@Lupucillo Actually Fleischer invented rotoscoping. Used by Walt Disney studios to make "Snow White", it was also employed in the "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" sequence of "the Beatles movie "Yellow Submarine".
@HIGGERHAGGERHOFF Ah, I see. It was used extensively in The Lord of the Rings, Heavy Traffic and Wizards, I believe Ralph Bakshi was very partial towards this technique.
@Lupucillo Big fan of Bakshi's work. The technique was also a big cost-saving measure for him, especially the large battle scenes, in some of which he incorporated "stock" footage from other films. Another grest Bakshi film, "American Pop"
Memo to all mad scientists: When you threaten to destroy the city at midnight, don't be napping in your chair at 11:59pm. Have your death-ray all warmed up.
this is good vintage superman stuff, but its tragic that the villain was based off of Nikola Tesla. True story; the corporate powers went THAT far to defame him, and only because he refused to work for the military.
it's sad how stale Superman has become. This Golden Age futurist and anti-authority working class renegade is a thousand times more relevant to the recession era modern age than the childlike big blue boy scout.
@JimmyColls they tried 2 make Superman like that again back in the early 2000's it did not work Superman came across as a jerk and nobody liked it Superman works best with kind caring Heart
Woooooowwww......The animation is Stunning! It looks like something from a 80's/90's tv show......Why are the shows that my generation have so crappy...????
Also what I noticed about some the action and movement and it's something I noticed watching the old Snow White movie too is that some of it was close to reality, it looked real. As if they took actors and traced their movements. Disney cartoons have never been able to repeat it and the same with the super-hero shows like Batman and Superman trying to do it like Fleischlet but failing.
@skinwalkerxxx they did just that. Both Disney and these use rotorscoped animation. But it doesn´t just work like that. The artists must be extremely skillfull to do it right. Sometimes movements must be accentuated or muted from the original for it to feel "natural" in a cartoon. They still use it in some scenes in certain films, but it´s mostly CG nowadays.
@k3dEUS They still call it rotoscoping. Motion capture is used and the resulting models are used to form the wireframes and map out movement. Avatar used digital rotoscoping quite extensively. In Smallville, the "blur" effect and numerous, numerous others were achieved using digital rotoscoping.
@k3dEUS thanks for the info! I wonder why they stopped doing that over time. Even Disney when they had their rebirth in the 90s with the Little Mermaid and Lion King, it was well done but not close to what they achieved on Snow White, Pinocchi, etc... They should have stuck to their old method.
@skinwalkerxxx I'd say fail is a bit harsh. Especially if you compare the Batman and Superman 90s cartoons to the crappy Superfriends stuff of the 70s and 80s. I'm grateful we have those to right the wrongs of the latter.
@Metamusik Time and money. Even back then, I doubt they would have spent much of both on a short that didn't feature a character already famous from comics.
Oh, sure, Clark. Whoever would notice someone going into the stock room, turning on a bright light silhouetting you removing your clothes, and then a superhero celebrity sneaking out of that room and diving out a window?! It's diabolically foolproof!!
So they didn't call the Police after getting this threatening note, even though Lois somehow knew exactly where to find him - by flying in her own plane? Just to get a newspaper story? They maybe should've script edited a little before putting it into production.
Something I've always disliked about the Daily Planet is their staff seem to think it's their job to solve crimes.
cartoons then were way better than todays. I found this really exciting and considering it was made in 1941, it must have been amazing! Go Superman! lol
Seeing this now, I think Walt Disney should have made a cartoon series based on Captain America to compete with Fleischer's Superman cartoons. It would have predated Disney's relationship with Marvel by nearly 60 years.
...I know it's supposed to be sad and all, but I couldn't stop laughing when Krypton blew up. I mean...the way it went out was just priceless for me. XD
@pfalconer Well, if it's any consolation, these Superman cartoons were one of the biggest influences on "Batman: The Animated Series." So I imagine that's what Batman would have looked like if the Fleischers did him.
I love this! I have the DVD with all seventeen! There is nothing that can compare before or since in animation of the Man of Steel! And I love Bud Collyer's voice. He makes you think that the Man of Steel and Clark Kent are two different people. I also like the gutsy Lois Lane. The atmospheric drawings and fast paced stories are much better than anything today, though Batman TAS was highly influenced by this series, as were several live action movies and TV Superman epidsodes.
corpknut, i found that censoring ridiculous, but maybe because it could offense woman; on that time, the women we're considered weak. Some people still have that thinking, now that line seems ridiculous to have it, but still it's only a question Kent did, but was cut xD. I want to hear it but i can't found it.
