No one remembers Captain Purple. At least, no one remembers the Internet superhero who went by that name. To be fair, this isn't entirely surprising. Being the mascot of a website that hasn't functioned since the 90's, his existence was only insured by the longevity of the site. Though updates were promised, his adventures were left on a cliffhanger, and Captain Purple would go quietly into the night.
Composed of one part superhero parody, one part Internet humor, one part nonsense, and all parts shamelessly ripped from The Tick, Captain Purple was created by Scott Sauer, who also drew and wrote the webcomic. With help from Richard Dodd and Mark Monroe, the strip was launched in October of 1995, and continued on for ten issues. Though it ceased production at the end of 1996, the character was still used as the mascot for The Comics Page, a now defunct site about comic books. The site was updated monthly, in an attempt to create an "Online Magazine," a concept which was all the rage at the time. Each month featured a new installment in the Captain Purple saga, until the comic fizzled out. He continued to poke around until the site went on an indefinite hiatus in late 1999, and has not been heard from since.
Though the strip may seem quaint by today's standards, it is definitely a product of its time. The very concept of Captain Purple could have been forgotten to the ages if not for The Wayback Machine, which luckily saved the entire webcomic, preserving this moment of Internet history. It is a reflection of a far more innocent time online, when any idea could prosper if you had the resources at your fingertips. It is for this reason that this obscure piece of Internet humor is showcased here, for those who have long since forgotten that strange man with his huge jaw and a strange obsession with Chelsea Clinton.
