The new Disney + theatrical version of Chip 'N Dale Rescue Rangers will likely subvert expectations for lifelong fans of the series, but what are some comics and video games we should be looking at as investors?

A Little History

1943 is often considered the introduction of Chip 'n Dale in the cartoon short Private Pluto. At the time of their introduction, they were referred to as Chip and Chap and not referenced by name. The two chipmunks were mostly identical. In the animated short, the pair use a cannon to store their nuts, which Pluto is tasked with protecting.

Their true first appearance is in Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #25 from October 1942. The four-page short story essentially ran through the plot of the animated short that would be released six months later.

A 9.0 CGC Universal graded copy of the issue last sold in 2021 for $3,240 through Heritage Auctions.

Their next appearance was in Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #69 in 1946, covering two pages. A 9.2 CGC Universal graded copy sold for $1,553 in 2017.

It was not until their third appearance in 1947 that they got the names Chip and Dale. Allegedly, the names are puns of furniture designer Thomas Chippendale. It was during this appearance that their different personalities began to emerge. It wasn't until their eighth appearance in Vacation Parade #1 that they began speaking, as we are familiar with their anthropomorphic characters today.

Golden Age to the Modern Age

Between 1943 and 1956, Chip and Dale appeared in 23 cartoons, two of which (Chip an' Dale (1947) and Toy Tinkers (1949)) were nominated for Oscars. The chipmunks appeared in three issues of Four Color Comics specifically dedicated to them, which included issues #517, #581, and #636.

This run is often considered the first three of the "Chip 'n Dale" series. It continued with Chip 'n Dale #4 in 1955, and the series continued until 1962. The series was revived by Gold Key Comics in 1967 with Chip n' Dale #1. It was eventually taken over by Whitman Publishing and that run continued until 1984.

Chip 'n' Dale #1 (Gold Key) with a 9.6 CGC Universal grade sold for $116 in 2020 through ComicConnect.

Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers

The animated series, Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, began in 1989. This is also the moment that Chip began dressing as Indiana Jones and Dale as Magnum PI. The series lasted for three seasons with a total of 65 episodes.

In that time, another comic series of the same title was released by Disney between 1990 and 1991. It continued for nineteen issues. A 9.8 CGC graded copy of Rescue Rangers #1 currently has an FMV of $220. A copy last sold on April 10, 2022 via eBay for $215.

The Rescue Rangers animated series run also brought up merchandising in the way of t-shirts, toys, VHS, and a video games series.

A Video Game Too?

In 1990, Capcom and Disney paired up to make a video game for Chip n' Dale. Disney's Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers was the fourth best-selling game globally that Capcom produced for the NES. A WATA graded 9.6 sealed copy sold for $15,600 through Heritage Auctions on January 28, 2022. It is currently the highest-graded copy, according to the November 2021 population report.

The popular NES game, if I must say so myself, was extremely fun to play, so that doesn't hurt its allure as a collectible. A sequel was released for the NES in 1994, which was extremely odd, given that Super Nintendo had launched in 1991. NES discontinued the system in 1995 after giving it twelve years, including its initial launch in 1983.

A Quick Film Review

Here's a quick review of the film itself. Honestly, I didn't know what to expect and the trailers left me shrugging. The (Disney) plus side? As a subscriber, I was going to watch it nonetheless, since it didn't involve me leaving the house. I'm here to report the movie is way funnier than it has any business being and with its references that touch on pop culture touchstones like "Ugly Sonic" and film noir tropes that bring to mind 1974's Chinatown, it's smart in a way that a whole family can enjoy. Kids of all ages, if you will.

Akiva Schaffer, the creative mind behind Lonely Island, MacGruber, and Hot Rod is in the director chair, while comedians John Mulaney and Andy Samberg, voice Chip and Dale, respectively. The film is a meta-subversion of the original animated series, which involves the titular characters dealing with their lives after the cancellation of Rescue Rangers. Chip (voiced by John Mulaney) sells insurance and Dale (voiced by Andy Samberg) has had "CGI surgery" in an effort to make him more relevant at conventions. The plot involves Chip and Dale on the hunt for their friend, Monterey Jack, who has gone missing. They believe he is being forced to star in bootleg cartoon films.

You might be thinking that this all sounds an awful lot like Who Framed Roger Rabbit, but the film features a cameo by Roger and also a reference to Jessica Rabbit, which makes it feel like an appropriate spiritual sequel to the beloved film. I'll leave the full movie review to the professionals, but in short, I'd highly recommend it.

In Summation

As a lifelong fan of Rescue Rangers, it honestly was so much fun to research this piece and to immerse myself in the rich history from the 1940s into 2022 with the new film. Hopefully, if the movie appears to be a success for Disney, it will lead to a new generation of fans for Chip 'n Dale and rich investment opportunities for collectors of the beloved chipmunks.

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*Any perceived investment advice is that of the blogger and does not represent advice on behalf of GoCollect.