@corpknut It's really sad,isn't it? The line was there in the original cartoon - why pretend it wasn't? It's like the overdubbing of the black maid in the DVD releases of the Tom & Jerry cartoons.
The Superman in those cartoons shows a familiar intro, a 'knocked down 7, get up 8' hero, a catch phrase, some sound effects that go with the music, in a WW2 crises, no kryptionite, and no Lex Luthor or other well-known villains to mess with.
However I like these cartoons even if they're hard to get these days.
very true, but it makes you wonder what a 1940's Batman Fleischer cartoon would have looked like, since Batman and Superman were created around the same time
@LuckyxNumberxSlevin The story was different in many mediums. For instance, in the original Golden Age comics, he was taken to an orphanage by the Kents who discovered him, only for them later to return to adopt him as their son. By this time, he had already shown his extraordinary strength, which the staff at the orphanage witnessed. Why they didn't think later on about this child when Superman became known worldwide... I have no idea.
Great animation, fairly good plot. I like it. Anyways, I don't understand why the hell the scientist dude would tell them about his attack. When it was going to happen, and where, too. He basically said this:
"I am in that creepy building on top of the hill. I'm going to attempt to kill you at midnight tonight, but you know, you can just try to stop me by looking at the information here. But I'm overconfident, so, you know. Who cares?"
That was the only stupid aspect of the film. Fantastic job.
He was setting the precedent for overly confident super villains.
I think the animation on these cartoons is better than what they use today. And the proportions are more realistic. These days, Superman looks like he weighs three hundred pounds.
@jdanesi1 Well if anyone can do it, its going to be Kal-El. Frankly I think his pulling a skyscraper backwards while not holding on to anything is even more awesome. Superman - 2, Physics - 0!
What ? A simplistic plot ? Sorry, I was too distracted by Superman PUTTING BACK A FALLING TOWER BEFORE PUNCHING A DEATH RAY BACK TO ITS SOURCE for noticing it.
Dear God, the kids who saw this in theaters at the time must have talked about it for weeks.
Ok, as a kid who had this on tape, my issue wasn't with Supes perfect, unaided balance [gravity has li'l affect on him, right?] or him physically fighting a ray of li'l known origin [ photons, maybe] but HEY, his skin is IMPERVIOUS, not so?
Na. My issue:
1]Apparently EVERYONE knew where 'this nut' was in the 1st place, and STILL they had to send Supes in 2 do the job!
2] The damn dancing BIRD!
Coolness.
& Yes, the KENTS found him on the roadside, but those details weren't NEEDED here...
Haha ... I know what you mean. It seems to change with each new incarnation, doesn't it? I can't remember what it was in the radio program, but you're right in noticing this. :-)
A true classic..Art Deco styling and all. I can imagine what it must have been like for little kids to see this in the theater for the first time. They must have been awestruck and it's probably all they talked about at school for a week.
Man, that mad scientist has a great mad lab. I've always wanted a mad lab like that. Fools! They laughed at me in Middle School and called me "Eggie," but they won't be laughing now! BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA!
Reporters sure did have exciting jobs back then. They got to fly planes. Today, Lois would be covering snooty society functions or attending dull, orchestrated press conferences. Maybe she'd just write op-eds. She sure wouldn't be taxiing down the runway.
super man is always my favorite. hehe when I went to six flags this past week I was dressed as superman ^^ I bought the cape :D Superman the first live action movie will always be my favorite. 2nd one was ok. Superman Returns was eh ok
Did you notice the little bit of politically correct editing here? When Clark Kent says, "Chief, don't you think that's a dangerous mission?" The full line was, "Chief, don't you think that's a dangerous mission for a girl?" Listen carefully, and you can hear the word "for" being cut off.
Ultimate in 40s pop culture, I consider myself a pretty mature and serious man but these cartoons fill me with pure boyish excitement like nothing else!
let me get this straight. the guy fires a death ray directly into a city that is protected by an invincible crime fighter, and he thinks that the invincible crime fighter is going to let it slide?
The Fleischer Animated Short Subjects are excellent examples of both 2 part and 4 part animation. Richard Fleischer the movie director is a son of either David or Max Fleischer; don't know which. These were thru Paramount, and the Color Classics that precede the Superman series are breathtaking as well. The voice of Superman on both the animated series, and radio was "Bud" Collyer, the host of the game how To Tell The Truth & Beat The Clock in the 50's and 60's. He died in 1969 - Heart Ailment.
