For the Jungle Jim series of movies, producer Sam Katzman included a provision in Weissmuller's contract that required him to weigh under 190 pounds before the start of filming. Weissmuller's contract for the TV series apparently lacked a similar provision.
The Jungle Jim character was created by artist Alex Raymond, who also created Flash Gordon. The Jungle Jim and Flash Gordon comic strips debuted together on January 7, 1924.