Jimmy Olsen, Superman's First Boyfriend

Many gay boys growing up in the 1950s and 1960s dreamed of dating Superman.   In 1954, Daily Planet reporter Jimmy Olsen got his chance: he began to appear in his own comic book title, as Superman's "boy pal."

What, precisely, was a boy pal?  A boy sidekick, like Kaliman's Solin?  An adopted son, like Batman's Robin?  Jimmy wasn't a boy or even a teenager: he was tall and sturdy, with the standard comic book body-by-Michelangelo (since reporter outfits are not particularly revealing, almost every story required him to be in underwear, in a swimsuit, or ripped out of his clothes). 

The "boy pal" relationship differed considerably from ordinary friendships:

1. It was physical.  Superman and Jimmy flew with their arms wrapped tenderly around each other, a position that no one else, not even Lois Lane, rated.

2. It was romantic.  Superman gave no one but Jimmy a gift of jewelry (a special signal watch).

3. It was of public interest: “There goes Superman’s boy pal!” passersby would whisper, and when the duo quarrels in “Superman’s Enemy” (Jimmy Olsen 35, March 1959), every stage of their breakup and reconciliation made Daily Planet headlines. 

4.  It was exclusive: each had other friends and even other sidekicks, but in “Superman’s Super Rival” (Jimmy Olsen 37, June 1959), when Jimmy seems to be courting a newly-arrived superhero named Mysterio, Superman is so jealous that he challenges the rival “pal” to a fight. 

5.  It threatened heterosexual romance: in a fantasy story, “Jimmy Olsen’s Wedding,” (Jimmy Olsen 38, July 1959), Jimmy’s girlfriend agrees to marry him only under the condition that he never see or contact Superman again (one can’t imagine why). He complies for several years, but eventually he cannot bear to be separated any longer, and arranges a secret rendezvous with his “pal.” His wife discovers him in the act (of what?), shrieks in anger. and leaves him.

Such an overt same-sex romance made me scrounge to beg or borrow all of older Jimmy Olson comics I could.  The issues I could buy in the store (the series lasted until 1974) were no good; about 1965, Jimmy and Superman broke up.  Though they stayed on friendly terms, no further stories featured their romance. 

And the special signal watch was never seen again. Perhaps Jimmy returned it the day he told Superman over coffee, “it’s not you, it’s me.”

In 1972, Jimmy found a new boyfriend, an African-American cop named Corrigan, whom he sometimes even called his “pal.”

Unfortunately, the homoromance was not maintained in tv versions of the Superhero.  Smallville gave Superman two boyfriends, but neither were Jimmy Olsen.

Danny Ponce after Hogan

Danny Ponce was arguably the heartthrob of The Hogan Family (1986-1991), surpassing Jason Bateman in the number of first gay crushes he elicited, and in the number of teen magazine shots featuring glimpses of his increasingly muscular physique.

But he was a busy child star before Hogan, with roles on Happy Days, Family Ties, Hunter, and Hotel, as well as a 3-year stint as Jason Avery on Knots Landing (1983-86).

Since Hogan, he's remained close friends with his tv brother Jeremy Licht.  They were best men at each other's weddings.

He's muscled up.

He now goes by Dan Ponce, although that means that the Internet Movie Database mistakes him for the Dan Ponce who founded the "Straight, No Chaser" a capella group and now works for WGN in Chicago (no relation).

Although Dan isn't a superstar anymore, he's had some substantial movie roles.  Man of the Year (2002)  was particularly memorable, the story of a "Man of the Year" celebration for business ex Bill (John Ritter) with the dialogue entirely improv.

And he occasionally returns to his comedy roots on tv:

On the "My Urologist" episode of Scrubs as a member of the Greasers musical group who points out that Elliott is "square."

On the "Hundred Dollar Baby" episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, as a guy who gets beat up by Charlie and Dee.

More Unexpected Theatrical Beefcake

You go to see Tarzan primarily to see a buffed guy in a loincloth. There may be other reasons to go to Streetcar Named Desire or Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, but a half-naked Stanley or Brick is certainly among the top ten. But even serious dramas and quirky small-stage comedies can surprise you with beefcake.

Scandalous, about the famed 1920s evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson, featured Edward Watts playing David Hutton, offering the the forbidden fruit.

Heavier Than displays Nick Ballard as Minotaur of ancient Greek myth turning 30 and leaving his twink years behind him, and Casey Kringlen as a skinny Icarus who has a crush on him.








Fela, a musical about Nigerian singer Fela Kuti, starred a shirtless Sahr Ngaujah.


















A Clockwork Orange yobs.

Fun fact: For most of my life, I thought that the novel and movie referred to an orange clock.  I didn't realize that clockwork means mechanical, so "a mechanical orange."

Neither title makes any sense.  The play is about a gang of hooligans in a dystopian future.

I'll bet you didn't know that Hamlet  had a physique like that.  In this modern rendition starring Paapa Essiedu , he does.

Or that Shylock in Merchant of Venice was a beefy bear.


More after the break.