Lechuza picture series#

(One time when he explained the use of the pills to his nemesis Tripaseca before using it, he sarcastically replied: 'Well, then you must already have taken one of them, Chapulin!'). A common joke on the show is that Chapulín's enemies often imply that the use of this equipment makes no difference at all, in reference to the hero's short height in his normal size. The effects of the pill last an average of 10 minutes, and at the end of that time Chapulin returns to his normal size. Pastillas de Chiquitolina (Tinycillin Pills) are special pills that, when swallowed by Chapulín, reduce him to a size of about 8 inches tall to put enemies off guard or to access hard-to-reach locations.The latter allows Chapulín to activate his Antenitas de Alta Velocidad (High-Speed Antennae), dramatically increasing his speed and allowing him to fight on equal terms with fast foes (to the point of casually deflecting bullets). The antennae are connected directly to his body's nervous system, allowing him to have direct control of its powers, including: detect presence of criminals and dangerous situations in general, decode and translate various languages and secret codes, capture readings of toxic or hazardous materials, receive requests for help and activate special electronic bio-resources in the Chapulín's body. Antenitas de Vinil (Little Vinyl Antennae) are two red and yellow antennae on the top of the hero's hood.It is a red and yellow hammer which not only pulverizes his enemies, but also faithfully returns to his hands with a simple whistle, like a boomerang or Thor's Mjolnir. Chipote Chillón (Squeaky Mallet), is Chapulín's primary weapon of choice.Fighting Skills: La Yegua Voladora ('the flying mare'), that is some kind of superman fly ramming his opponents as in Mexican wrestling.El Chapulín Colorado is terrified, is clumsy, weak, stupid, etc., and aware of these deficiencies, faces the problem, is a hero, and loses another characteristic of heroes, and heroes lose many times, their ideas succeed later. Those heroes are not afraid, Batman, Superman, they are all powerful, they cannot be afraid. Heroism does not consist in being fearless, but in overcoming fear. Hero is El Chapulín Colorado, and this is serious. He's the Cherry Cricket!)Īccording to Chespirito, the difference between Chapulín and standard heroes: ¡Es el Chapulín Colorado! (More agile than a turtle, stronger than a mouse, nobler than a lettuce, his shield is a heart. Más ágil que una tortuga, más fuerte que un ratón, más noble que una lechuga, su escudo es un corazón.

Parodying Superman's 'Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive' introduction, Chapulín was introduced as follows in the show's opening, reinforcing the idea of a barely powered hero: Despite this, Chapulín tried his best to help, and all his adventures ended well (though sometimes by sheer good luck or outside help.) Recognition caused him to boast, only to stumble and fall right away, proving himself to be puny and timid, and disappointing his fans. In each episode, people recognized Chapulín wherever he appeared (one episode took place on the planet Venus), believing him to be a great superhero. The show embodied many aspects of Latin and Mexican culture while making a critique on the unrealistic image of superheroes. Roberto Gómez Bolaños ( Chespirito) as El Chapulín Colorado

Lechuza picture series#

It is known in Brazil as 'Chapolin', 'Vermelhinho' ('Little Red One') and 'Polegar Vermelho' ('Red Thumb') in allusion to the famous fairy tale character Tom Thumb.Īlthough the series has a regular cast (the same cast as El Chavo), all actors but Gómez Bolaños play different characters each episode, and it is therefore described as an anthology series. The main character uses a conspicuous red uniform. The name 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'. Both shows have endured in re-runs and have won back some of their popularity in several countries such as Colombia or Peru, where it has aired in competition with The Simpsons (which features a recurring parody of the 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, which shared the same cast of actors. It was created by Roberto Gómez Bolaños ( Chespirito), who also played the main character.

María Antonieta de las Nieves (1973 1975–1979)Įl Chapulín Colorado (English: The Red Grasshopper) is a Mexican television comedy series that ran from 1973 to 1979 and parodied superhero shows.