Actaully, 'DNLARS', the daily "Superman" radio serial {via the Mutual Network} was already heard in many American living rooms when this was first released in September 1941. The radio series originated the famous "Faster than a speeding bullet.." opening, ending with "It's a bird, it's a plane...it's SUPERMAN!".
The Fleischer Superman cartoons are definitely a force to be reckoned with. If the studio hadn't forced them into a more WWII related direction, I wonder what other fun, sci-fi stuff they would have concocted for us. :-)
anyone else think that this is the Earth 2 (Kal-L) Superman?
daiatlus79 13 hours ago
Does this cartoon use rotoscoping? I thought Ralph Bakshi pioneered in rotoscoping.
Lupucillo 6 days ago
@Lupucillo Actually Fleischer invented rotoscoping. Used by Walt Disney studios to make "Snow White", it was also employed in the "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" sequence of "the Beatles movie "Yellow Submarine".
HIGGERHAGGERHOFF 18 hours ago
@HIGGERHAGGERHOFF Ah, I see. It was used extensively in The Lord of the Rings, Heavy Traffic and Wizards, I believe Ralph Bakshi was very partial towards this technique.
Lupucillo 16 hours ago
@Lupucillo Big fan of Bakshi's work. The technique was also a big cost-saving measure for him, especially the large battle scenes, in some of which he incorporated "stock" footage from other films. Another grest Bakshi film, "American Pop"
HIGGERHAGGERHOFF 16 hours ago
i found these cartoons on netflix, i literally haven't seen these superman cartoons in about 12 years.
bigddagenius 3 weeks ago
"he isn't human."
well hell, i could have told you that.
bigddagenius 3 weeks ago
The animation on this is so smooth, I feel so lucky to see animation like this!
hhhwebkinz 3 weeks ago
the music at 7:40 is incredible
Gallifrey1991 1 month ago
anyone who didn't watch this when they were a kid has gay parents
tgodd 1 month ago
wow...these cartoons are way better than they are now.
Chessmanexe 2 months ago
DR EVIL SUIT!
MarioandLuigiSS 2 months ago
Superman going to get some pussy tonight
PAKIZFOLYFE786 2 months ago
This animation and level to detail... Whoa.
Gesicht2Gesicht 3 months ago
The mad scientist has voice of popeye, I`s sure that is Jack mercer.
woody1948able 3 months ago
Kripton exploded like a baloon.
pablolojo28 3 months ago
Since when does Lois fly a plane?
shamrockduck 4 months ago
@shamrockduck Since then, obviously (I'm guessing the whole woman disappears while flying a plane was ripped from the headlines).
gentlerat 2 months ago
Amazing quality. To think that this was from 1941.
mrvantuber 4 months ago
@mrvantuber a lot of animation was better back then. just look at anything that Disney or Warner Bros was putting out back then.
cfmanipulate 3 weeks ago
Comment removed
peon47 4 months ago
Memo to all mad scientists: When you threaten to destroy the city at midnight, don't be napping in your chair at 11:59pm. Have your death-ray all warmed up.
peon47 4 months ago
6:40 "This looks like a job for supper man." XD he says it so mellow, as if to say, pift, I’ve seen worse.
899233566 4 months ago
Got all of these on dvd for my nephews, ages 5 and 7. They'll turn out ok.
thewildone 4 months ago
So... Just by reading the opening credits... Steven Moffat is a Time Lord who used to do animation.
rayx3025 4 months ago
That's the quietest bird I've ever seen
mmaticoco 4 months ago
what is really fucked up, is that for all the vicious propaganda levied against him, Tesla put up with all of it with unbelievalbe stoicism.
stardingo747 4 months ago
this is good vintage superman stuff, but its tragic that the villain was based off of Nikola Tesla. True story; the corporate powers went THAT far to defame him, and only because he refused to work for the military.
stardingo747 4 months ago
This was the first Superman cartoon I watched back in the early 90s.
CHCHuser 4 months ago
that scientist's landlord is going to shit bricks when he sees the damage. There's no way he's getting his deposit back.
JimmyColls 4 months ago
@JimmyColls I hope he had Landlord's Insurance.
peon47 4 months ago
Comment removed
peon47 4 months ago
it's sad how stale Superman has become. This Golden Age futurist and anti-authority working class renegade is a thousand times more relevant to the recession era modern age than the childlike big blue boy scout.
