superman's "Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive" introduction, El Chapulín Colorado was introduced as follows in the show's opening, reinforcing the idea of a barely powered hero:
Más ágil que una tortuga, más fuerte que un ratón, más noble que una lechuga, su escudo es un corazón... ¡Es el Chapulín Colorado! (More agile than a turtle, stronger than a mouse, nobler than lettuce, his shield is a heart... He's El Chapulín Colorado) Más veloz que una montaña, más ágil que un refrigerador, más astuto que un aguacate, ¿y quién es?, Es… ¿Una paleta helada, ¿Un clavel?, ¿Un cuaderno cuadriculado?, ¡No!, Es… ¡El Chapulín Colorado! (Faster than a mountain, more agile than a refrigerator, smarter than an avocado, and who is he?, He's… A popsicle?, A carnation?, A graph paper notebook?, No!, He's… El Chapulín Colorado!)
Recurrent characters besides the protagonist Heroes Súper Sam (Super Sam): (1973–1978; 1981) Played by Ramón Valdés. He is a superhero that hails from somewhere in the United States (most probably its southernmost regions) whose appearance is very similar to that of Uncle Sam (including the famous top hat with the colors of the U.S.), but his suit is very similar to Superman's. Half of the things Súper Sam says are in English, considering his inadequate skills with Spanish (he is known for having to carry an English-Spanish dictionary in his pocket whenever he needs to save someone in Mexico). Súper Sam's primary weapon is a bag full of dollars that he says were "few, but very powerful"; it is usually used to beat on the head of the wrongdoers or Chapulín, as both don't get along very well. Every time he uses his weapon, the ringing of a cash register chimes in the show's audio. His catchphrase is "Time is money, oh yeah!" and when present, most people say that "they don't want imported superheroes", much to Súper Sam's annoyance. According to Florinda Meza's character, Super Sam is "just like Chapulín, but with a bank account."
Villains The Mob Tripaseca (in Portuguese as Tripa Seca; or in English as Dry-Gut): (1975–1979) Played by Ramón Valdés. He is one of the most frequently recurring villains on the show. He is an extremely dangerous gangster who is part of a mafia gang composed of Cuajináis, Chory, Botija and Minina. He is considered the worst archenemy of Chapulín, always scheming along with the rest of his gang to kill the hero to commit all the robberies he wants. In an episode in which he pretends to be dead to fool the local police force, Chapulín states that he had known Tripaseca since the two of them were children. Cuajináis (in Portuguese as Quase Nada, Chinesinho, Tonhão, Fura-Tripa or Gorila; or in English as Almost-Nothing): (1973–1978) Played by Carlos Villagrán. He is a deadly gangster characterized by the huge scar on his right cheek. Although he is an ally of Tripaseca, sometimes he attempts to score certain crimes on his own. El Chori (in Portuguese as Nenê, Johnny or Chori; or in English as Chory): (1973–1992) Played by Rubén Aguirre. He is a very vicious mobster characterized by his high stature and coldness. El Shory often gives much trouble to Chapulín in combat because of his superior strength and endurance. In some chapters, this character is nicknamed "El Nene (The Kid)". His name has double meaning; it is the Spanish abbreviation of the word "chorizo", and is also based on the English word shorty, a sarcastic reference on Rubén Aguirre's height of . Minina (in Portuguese as Celina; or in English as Pussycat): (1975-1979) Played by Florinda Meza. A woman who accompanies the mafia in their schemes and is characterized by constant smoking and her low intellectual capacity. Pocas Trancas (in Portuguese as Poucas Trancas; or in English as Few-Lock): Played by Rubén Aguirre. He is a madman who escaped from the asylum. People believe that Pocas Trancas was deaf, but a detective clarified that he couldn't speak because he didn't wash his tongue and that he couldn't listen because he didn't wash his ears. What he lacked in intelligence he made up for in raw strength, according to the same detective. Súper Sam and Chapulín usually have to team up to fight him.
