Posted By Dan Greenfield on Jun 30, 2024 | 7 comments

Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #1 came out June 30, 1954…

Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #1. Curt Swan pencils, Stan Kaye inks

By PETER BOSCH

On June 30, 1954, copyboy-turned-reporter James Bartholomew Olsen got his own comic book (dated Sept.-Oct. 1954), with a healthy dose of Superman in each issue. (Even the official title of the series was Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen.)

Admittedly, some of the stories in the 163-issue series were silly enough that they could have appeared in The Adventures of Jerry Lewis comics with only a name change, but to me they were always enjoyable. (The title was changed with Issue #164 to The Superman Family, with Jimmy, Supergirl and Lois Lane sharing the series.)

As a tribute to the 70th anniversary of the release of Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #1, here are my 13 favorite covers from the series. (I’ve tried to avoid the many transformations of Jimmy Olsen, which you can see in Paul Kupperberg’s excellent article that highlights some of the best. I did, however, include one of his choices in my group.)

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Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #44 (Apr. 1960). When Jimmy needs a beautiful maiden to kiss him to break a werewolf spell, it takes a super girl to do that.

Curt Swan pencils, Stan Kaye inks

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Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #63 (Sept. 1962). Absolute proof that Curt Swan did not need any backgrounds to create a striking cover. Many comic artists today could learn from that.

Swan pencils, George Klein inks

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Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #64 (Oct. 1962). A story where size does matter.

Swan pencils, Klein inks

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Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #65 (Dec. 1962). Miss Gzptlsnz, from Mr. Mxyzptlk’s 5th Dimension, proposes to Jimmy and is rejected. She uses her magic to turn him into a human porcupine, whose flying quills make him a danger to everyone.

Swan pencils, Klein inks

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Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #67 (Mar. 1963). I found this cover to be scary when I was a kid. I still do.

Swan pencils, Klein inks

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Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #69 (June 1963). Nightwing (Superman) and Flamebird (Jimmy) made their first appearance in Superman #158 (Jan. 1963). They were the Kandorian versions of Batman and Robin. (And this was two decades before Robin became Nightwing.)

Swan pencils, Klein inks

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Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #70 (July 1963). Not to worry, this was tied in to Superman’s 25th anniversary (silver).

Swan pencils, John Forte inks

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Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #71 (Sept. 1963). How did Jimmy prove to Superman he was the real Olsen? Let’s just say Fight Club.

Swan pencils, Klein inks

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Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #73 (Dec. 1963). Come on, you didn’t buy Jimmy’s comics if you didn’t want to have fun.

Swan pencils, Klein inks

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Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #76 (Apr. 1964). The good-hearted female Legionnaires pretend to fall in love with Jimmy in order to fool Lucy Lane, who has been treating him like dirt, into appreciating the lad.

Swan pencils, Klein inks

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Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #89 (Dec. 1965). Yet another comic book succumbing to the James Bond/The Man from U.N.C.L.E. fad of the Sixties.

Swan pencils, Klein inks

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Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #108 (Jan. 1968). An updated version of George Barr McCutcheon’s 1902 novel, Brewster’s Millions.

Swan pencils, Klein inks

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Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #110 (Apr. 1968). A cover, with Neal Adams inking Curt Swan, that is reminiscent of Superman #38 (Jan.-Feb. 1946, with Jack Burnley pencils and George Roussos inks).

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MORE

— PAUL KUPPERBERG: My 13 Favorite Funky JIMMY OLSEN Covers. Click here.

— 13 COVERS: A JIMMY OLSEN Salute to JACK LARSON. Click here.

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13th Dimension contributor-at-large PETER BOSCH’s first book, American TV Comic Books: 1940s-1980s – From the Small Screen to the Printed Page, was published by TwoMorrows. He is currently at work on a sequel, about movie comics. Peter has written articles and conducted celebrity interviews for various magazines and newspapers. He lives in Hollywood.