Kirby Olsen era

[DoctorZero]

What's the general opinion on the Jack Kirby Olsen era?

Personally I've always liked Kirby's New Gods concepts, as well as his DNA Project ideas.  But I disliked how he totally warped the Olsen comic just to promote these ideas.  

Any other opinions on this?

[Great Rao]

I think it was a mindblowingly incredible blast and I love it; but it's really got nothing to do with Superman.

[Klar Ken T5477]

I loved Jack on JO!

It was all wild, weird and happening right now - so dont even think - buy it!

Murphy Andreson and Plastino heads on Supes and Jimmy's bodies added to the psychedelia of it all.

[nightwing]

I thought it was great stuff.  Certainly as a kid it was the most "out there" representation of Superman on the stands, and that gave it a certain creepy/cool appeal.

I never thought much of Jimmy in those days, so turning him into a wannabe "Challenger of the Unknown" was no great scandal to me.  Recently I've come to gain great affection for the cub reporter, though, so I can see where longtime fans might've been a bit peeved.

Incidentally my tribute to the Kirby Olsen era is here:

http://nightwing.supermanfan.net/artists/sm-jackkirby.htm

I wrote it before the recent trades.  Now the stories are a lot more accessible.

[Permanus]

I can't remember all the details, but isn't there an incredibly weird story from this period in which Jimmy and Superman foil this mad scientist's schemes and Superman gives this race of synthetic monsters a copy of an Oklahoma! LP? That's just sheer genius.

[Super Monkey]

Any comic book with a Don Rickles crossover can't be too bad

http://www.supermanica.info/wiki/index.php/Don_Rickles
http://www.supermanica.info/wiki/index.php/Goody_Rickles

[TELLE]

I love Kirby and love these Jimmy comics.  Not my fave interpretation of Jimmy (I still favour the classic Silver Age adventures but like these better than the generally lackluster Bronze Age Superman Family stories featuring Jimmy as a Rockford Files-style "Mr. Action" crusading reporter) but very unique stories and art, including the intro of some of the New Gods stuff  --so by association one of the highpoints of civilization.  The DNA Project is still a major "idea factory" for DC, I think.

Thought these were some of the weirdest "camp" comics ever when I first heard of them as a teen 15 years after they were published (a notable review of Kirby's "Best" in an issue of Amazing Heroes hyped the aforementioned Transylvania/Oklahoma 2-parter as a high-point in Kirby silliness so I just had to start checking those comics out).

Now I love the series equally for the trademarked Kirby earnestness and weirdness and the off-hand, out-of-continuity way Kirby treats Superman, etc.  The re-intro of the Guardian is one of my favourite Kirby sequences ever and I use it as kind of a mantra when I feel overwhelmed by something (I visualize the panels and recite the dialogue to myself --very calming).

http://www.supermanica.info/wiki/index.php/Golden_Guardian

[Genis Vell]

In every issue there was something NEW. New characters, new places...
Kirby had a lot of ideas.
Waiting for the 2nd tpb, I loved the first.