JimmyColls 4 months ago
@JimmyColls they tried 2 make Superman like that again back in the early 2000's it did not work Superman came across as a jerk and nobody liked it Superman works best with kind caring Heart
JayDee284 3 months ago
"He isn't human!"
What was it that gave it away? Was it when he started punching the deathray? Personally, I had my suspicions when he started to fly!
100Batarangs 5 months ago 2
The guy doing the voice of the mad scientist is Jack Mercer who did the voice of POPEYE!!!
SatchmoSings 6 months ago
3:12 Police?
getsomelead 7 months ago
Woooooowwww......The animation is Stunning! It looks like something from a 80's/90's tv show......Why are the shows that my generation have so crappy...????
KtwMjsuperfan 7 months ago
Dr. No ish much?
BMan100 7 months ago
I remember watching this as a kid! It didn't occur to me at the time how much the bad guy looked like a communist haha
algonquinuser 7 months ago
Sounds like Kent was going to say "Don't you think that's a dangerous mission for a woman" but it was cut off after "mission." 3:27
hutprancer 8 months ago 2
@hutprancer
I thought exactly the same thing, wouldn't surprise me if it had been perminantly edited out just before turning public domain.
100Batarangs 5 months ago
Superman has never been done better since.
Also what I noticed about some the action and movement and it's something I noticed watching the old Snow White movie too is that some of it was close to reality, it looked real. As if they took actors and traced their movements. Disney cartoons have never been able to repeat it and the same with the super-hero shows like Batman and Superman trying to do it like Fleischlet but failing.
skinwalkerxxx 8 months ago
@skinwalkerxxx the animation in snow white is mesmerizing.
1991MRjesse 7 months ago
@skinwalkerxxx they did just that. Both Disney and these use rotorscoped animation. But it doesn´t just work like that. The artists must be extremely skillfull to do it right. Sometimes movements must be accentuated or muted from the original for it to feel "natural" in a cartoon. They still use it in some scenes in certain films, but it´s mostly CG nowadays.
k3dEUS 6 months ago
@k3dEUS They still call it rotoscoping. Motion capture is used and the resulting models are used to form the wireframes and map out movement. Avatar used digital rotoscoping quite extensively. In Smallville, the "blur" effect and numerous, numerous others were achieved using digital rotoscoping.
xJoeEDangerouslyx 6 months ago
@k3dEUS thanks for the info! I wonder why they stopped doing that over time. Even Disney when they had their rebirth in the 90s with the Little Mermaid and Lion King, it was well done but not close to what they achieved on Snow White, Pinocchi, etc... They should have stuck to their old method.
skinwalkerxxx 6 months ago
@skinwalkerxxx I'd say fail is a bit harsh. Especially if you compare the Batman and Superman 90s cartoons to the crappy Superfriends stuff of the 70s and 80s. I'm grateful we have those to right the wrongs of the latter.
cfmanipulate 3 weeks ago
This is awesome, damn, 1941, that's becoming ancient now.
JeffTheFutureJaros 8 months ago
That's right folks his fighting light :P
erzan 8 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
This is just the best cartoon.
DoctorExplosion 9 months ago
Holy... look at those angles, the perspective, the design. 3:50 --> How come this level of elegance is so damn rare nowadays?
Metamusik 9 months ago 10
@Metamusik Time and money. Even back then, I doubt they would have spent much of both on a short that didn't feature a character already famous from comics.
gentlerat 2 months ago
6:45
Oh, sure, Clark. Whoever would notice someone going into the stock room, turning on a bright light silhouetting you removing your clothes, and then a superhero celebrity sneaking out of that room and diving out a window?! It's diabolically foolproof!!
profmalicious 9 months ago
And even though its 70 years later, it doesn't get any better than this.
licoricesnocone 9 months ago
I noticed a lot of the comments are really nit-picky. You're missing the point. These cartoons are just plain fun to watch.
vraydio 9 months ago
two things he got changed in that room how did nobody see him and when he wants to become superman BAM balls drop.
oldjeff100 10 months ago
MOTHE FUCKING DEATH RAY
oldjeff100 10 months ago
i remember watchin this when i was a kid , in the 90s
tiburcio9999 10 months ago
Ahh, Rotoscoping! :D Now that technique never gets old! It's just pure eye candy.
