El Chapulín Colorado (English: The Red Grasshopper) is a Mexican television comedy series that aired from 1973 to 1979 and parodied superhero shows.

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: He is a superhero that hails from somewhere in the U.S. (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 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.

Though somewhat unrefined by modern standards, the show achieved surprising effects like floating in the air or flying, performing impossible acrobatics, fighting against Martians, strange creatures, witches and various monsters, and, most often, to get the physical reduction effect thanks to his famous "pastillas de chiquitolina", which Chapulín frequently used to pass under doors, reach dangerous areas without attracting attention, or solve problems.

In the end credits for most episodes between 1975 and 1979, Baroque Hoedown by Jean Jacques Perrey (who also composed The Elephant Never Forgets used in El Chavo) can be heard.

[18] Chapulín has enjoyed popularity all over Latin America, the United States, Spain, Portugal and other countries, albeit somewhat less than its sister production of El Chavo.

The cast of Chapulín was the same as that of El Chavo, although only actors Florinda Meza, Carlos Villagrán and Ramón Valdés were usually in every episode; however, the characters usually were different.

Chompiras and his new partner in crime, El Botija, played by Edgar Vivar, came to dominate the later years of Chespirito, an hour-long showcase featuring all the characters of the show.

Chapulín was a hero of undetermined geographic and temporal location: his adventures could unfold in the American Old West, in ancient Japan, in haunted houses, in London, in the Swiss Alps, during the Spanish Inquisition, in pirate ships, in Nazi Germany (an episode in which Chespirito played a double role as Chapulín and as Adolf Hitler himself, in the style of Charles Chaplin's The Great Dictator) or outer space, and his enemies range from the mafians, pirates, ghosts, Yeti to Egyptian mummies, including his interaction, in some occasions, with literary characters such as, Romeo and Juliet ("Juleo y Rumieta", or literally "Juleo and Rumiet").

The Simpsons creator Matt Groening has said that he created the Bumblebee Man character after watching El Chapulín Colorado in a motel on the United States–Mexico border.

[20] The Marvel Comics superheroine Red Locust, a member of the newest incarnation of the Champions, was created as an homage to El Chapulín Colorado.

While it is yet to be confirmed if the character is a parody or a tribute of El Chapulín Colorado, several news websites (especially from Latin America) noticed the physical similarities.

[22][23][24] The official Spanish Twitter account of the series even acknowledged the similarities, using one of El Chapulín's quotes along a screenshot showing Smile Man.

Director Angel Manuel Soto and writer Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer incorporated the homage due to having watched the original series while growing up.

[28][29][30] In this series, Pinzon dressed mostly Mexican immigrants as various superheroes, but performing their normal, daily work in construction, childcare, waitressing, window cleaning, etc., and then photographed them.