Action Comics #6
Action Comics #6 holds a firm place in Superman mythology as the issue where a nameless, bow-tie-wearing 'office boy' — retroactively identified by DC Comics as James Bartholomew Olsen — makes what is now the officially recognized first comics appearance of Jimmy Olsen, one of the most enduring supporting characters in superhero fiction. The lead Superman story, 'The Man Who Sold Superman,' is also a remarkably forward-thinking narrative for 1938: six months into Superman's existence, writer Jerry Siegel was already exploring the commodification of a superhero's identity, a premise that would not feel out of place decades later. The issue additionally continues the serialized Zatara-versus-Tigress rivalry that had been running since Action Comics #1, showcasing how the anthology's non-Superman features carried genuine ongoing continuity at a time when that was far from standard. Rounding out its distinction, this is one of a small handful of early Action Comics numbers where the front cover does not feature Superman at all — a notable anomaly in a run that was rapidly defining the genre.
In "Superman's Phony Manager," the Man of Steel faces his first major deception when Clark Kent encounters a self-proclaimed manager claiming to represent Superman—only for Lois Lane to stumble upon a dangerous imposter tied to the ruse. Written by Jerome Siegel and illustrated by Joe Shuster, with inks by Shuster and Paul Lauretta, this 1938 classic sees the real Superman racing to protect Lois before the fake identity turns deadly. The cover by Leo O'Mealia captures the tension of the moment in bold, dynamic lines.
In this early Superman tale from Action Comics #6, Clark Kent encounters a slick fighter manager who insists he’s the real Superman’s personal representative. When Lois uncovers a fake Superman linked to the man, the real Man of Steel must move fast to protect her—before the deception turns deadly.
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Published by Detective Comics, Inc. under editor Vincent Sullivan, the issue went on sale September 26, 1938, carrying a November 1938 cover date. The lead Superman feature was scripted by Jerry Siegel and drawn by Joe Shuster with inking assists from letterer Paul Lauretta — the same creative core that had been producing the strip since Action Comics #1. The Zatara story, set against the pyramids of Egypt in continuing sequence from issue #5, was written and drawn by Fred Guardineer, though the Grand Comics Database notes that early credits for the Zatara segment were mistakenly attributed to Gardner Fox and later corrected by researcher Craig Delich. Guardineer also contributed the Pep Morgan backup under the pseudonym 'Gene Baxter,' while Russell Cole worked on the Pilferin' Pete strip under the pen name 'Alger,' illustrating the common Golden Age practice of artists working across multiple features under different names within the same anthology.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance (retroactive) of Jimmy Olsen: an unnamed, blond, bow-tie-wearing 'office boy' appears in two panels of the Superman story 'The Man Who Sold Superman' — DC Comics officially recognizes this as the character's debut in the comics medium.
- Jimmy Olsen is not named in this issue at all; the first name 'Jimmy' does not appear in print until Superman #13, and the surname 'Olsen' is not established until Superman #15.
- The Superman story — scripted by Jerry Siegel and drawn by Joe Shuster with Paul Lauretta inks — features a con artist who claims to be Superman's personal manager and holds commercial rights to the Superman name, making it an early meditation on hero branding and fraud.
- This is one of the rare early Action Comics issues with a non-Superman front cover; the cover art depicting a jungle/gorilla scene was painted by Leo E. O'Mealia, the series' regular cover artist at this stage.
- The Zatara backup, written and drawn by Fred Guardineer (and set at the Pyramid of Cheops in Egypt), represents the Tigress's fourth clash with Zatara — the villain had debuted in Action Comics #1 and reappeared in #3 before this installment.
- The Zatara story's writer credit was long misattributed to Gardner Fox in many reference sources; the Grand Comics Database later corrected this to Fred Guardineer based on research by Craig Delich.
- The Superman story in this issue was set in Cleveland — consistent with the earliest Action Comics stories — before the setting was quietly shifted to Metropolis in later issues without in-story explanation.
- The Superman lead story has been reprinted in multiple collected editions including Superman Chronicles Vol. 1, Superman: The Action Comics Archives Vol. 1, Lois Lane: A Celebration of 75 Years, and DC Finest: Superman: The First Superhero (2024).
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Reprinted in Superman #3 (1940), Superman in Action Comics #1 (1993), Superman: The Action Comics Archives #1 (1998), DC Archiv Edition #5 (1999), Clásicos DC #6 (2005), The Superman Chronicles #1 (2006), Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus #1 (2013), Lois Lane: A Celebration of 75 Years #[nn] (2014), Superman: The Golden Age #1 (2016), DC Finest: Superman: The First Superhero #[nn] (2025), Aventures #36/1941, Aventures #37/1941, Aventures #38/1941, Aventures #39/1941
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