Lupucillo 10 months ago 2
Does anyone else think that the unnamed villain supposed to be Lex Luthor but just a early cartoon version maybe
disneylandw 10 months ago
This animations great for it's time isn't it?
BigRedUnderpants1 11 months ago
@BigRedUnderpants1 it's great for our time.
Metamusik 9 months ago
So they didn't call the Police after getting this threatening note, even though Lois somehow knew exactly where to find him - by flying in her own plane? Just to get a newspaper story? They maybe should've script edited a little before putting it into production.
Something I've always disliked about the Daily Planet is their staff seem to think it's their job to solve crimes.
GuanoLad 11 months ago
Did Lois fly her own plane?
tubeyhamster 11 months ago
"I'm a reporter for the..."
- Door closes.
PAMPAMPAPAAAAMM!!
Wonderful video.
1pauluzz1 11 months ago 2
Lois Lane arrives at the front door of the villian, "Hi I'm a reporter... HELP!"
Oh Lois you stupid person what were you thinking?
minion119 1 year ago
cartoons then were way better than todays. I found this really exciting and considering it was made in 1941, it must have been amazing! Go Superman! lol
sol200997 1 year ago
@sol200997 Most cartoons back then were made for theaters and with bigger budgets from movie studios. Theyre nothing like a weekly tv series today.
NoBullet 11 months ago
LOL This villain has Mr. T's hair style!!!1
pinewaves 1 year ago
Oh sure, just knock on the door of the evil villian's lair and he'll invite you in for cookies and tell you all about his plot. LOL
eckesg1 1 year ago
Seeing this now, I think Walt Disney should have made a cartoon series based on Captain America to compete with Fleischer's Superman cartoons. It would have predated Disney's relationship with Marvel by nearly 60 years.
mattjnor98 1 year ago
@mattjnor98 Actually around this time there was a live-action Captain America serial being made by Republic Pictures!
HCShannon 1 year ago
Haha! The meter read over 9000...
ReckonerH 1 year ago 2
I like to see Zack Snyder top this.
jbird188 1 year ago
> So, Perry, shouldn't you have warned the police of that horribly menacing note?
> What's the buzzard for? To represent the doctor's PUR3 3VIL!!!
> "The hour has come." You gotta respect a mad doctor who goes by one strict schedule.
> Jeez, so Superman waits until a bridge has been destroyed and, presumably, people have been killed, to go stop the Doc?
Still, this is one of the best things ever in the history of everything. Thanks a lot for the video.
ClassicToonFan64 1 year ago
You just know that a guy with a 'do like that has got to be evil .... ~};o)>
shrinebox 1 year ago
"This looks like a job for SUPERMAN!"
"Yeah Clark, I bet superman could stop that , HOLY SHIT! SUPERMAN! what were you doing in the stock room?
FashTurbo 1 year ago 8
That for me, is the ultimate theme song for Superman.
supermariosunshine64 1 year ago
sick music
oldjeff100 1 year ago
where can i watch the series online?
ymechaie 1 year ago
This may be the best cartoon I've seen. I am not joking.
DisneyBlackJet 1 year ago 3
man this animation is pretty damn impressive
i like the use of shadows on characters and and glowy effects of the mad scientist's death ray machine
to think that they could make it look this good back in 1940
thefuckingdeviI 1 year ago
Electricity with mass?? Must be a plasma-ray.
drummer4theperish 1 year ago
Electro-thanasia ray
Electric DEATH!!!!!!!!
juandacharroninja 1 year ago
...I know it's supposed to be sad and all, but I couldn't stop laughing when Krypton blew up. I mean...the way it went out was just priceless for me. XD
CloudCereal553 1 year ago
Look, up in the sky! It's a Bird. It's a plane. It's SUPERMAN!
mattjnor98 1 year ago
I have to agree w/an erlier post Today's Superman cartoon, he looks like he weighs a ton. The animation, back in the day, is much better.
CadillacL 1 year ago
when you consider that this was made by the people who did Popeye the Sailor Man, it makes you realize how talented animators back then were.
DarkProphet94 1 year ago
Can you imagine if Max Fleischer had got hold of Batman? That would have been so cool...
pfalconer 1 year ago 2
@pfalconer Well, if it's any consolation, these Superman cartoons were one of the biggest influences on "Batman: The Animated Series." So I imagine that's what Batman would have looked like if the Fleischers did him.
printthelegends 1 year ago
I love this! I have the DVD with all seventeen! There is nothing that can compare before or since in animation of the Man of Steel! And I love Bud Collyer's voice. He makes you think that the Man of Steel and Clark Kent are two different people. I also like the gutsy Lois Lane. The atmospheric drawings and fast paced stories are much better than anything today, though Batman TAS was highly influenced by this series, as were several live action movies and TV Superman epidsodes.
alison528 1 year ago
"I can't believe this! He's not human!"
