Amazing Transformations Of Jimmy Olsen!

Jimmy Olsen is one of the all-time great comic book characters. Created as a supporting member of the sprawling Superman cast he gained his first notoriety in the offshoot productions of the comic in radio and later in television. He was such a hit that he got his own comic which lasted for several decades. During that time he had scuds of screwball misadventures, usually always needing the timely intervention of Superman to save him at the crucial moment. Sometimes his own smarts saved the day, though most often his own dimwitted or naive notions triggered the trouble to begin with. Like many characters of the Weisinger edited Superman family he changed form a lot. These oddball changes are the focus of this light-hearted fun read The Amazing Transformations of Jimmy Olsen.

Jimmy's stories usually begin with him meeting up with Professor Potter (or some similar looking mad scientist) and getting his mitts on a potion, device or ray which would change him into something weird and sometimes unsettling. Often the potion would be found in a cask or case brought forth by Superman himself and left in Jimmy's care despite his long record of irresponsibility in such matters. Whatever the gimmick, the story quickly gets the change started and then Jimmy spends the rest of the story trying to change back or come to terms with his new status. The stories are invariably hair-brained and small-minded. Jimmy often is just trying to impress his fickle love interest Lucy Lane. In these stories we see Jimmy become a Legionnaire, journey to Kandor, and even a planet full of just himself. Zany and wild and often entertaining.

Here are the covers of most of the stories in this collection. My personal faves are the the Jimmy from Jupiter, Octopus Jimmy, Bizzaro-Jimmy and my all time fave -- Giant Turtle Man Jimmy.

Check this one out if you have the time. The cover by Brian Bolland is a great one.

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