Greetings comic lovers and welcome back to Casually Comics the channel where we chat
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I'm deep in the jimmy Olsen pit now, I've fallen into the abyss.
I'm tracking the rise and fall of Jimmy Olsen and I'm taking you with me.
Which means that we have to stop off at The Adventures Of Superman or rather just Adventures
of Superman, dropping the determiner just to mess with me personally.
For simplicities sae cause there's a lot of behind the scenes stuff with this show it
ran from 1952 to 1958.
The first two seasons were in black and white the last 4 in colour.
A key producer on the series for the majority of the run was former DC editor whitney ellesworth
as the movie studio contact.
The role of Jimmy Olsen was played by Jack Larson who initially took the role fo money
and was convinced it would never air.
He had a complicated relationship with the role for awhile cause while he enjoyed it
and earned much fan praise for it, it did lead to him beng type cast, and retiring from
acting to do things behind the scenes.
However, over time the fan love for the character and the show won him over and he was always
going to fan conventions and willing to talk about the show.
Side note he was with the same man playright James Bridges from 1958 to 1993 that's 35
years.
You don't need to know that I just like to be reminded at random times that love is real.
Real like my obsession with Jimmy Olsen.
The series fascinates me because of the interconnected relationship that comics and their adaptations
have.
That relationship while always present varies depending upon what time period you are in.
Sometimes it can be something positive, or respectful, or tactical other times it can
be parasitic, or condescending ot even harmful for one or both of the mediums.
When it comes to Jimmy Olsen this show and Larson's portrayal led to a huge boost in
popularity for the character.
People found the rendition to be endearing and comedic its this show that leads to the
commissioning of the comic series which is saying something cause the character was already
a staple.
Him and Lois are the characters who have appeared the most in Superman adaptations and if one
counts Jimmy may slightly edge her out.
Key word may and time of recording.
So this series helped launch Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen in 1954 a comic that would run
solid for 2 decades and even at the end of that be rolled into another comic so it wasn't
really cancelled.for several more years.
Jimmy is actually named as Jimmy in an adaptation, the radio serial, in the comics his first
claimed appearance is as an unnamed office boy.
So Jimmy may be one of the earliest examples of successful bleedback of adaptation to comic.
There's so much to explore with Jimmy and so I've been working through the Jimmy centric
episodes of this series and I thought why do it alone.
Let me share my travels cause sharing is caring.
I'm starting you off at a random point too cause that's how I roll.
So we're going to be taking a look at Season 2 episode 22 Jimmy Olsen, Boy Editor.
Why cause this story is an adaptation baby woo keeping in theme.
This story is adapted from Superman 86 from 1954 which is the same year this episode aired.
Synergy!
That is also the story that sees Jimmy use his tv and radio show catch phrase great caesar's
ghost on panel for the first time.
So let's dive in and look at all of this, but before we get started I'm Sasha and if
you're enjoying this content you know what to do, hit that like button and that subscribe
button, join us on this comic book journey.
The story from issue 86 is the 2nd of three contained within the comic and was written
by William Wollfolk with art by Wayne Boring
The premise is a simple one somehow Jimmy Olsen has become head editor of the daily
planet and the teaser age depicts him as a tyrant.
Why don't you two dig up some real scoops you call yourselves reporters ! Great Caesar's
Ghost
I feel like that was the wrong time for that exclamation.
The story opens with Perry having a nightmare only the awakened by gunshots as he sees Superman
pursuing some gangsters outside his window.
When he gets into work he tells Clark about his dream that he was replaced by Jimmy Olsen
only when he gets to his office he sees his name is being replaced with Jimmy's
The mayor suggested that I take your job white
This ie because it's boys day it's presented as something like take your kids to work day
only it's let people who aren't qualified do your job day.
What could go wrong?
Jimmy decides that since its a slow news day he's going to make some news.
It's nice to see him being proactive, his plan is to solve a jewel heist mystery which
has a statue of limitations that is expiring that same day so no pressure.
He's gathered evidence already which leads me to believe he planned this beforehand and
assigns each of them tasks.
Lois has to go interview the only witness.
Perfect the one assignment most likely to get her kidnapped.
Good job Jimmy.
And she does get kidnapped when she sees that her witness is having lunch with one of the
gangsters who stole the jewels in the original heist so she realizes the whole testimoy was
faked.