No shit sherlock. XD
Just gotta love these small jokes.
Bastiest 1 year ago
At 03:30 Clark Kent says: "Chief, dont you think thats a dangerous mission" and then the scene is cut of.
Didnt he used to end the sentence with "... thats a dangerous mission for a girl"? Is there any reason why that is cut?
corpknut 1 year ago
corpknut, i found that censoring ridiculous, but maybe because it could offense woman; on that time, the women we're considered weak. Some people still have that thinking, now that line seems ridiculous to have it, but still it's only a question Kent did, but was cut xD. I want to hear it but i can't found it.
TheOneBeatleManiac 1 year ago
@corpknut It's really sad,isn't it? The line was there in the original cartoon - why pretend it wasn't? It's like the overdubbing of the black maid in the DVD releases of the Tom & Jerry cartoons.
pfalconer 1 year ago
@corpknut gee i wonder. fuckin numbskull here
tgodd 1 month ago
The Superman in those cartoons shows a familiar intro, a 'knocked down 7, get up 8' hero, a catch phrase, some sound effects that go with the music, in a WW2 crises, no kryptionite, and no Lex Luthor or other well-known villains to mess with.
However I like these cartoons even if they're hard to get these days.
blukmage19 1 year ago
I like the older cartoons. There's no continuity series plot that tends to go on and on and on and on for fourty episodes. This can stand on its own.
Also, i think Lois makes a nice airplane pilot. She's got skills.
NitroNorm5688 1 year ago
"Electrothenasia ray" (electric death ray). High quality cinematic art from the 40's, yet 30 years later we get..."Superfriends" (shudder).
Acrylicdrums 1 year ago
nada de dialogos!!! exelente!
gabymares05 1 year ago
Now available on its OWN DVD in better quality. Not perfect, you can see tiny bits here and there, but this is over 60 yrs old so . . . still good.
I always liked how Superman kept getting zapped here with his cape covering his face/head.
VideoSam16 1 year ago
He says that shi* out loud!
"this looks like a job for Superman...!"
Elbemarle 1 year ago
Lot better than that crap on Smallville, that's for sure.
flapdoodle64 1 year ago 3
I need to work on my laser-punching skills.
giamgam 1 year ago
too bad there never was a Batman Fleischer cartoon
nobodysperfect06 1 year ago 2
Yeah, but the 90's animated series was highly inspired by this.
Matty272 1 year ago
very true, but it makes you wonder what a 1940's Batman Fleischer cartoon would have looked like, since Batman and Superman were created around the same time
nobodysperfect06 1 year ago
an orphan? wait that's not the story at all
LuckyxNumberxSlevin 1 year ago 2
@LuckyxNumberxSlevin Yeah, the story changed over time. It was different on the radio show as well.
davidpetersonharvey 1 year ago 8
@LuckyxNumberxSlevin The story was different in many mediums. For instance, in the original Golden Age comics, he was taken to an orphanage by the Kents who discovered him, only for them later to return to adopt him as their son. By this time, he had already shown his extraordinary strength, which the staff at the orphanage witnessed. Why they didn't think later on about this child when Superman became known worldwide... I have no idea.
jardinepatten 1 year ago
@LuckyxNumberxSlevin It was in Action Comics #1, Superman's first appearance
BigRedUnderpants1 11 months ago
@LuckyxNumberxSlevin yes it is
he is an orphan
jimbobhk2009 9 months ago
the death ray....ITS OVER 9000!!!!
Ragenbatosai 1 year ago
lol. oh noes. a death ray. lets punch it. that'll do it.
HungryNoobivore 1 year ago 17
@HungryNoobivore Haha ... it works with computers, doesn't it? Well? Doesn't it? LOL
davidpetersonharvey 1 year ago 7
wonder whatever happened to that buzzard ???
chuckiejay 1 year ago 2
Great animation, fairly good plot. I like it. Anyways, I don't understand why the hell the scientist dude would tell them about his attack. When it was going to happen, and where, too. He basically said this:
"I am in that creepy building on top of the hill. I'm going to attempt to kill you at midnight tonight, but you know, you can just try to stop me by looking at the information here. But I'm overconfident, so, you know. Who cares?"
