Editing Action Comics (section)

===The Golden Age===
[[Jerry Siegel]] and [[Joe Shuster]] saw their creation, Superman (also known as Kal-El, originally Kal-L), launched in [[Action Comics 1|''Action Comics'' #1]] on April 18, 1938 ([[cover date]]d June),<ref>{{Cite book|last= Muir|first= John Kenneth|title= The Encyclopedia of Superheroes on Film and Television|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=kdMzAQAAIAAJ|access-date=2011-05-31|date= July 2008|location= Jefferson, North Carolina|publisher= [[McFarland & Company]]|isbn=978-0-7864-3755-9|page= 539}}</ref> an event which began the [[Golden Age of Comic Books]].<ref>{{cite book|editor-last=Wallace|editor-first= Daniel|editor2-last=Dolan|editor2-first=Hannah|chapter= 1930s|title = DC Comics Year By Year: A Visual Chronicle|publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]]|date=2010|location= London, United Kingdom|isbn= 978-0-7566-6742-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YPQ9QwAACAAJ|page= 20 |quote = With the launch of ''Action Comics'', Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster finally saw their brainchild in print, and readers responded with rave reviews.  Superman became the first comic book mega-star and proved that comics were more than a fad. The Golden Age of Comics was born.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Goulart|first=Ron|title=Comic Book Culture|date= 2000|location= Tigard, Oregon|publisher= Collectors Press|page=43|isbn=978-1-888054-38-5}}</ref> Siegel and Shuster had tried for years to find a publisher for their Superman character—conceived initially as a [[newspaper strip]]. Superman was originally a bald madman created by Siegel and Shuster who used his telepathic abilities to wreak havoc on humanity. He appeared in Siegel and Shuster's fanzine ''Science Fiction''.<ref>{{Cite book | first=Gerard | last=Jones | title=Men of Tomorrow | pages=82–84 | publisher= [[Random House|Arrow Books]]| date=July 2006|location= New York, New York| isbn=978-0-09-948706-7}}</ref> Siegel then commented, "What if this Superman was a force for good instead of evil?" The writer and artist had worked on several features for National Allied Publications' other titles such as [[Slam Bradley]] in ''[[Detective Comics]].''<ref>Jones, p. 120.</ref> They were asked to contribute a feature for National's newest publication. They submitted Superman for
consideration. After re-pasting the sample newspaper strips they had prepared into comic book page format, National decided to make Superman the cover feature of their new magazine.<ref>Jones, p. 124.</ref> After seeing the published first issue, publisher [[Harry Donenfeld]] dismissed the featured strip as ridiculous. He ordered it never to be on the cover of the series. Subsequent reports of the first issue's strong sales and follow up investigations revealed that Superman was the reason. Thus, the character returned to the covers, becoming a permanent presence in issue 19 onward.<ref>{{cite book|last=Van Lente|first=Fred|author-link = Fred Van Lente|title=The Comic Book History of Comics|date= 2012|location= San Diego, California|publisher= [[IDW Publishing]]|page=32|isbn = 978-1-61377-197-6}}</ref>

Initially, ''Action Comics'' was an [[Comics anthology|anthology title]] featuring several other stories in addition to the Superman story. [[Zatara]], a magician, was one of the other characters who had his own stories in early issues. There was the hero [[Tex Thompson]], who eventually became Mr. America and later the [[Americommando]]. [[Vigilante (comics)|Vigilante]] enjoyed a lengthy run in this series. Sometimes stories of a more humorous nature were included, such as those of [[Hayfoot Henry]], a policeman who talked in rhyme. The series saw the introduction of several characters and themes that would become longstanding elements of the Superman mythos. [[Lois Lane]] made her debut in the first issue with Superman.<ref>Wallace "1930s" in Dolan, p. 20: "Lois Lane was established early...but she rejected Clark [Kent] as a 'spineless, unbearable coward.'"</ref> An unnamed "office boy" with a bow tie makes a brief appearance in the story "Superman's Phony Manager" published in ''Action Comics'' #6 (November 1938), which is claimed to be [[Jimmy Olsen]]'s first appearance by several reference sources.<ref>{{cite book|last= Beatty|first= Scott|author-link= Scott Beatty|chapter= Superman's Career|title= Superman: The Ultimate Guide to the Man of Steel|publisher= Dorling Kindersley|date= 2006|location= London, United Kingdom|page= 126|isbn= 978-0-7566-2067-7}}</ref><ref>Wallace "1930s" in Dolan, p. 21: "''Action Comics'' #6 (November 1938) The Man of Steels's future pal Jimmy Olsen made his first appearance within this issue of ''Action Comics'', although he was identified only as an 'inquisitive office-boy'"</ref><ref>[http://www.comics.org/issue/349/ ''Action Comics'' #6 (November 1938)] at the Grand Comics Database</ref>

New [[Superpower (ability)|superpowers]] depicted for the first time for the character included [[X-ray vision]] and super-hearing in issue #11 (April 1939){{citation needed|date=June 2021}} and telescopic vision and super-breath in issue #20 (January 1940).<ref>Wallace "1940s" in Dolan, p. 33: "Superman's telescopic vision and super-breath were introduced in January's ''Action Comics'' #20."</ref>

[[Lex Luthor|Luthor]], a villain who became Superman's [[arch-enemy]], was introduced in issue #23 (April 1940).<ref>Wallace "1940s" in Dolan, p. 31: "The debut of the brilliant scientist known as Luthor was a sign of things to come."</ref> The original [[Toyman]] was created by writer [[Donald Clough Cameron|Don Cameron]] and artist Ed Dobrotka in issue #64 (September 1943).<ref>Wallace "1940s" in Dolan, p. 45: "In writer Don Cameron and artist Ed Dobrotka's 'The Terrible Toyman', a quirky toy maker used his bizarre playthings to commit crimes."</ref> By 1942, artist [[Wayne Boring]], who had previously been one of Shuster's assistants, had become a major artist on Superman.<ref>{{cite book|last = Daniels|first = Les|author-link = Les Daniels|title = DC Comics: Sixty Years of the World's Favorite Comic Book Heroes|chapter= The Superman Style Refining the Man of Steel|publisher = [[Little, Brown and Company|Bulfinch Press]]|date= 1995|location= New York, New York|page = 28|isbn = 0-8212-2076-4|quote= The image of Superman that eventually became preeminent was Wayne Boring's. By 1942 the former assistant to Joe Shuster was working on his own for DC, turning out pencilled and inked pages for ''Action Comics'' and ''Superman''.}}</ref>