Superman's been working overtime to try and solve this case in 24 hours even tho they
actually have a bit less time than that.
And he spots Lois mid kidnapping so he has to go get her, I mean his days not really
complete unless he saves her at least once.
So they have half of it solved the witness was a plant Perry finds the jewels they were
at a shop run by one of the gangs men but they follow him back to the planet where he
had come to tell Jimmy he had a story after all.
Seeing them held at gunpoint Superman decides best not to barge in and instead breaths chloroform
into the room from a pipe.
Much better
And so the day is saved and the crime solved...the end.
I give this story a 2 out of 5 possible mehs low tier meh.
Such placeholder much story.
So what does the show do with this mediocre foundation.
Well we start off strong with Perry's nightmare
Alas this is all we shall see of comedic tyrant olsen.
Perry goes to work sees his name being removed and flips out
Only Jimmy's not in there yet instead Superman is there to remind him that he himself was
a supporter of Boys day and now it's here.
The whole tone is that this is all very amusing gotta humour the little ones.
This of course upsets Jimmy
Sidenote on the door it says he's James J Olsen that's a continuity error between this
episode and the comics where the initial is B...for Bartholmew.
Put some respect on Jimmy B Olsen's middle name.
Unlike the comic where Jimmy already had a plan to solve this hinkley jewel heist here
it is the fact that he's not being taken seriously that spurs him on making him want to make
a name for himself prove himself.
He remembers the a robbery committed by a gangster named Legs Lemmy that was never solved
and the statute expires that day so what does he do.
He has the planet run a false page one story about new evidence being uncovered and then
plans to spend the rest of the day finding said evidence.
This is why we can't let Jimmy run things.
Clark's contribution to this episode is mostly living for what a disaster this
He just wants to listen to the world burn
Unfortunately the gangster in question reads this article and decides he has to stop any
new evidence from turning up so he goes to the planet gets through all the way to the
boy editors office and holds him and Lois hostage at gunpoint.
Clark says they can't go in they could hurt them but also nobody calls the police or anything
either.
This is very much a box episode the majority of it takes place within a couple of sets.
It does have a great Lois moment where she tricks one of the goons Toots into handing
her his machine gun
Jimmy's face, Lois has a machine gun, I'm saved!
But no they also had a pistol.
Still hostages.
Another episode highlight is this small detail of after they send Perry out to get them some
hamburgers which the gangsters throw over the balcony so Lois and Jimmy don't even get
to eat them you see in the other room where Clark and Perry are still listening that they
got to eat their burgers.
So Legs had brought the money from the heist that no one was able to find with him to this
hostage situation and he;s diving it up in the office since they;re just waiting out
the time til the statue runs out.
But Jimmy lets slip that the serial numbers are part of the evidence so if they can get
a bill they have proof of the heist so finally it looks like a job for Superman.
Superman solves it the same way as the comic except this time he has to go to the hospital
and get some chloroform so that he can knock everyone out
Here Superman take this can of paint thinner that we covered with paper.
Jimmy takes credit for planting the idea that they would all go to sleep with the power
of suggestion by yawning and doing it first and Perry had finally called the police so
they show up and arrest the gang...the end.
Ooof well I mean you can only do so much with the source story they had.
I'm nit sure which is more fun, tyrant boss jimmy or hapless I need to prove myself Jimmy.
The interaction with the gangsters is a bit more fun than watching the gang run around
and gather evidence but in both cases I think Jimmy proved he doesn't think far enough ahead
as editor.
For me I find this episode fascinating from an adaptational point of view and of course
also because
This episode led me down a path of Jimmy episodes.
Next episode Jimmy thinks he;s being haunted by a ghost.
They do more than one prince and pauper style episodes . I like the one where he gets mistaken
for a king and ends up nearly getting executed by firing squad.
There's also an episode where he takes up chemistry as a hobby and invents an anti gravity
serum.
Plus an episode where a gangster is trying to identify Superman cause his dog knows him,
that's not a Jimmy episode I will just ever not laugh at an episode titled
The dog who knew Superman.
There's no turning back for me, so feed the addiction if you have aJimmy ep you'd really
love to see reviewed let me know.
Tell me Jimmy things down below and while you're down there please do all of the youtube
things.
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Thanks so much for taking some time out of your day to spend it discussing comics with
me.
I always appreciate it.
Bye Bye.