That was the only stupid aspect of the film. Fantastic job.
TVPandaBoy 2 years ago
He was setting the precedent for overly confident super villains.
I think the animation on these cartoons is better than what they use today. And the proportions are more realistic. These days, Superman looks like he weighs three hundred pounds.
slavekal 2 years ago 31
@slavekal Haha! He does. Middle age was not kind to him. LOL
davidpetersonharvey 1 year ago
@slavekal If Marvel could have done their Marvel Action Hour...
juandacharroninja 1 year ago
@slavekal He probably does weigh 300. Dude's built like a tank.
Hotmanlion12 3 months ago
@Hotmanlion12
Nope. Superman is 225lbs
ANIMALMOTHERFUCKYEA 3 months ago
Love the Timberg theme.
pugliesej 2 years ago
okay, just ONE thing...
I know back in the day Supes was only supposed to be able to "leap /8 of a mile", not actually soar, but come on, seriously...
Changing directions in Mid air....
moving AGAINST the Death ray in mid-sky, unassisted...
Ain't that FLIGHT?!
Nah, boy, looking back, they took REAL liberties there, son....
Shenruss 2 years ago
that's right, superman can punch lasers. FUCKING LASERS!
jdanesi1 2 years ago
@jdanesi1 Well if anyone can do it, its going to be Kal-El. Frankly I think his pulling a skyscraper backwards while not holding on to anything is even more awesome. Superman - 2, Physics - 0!
JapeUK 2 years ago
that machine went to OVER 9000!
Grensley 2 years ago
Perfect animation.
acla9000 2 years ago
Batman the animated series was definitely influenced by this.
SiNN4R 2 years ago
What ? A simplistic plot ? Sorry, I was too distracted by Superman PUTTING BACK A FALLING TOWER BEFORE PUNCHING A DEATH RAY BACK TO ITS SOURCE for noticing it.
Dear God, the kids who saw this in theaters at the time must have talked about it for weeks.
purplefishman 2 years ago 3
Ok, as a kid who had this on tape, my issue wasn't with Supes perfect, unaided balance [gravity has li'l affect on him, right?] or him physically fighting a ray of li'l known origin [ photons, maybe] but HEY, his skin is IMPERVIOUS, not so?
Na. My issue:
1]Apparently EVERYONE knew where 'this nut' was in the 1st place, and STILL they had to send Supes in 2 do the job!
2] The damn dancing BIRD!
Coolness.
& Yes, the KENTS found him on the roadside, but those details weren't NEEDED here...
Shenruss 2 years ago
i thought he was found by the kent family when he landed next to their farm? in this they say a passing motorist took him to an orphanage!
jamierourketen 2 years ago 2
Haha ... I know what you mean. It seems to change with each new incarnation, doesn't it? I can't remember what it was in the radio program, but you're right in noticing this. :-)
davidpetersonharvey 2 years ago
A true classic..Art Deco styling and all. I can imagine what it must have been like for little kids to see this in the theater for the first time. They must have been awestruck and it's probably all they talked about at school for a week.
LordSupro 2 years ago 2
Pretty awesome. Lucky that building was made of cheese!
danpilditch 2 years ago 3
Gorgeous, the only problem is Youtube doesn't really show technicolour in all it's glory but that's not the cartoon's fault, it's Youtube
draven26 2 years ago
The creator of Superman grew up like 15 minutes from me, I drove past his house, he was a senior in high school when he penned him.
cutter14 2 years ago
Blimy this is so much darker than the stuff they make now!
Daniel2GIGG 2 years ago
beautiful
SpectacularMunkiman 2 years ago
His origin changed a lot since then. An orphanage?
Efferts 2 years ago
I definitely have seen this on TV several times. I'd love to get it on DVD.
Wow, the first Superman cartoon.
Thank you for this upload!
tunapup12 2 years ago
LOL! I do believe the bird farted at 4:26.
Man, that mad scientist has a great mad lab. I've always wanted a mad lab like that. Fools! They laughed at me in Middle School and called me "Eggie," but they won't be laughing now! BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA!
Reporters sure did have exciting jobs back then. They got to fly planes. Today, Lois would be covering snooty society functions or attending dull, orchestrated press conferences. Maybe she'd just write op-eds. She sure wouldn't be taxiing down the runway.
racookster 2 years ago 2
Someone's going to find Clark's clothes in the stock room and think he's a nudist.
skinnerburgers 2 years ago 4
This brings back so many memories! I feel like crying.
