Olsen, Pal of Superman

Action Comics No. 6

When I think of Superman/Clark Kent, I think of Jimmy Olsen, the "almost, but not quite" character.  A Norwegian lost in Metropolis, Olsen is loyal and good at heart.  (Olsen = Son of Ole, link to Ole jokes)  He is vulnerable because he wants to be more than a mere photojournalist, sidekick, "pal" to superman.  Also, he is a red head.  Jimmy first appears in Action Comics No. 6 as an "office boy," whatever that means in 1938.  It is a strange episode in which Lois inadvertently tries to date rape Superman by drugging Clark Kent so she can meet up later with Superman.  In 1938, rohypnol did not phase the man-of-steel.  The "office boy" was not named until 1940 in the Adventures of Superman radio show.  Superman could be the solitary existentialist in illustrated print, but on the air Superman/Clark Kent needed someone to talk with, so the "office boy" gained a name and a voice.  The first voice of Jimmy Olsen was Jack Grimes (1926-2009).  Fewer and fewer remember the Grimes' Jimmy Olsen, but even I (must) remember his voice as Spritle and Sparky in the anime classic Speed Racer.

The Adventures of Superman Radio Show