His first published work in the comics industry appeared in Greaser Comics #2 (1972), an underground comix published by Rip Off Press.[3] He then drew stories for Charlton Comics, Marvel Comics, and Warren Publishing over the course of the next several years.[4] Janes began working for DC Comics in 1980 when he became the penciller of the Legion of Super-Heroes as of #263 (May 1980). He drew 15 issues of that series[5] including "The Exaggerated Death of Ultra Boy" storyline as well as the Secrets of the Legion of Super-Heroeslimited series.[6][7] Janes was one of several artists to draw the comics adaptation of Xanadu in Marvel Super Special #17 (Summer 1980).[8] After concluding his run on the Legion of Super-Heroes with issue #282 (December 1981), Janes drew a back-up story for Moon Knight #16 (February 1982)[4] and then moved into the animation profession.
^Manning, Matthew K. (2010). "1980s". In Dolan, Hannah (ed.). DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 192. ISBN978-0-7566-6742-9. This was DC's third foray into the world of the world of the miniseries...Plotted by E. Nelson Bridwell, with a script by Paul Kupperberg, Secrets of the Legion of Super-Heroes featured the art of Jim Janes.
^Ford, Jim (August 2022). "The Secrets Behind the Secrets of the Legion of Super-Heroes". Back Issue! (137). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 3–8.
^Friedt, Stephan (July 2016). "Marvel at the Movies - The House of Ideas' Hollywood Adaptations of the 1970s and 1980s". Back Issue! (89). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 64. The interior [art] was a group effort with over a dozen people credited with different aspects of the artwork (including layouts by Rich Buckler and Jimmy Janes, and finished pencils by Michael Nasser [Netzer], Brent Anderson, Joe Brozowski, Al Milgrom, and Bill Sienkiewicz).