IOUABRM8 2 years ago 4
I rember geting these cartoons on VHS video back when i was a kid.
KRstar78 2 years ago 2
I actually picked up a DvD at a dollar store for $1,00 that has 8 episodes including this one.
grievous5 2 years ago
super man is always my favorite. hehe when I went to six flags this past week I was dressed as superman ^^ I bought the cape :D Superman the first live action movie will always be my favorite. 2nd one was ok. Superman Returns was eh ok
iwwefan 2 years ago
I have this and a few others on VHS, would they be worth anything?
Johnophobia 2 years ago
Definitely a slight possibility. EBay might be worth looking into.
RushInNinja 2 years ago
wow this is brilliant. amazing animation for a cartoon out in 41. this beats out some of the crap they show here these days.
onlylinkinparkfan 2 years ago
For some reason when I smoke a bowl to this cartoon I get chills down my spine!! I tihnk its the sound of the audio or something.
ZJ420fun 2 years ago
punch that energy beam!
tommy1441 2 years ago
was the villain supposed to be an early version of lex luthor if anyone knows.
piratefan11 2 years ago
Apparently Lois has her pilot's license.
ross2287 2 years ago 2
This is a great animation- very stylish, taut storyline, great drawing and colouring.
Thanks so much for posting this.
clawpuss 2 years ago 17
Did you notice the little bit of politically correct editing here? When Clark Kent says, "Chief, don't you think that's a dangerous mission?" The full line was, "Chief, don't you think that's a dangerous mission for a girl?" Listen carefully, and you can hear the word "for" being cut off.
Wampyir 2 years ago 2
That in deed....LOL
meklepto 2 years ago
killzone 2 took from this
jungleman68 2 years ago
Ultimate in 40s pop culture, I consider myself a pretty mature and serious man but these cartoons fill me with pure boyish excitement like nothing else!
JapeUK 2 years ago 7
If it wasn't for YouTube and your postings, I would never get to see these great cartoons...Thank You!
cellfone2006 2 years ago 2
I thoroughly enjoyed that little piece of childhood nostalgia.
666deadman1988 2 years ago
Yeah, your grandparents childhood.
RushInNinja 2 years ago
classic!!!
JohnNPG 2 years ago
grew up on this show.
even though it was like 40 years old
mynameistomilk 2 years ago
peep the orientalism.
potentpasty 3 years ago
let me get this straight. the guy fires a death ray directly into a city that is protected by an invincible crime fighter, and he thinks that the invincible crime fighter is going to let it slide?
Halcyon670 3 years ago
The Fleischer Animated Short Subjects are excellent examples of both 2 part and 4 part animation. Richard Fleischer the movie director is a son of either David or Max Fleischer; don't know which. These were thru Paramount, and the Color Classics that precede the Superman series are breathtaking as well. The voice of Superman on both the animated series, and radio was "Bud" Collyer, the host of the game how To Tell The Truth & Beat The Clock in the 50's and 60's. He died in 1969 - Heart Ailment.
78timothy 3 years ago
All of Fleisher's cartoons were done with rotoscoped actors? This is classic.
wildblue2 3 years ago 3
Is this all rotoscoped?
wildblue2 3 years ago
Lois has her own plane?
philipbabb 3 years ago 3
Actaully, 'DNLARS', the daily "Superman" radio serial {via the Mutual Network} was already heard in many American living rooms when this was first released in September 1941. The radio series originated the famous "Faster than a speeding bullet.." opening, ending with "It's a bird, it's a plane...it's SUPERMAN!".
fromthesidelines 3 years ago
when cartoons were cartoons.
Jongouk 3 years ago 4
wow... I bet this cartoon sets the standards for action cartoons. Nice camera angles/transition... nice shading and sfx!
kinmanyuen 3 years ago
The Fleischer Superman cartoons are definitely a force to be reckoned with. If the studio hadn't forced them into a more WWII related direction, I wonder what other fun, sci-fi stuff they would have concocted for us. :-)
davidpetersonharvey 3 years ago
This is where they need to take the Superman film franchise. In this direction.
axltyler 3 years ago
wow we have advance in TV over teh years havent we lol
harpuria 3 years ago
i saw this on Boomerang today!
kacologo 3 years ago
superman should be like this but answering to real situations, like Iraq
rayblack2004 3 years ago