The Gunmen Matafácil (in Portuguese as Mata-Fácil; or in English as Easykill or Easy Kill): (1972) Played by José Luiz Fernández. Making his first and only appearance in El Matafácil, he is a terrible and extremely violent bandit, who made the entire town run away when he went to the village. Only Ramón Valdez's character (a simple cowboy) decided to face the bandit, with the help of El Chapulín Colorado. After a huge fight and losing his wig, Matafácil was defeated, breaking the wall when he was thrown. El Pistolero Veloz (in Portuguese as Pistoleiro Veloz; or in English as The Speedy Gunman): (1973) Played by Ramón Valdés. He is a villain, gunman and robber who claims to be the fastest triggerman in the entire Old West, and had his only appearance in the episode El pistolero veloz (in Portuguese as O Pistoleiro da Marreta Biônica; or in English as The Gunman with the Bionic Sledgehammer). Rascabuches (in Portuguese as Racha Cuca; or in English as Tear-Maw): (1973-1979; 1981) Played by Ramón Valdés. He is a fiery gunslinger whose mere presence makes all the inhabitants of any village flee in great terror. He faced Chapulín many times and was always defeated by him (although once he was trapped by a giant mousetrap that had a bag of money as bait). The Rascabuches has a young daughter named Rosa. Matonsísimo Kid (The Superkiller Kid): (1975-1981) Played by Carlos Villagrán or Rubén Aguirre. A very dangerous gunman who constantly plagues small towns of the old American West, he is an ally of Rascabuches and Rosa la Rumorosa. Although claimed to be the fastest gunman of the Old West, Chapulín always managed to overcome him. Rosa la Rumorosa (in Portuguese as Rosa, a Rumorosa; or in English as Rose the Rumor Girl): (1973-1981) Played by Florinda Meza. She is the only daughter of Rascabuches, one of the most feared gunmen of the Old West. Despite being an accomplice to her father, she sometimes laments the fact that no one proposes marriage to her because of the notoriety of her father. Buffalo Bill (or in Portuguese as Búfalo Bill): (1976) Played by Ramón Valdés. Making his first and only appearance in A Buffalo Bill le decían búfalo porque era bastante animal. Lo del apellido sí es mera coincidencia, he is a very dangerous hunter from the Old West who is hired by the army to kill buffalo and Indians. Afterwards, he is forced to face Chapulín, knowing that the latter was forced to defend the Indians from his terrible slaughter.
Extraterrestrials Bebé júpiteriano (in Portuguese as Bebê Jupteriano; or in English as Jupiterian Baby): (1974, 1977, 1982) Played by Arturo García Tenorio in the 1974 and 1982 versions, or by Carlos Villagrán in the 1977 version. He is an extraterrestrial baby sent to Earth in an alien spaceship where he appeared small, but then grew and grew until he became giant. Then, El Chapulín Colorado tried to fight the baby, but the child hit him. After that, the hero discovered that it was just a dream, and that the spaceship was actually a toy.
The Pirates Alma Negra (in English as Black Soul): (1975-1978; 1981) Played by Ramón Valdés. He is the captain of the pirates, and as he said, the chief of all the pirates of the seven seas. Captain Alma Negra is quite evil and cruel, but sometimes a little clumsy as well (once being hurt with his own dagger while trying to intimidate el Chapulín Colorado). He is characterized by his malevolent and evil laughter and his tendency to endanger the life of his own crew and of Chapulín or any girl that doesn't want to marry him. According to himself, he killed the Dead Sea and therefore there are no longer seven seas, only six. At some point, he died but his ghost continued to curse the seas. El Matalote (in Portuguese as Matadouro; or in English as Slaughter): (1975-1978) Played by Rubén Aguirre. He is Alma Negra's right-hand man, the tallest of the pirates, and surely the most cruel after Alma Negra. El Matalote is known for being quite strong and ruthless. Sabandija (in Portuguese as Lagartixa; or in English as Gecko/Louse): (1975-1978) Played by Carlos Villagrán. He is a very clumsy pirate that has a left wooden leg and a right glass eye, the former lost in one of the many battles fought under Alma Negra's command and the latter lost after peeking through a keyhole. He and Panza Loca are the only ones in the crew who rebel against the master pirate alongside Chapulín. Panza Loca (in Portuguese as Pança Louca; or in English as Crazy Belly): Played by Édgar Vivar. He is the fattest of the pirates, is very obese has a little intimidating voice and apparently was not a very good pirate. He is as cowardly as Sabandija and often suffers through life-threatening situations because of the whims of Captain Alma Negra. Ajonjolí (in Portuguese as Lagoa Seca; or in English as Dry Lagoon): (1975) Played by Horacio Gómez Bolaños. He is a pirate who is quite sincere with his friends and takes the place of Panza Loca by force of Alma Negra, while this other pirate went to buy cigarettes (according to this first pirate). He made his first and only appearance in the second part of Los antiguos piratas del Caribe sólo de vez en cuando desviaban a Cuba. Flor Marina (in English as Marina Flower): (1975-1978; 1982) Played by Florinda Meza. She is the pirate tavern keeper on Alma Negra's ship, and is one of the members who rebel against the master pirate alongside Chapulín. On another occasion, she was imprisoned for refusing to marry Alma Negra.
Japanese Dome