There was actually a comic book story where Clark and Lois go to the movies and a Fleischer Superman short is playing. Clark has to distract Lois throughout so she doesn't see the parts of the cartoon that showed that Clark was actually Superman.

We need another Superman series like this which involves the Rotoscoping technique that the Fleischer Brothers used. It's really what made this version so endearing imo

I remember watching that VHS compilation of Fleischer Superman when I was a wee bab. While I haven't been much of a superman or comic book fan, I always felt that those cartoons were special, special enough that despite not having heard it for almost two decades, I still synced my remembered audio with the visuals of the 'faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive' introduction.

The quality of the animation in this cartoon is sooooo good. Buttery-smooth!

There is no denying the greatness of the Fleischer cartoons. They still hold up today.

Another thing that makes the Fleischer shorts the Best Superman Ever is that they are in the public domain and so can be easily and cheaply accessed. Also random KZfaqrs can do riffs of them or otherwise use the footage with no fear of copyright violations!

I am old, so my first introduction to Superman was the George Reeves TV show, then the early 60s comics. I was an adult when I first encountered the Fleischer shorts on VHS. They completely changed my perception and my appreciation of Superman. They are little masterpieces.

Henry Cavill could have been a great superman if he was actually in a movie reality that had a well written version of the character. Neither Snyder nor Whedon portrayed the Superman character well. Agreed on the animated version being #1 though, my uncle showed me them when I was a kid and I love them.

The Fleischer Studios Superman was brilliant in the way the character's movement and interaction with his physical world was interpreted. Challenges, whether against robots, molten lava, ships, or trains, was always daunting, overwhelming, and impactful. Superman was small juxtaposed to a giant robot, but he was still powerful.

Steve, if you like the Fleischer Superman, you should read "Superman Smashes the Clan". It's a relatively new one off book that is heavily inspired aesthetically by the Fleischer cartoons, but with a plot that is inspired by the Radio Series. I adore it and I think you would too.

This reminds me of the SNL sketch where everyone at the Daily Planet knew that Clark Kent (played by The Rock) was Superman. Good stuff.

I remember watching the original 8 Fleischer Superman shorts on VHS. I rented it multiple times from the local video rental store. Though I love the 90s animated series and am extremely biased towards it, the Fleischer Superman definitely has a special place in my heart.

Steve, THANK YOU for including John Newton and Gerard Christopher in your list of Superman actors. They deserve to be remembered even if their shows were super low budget and gloriously cheesy at times. I look at them the same way i do Trek TOS or early TNG. The episode "West of Alpha Centauri" from Superboy's 4th season is maybe the most Star Trekky it ever got. Very Voyager-like. Superboy is very "meat and potatoes" as you say. 30 minute episodes, simple stories, full of fun. (and having the flying wire work done by the team that made Chris Reeve fly doesn't hurt either. If you are a Superboy fan i think you'll enjoy Superboy: The Legacy on youtube. (not the channel i'm commenting from) we have a whole lot of content, including our pitches for the fifth season that never was. It's fun. I think you'd enjoy it.

Tyler Hoechlin's Superman is my current favourite. He's REALLY good in the role, and plays a version of the hero that I love. I actually think that Henry Cavill could be brilliant in the role if given a script by someone who gives a shit.

You are the best geek ever. I mostly follow your Trek stuff, but I'm enjoying expanding into your other areas of fandom. Always thoughtful. Always thought provocating. Always fun. Thank you. 🙂

The Fleischer cartoons were my SECOND introduction to the Superman mythos, the first being WB's DCAU Superman: The Animated Series. I honestly consider them in a three way tie with Christopher Reeve.

I agree. Without this version of Superman we would not have gotten one of the best versions of Batman. Batman the animated series. I personally like the Ruby- Spears Superman series. What can I say I'm an 80's kid. I have fond memories of watching that cartoon with my dad on Saturday mornings.

That animation was so amazing. To this day, it still is one of the best.

This is my favorite Superman and my favorite superhero iteration. I walked out of Man of Steel; there's only so many explosions, grungy cinematography, and characters screaming like they are passing a stone that I can take.

My dad started on this version at 5 years old, I started with this version at 5 years old, and my daughter started this version when she was 5. I haven't related or agreed with any KZfaq video more than this one.

I binged some of these last year after reading a Wikipedia article on Miyazaki's Castle in the Sky and how the look of the automatons near the climax of the film were directly inspired by "The Mechanical Monsters" Superman Fleischer short. Absolutely amazing animation quality with a distinct Art-Deco stylishness & realism w/ a surprising amount of violence and deadly stakes for something ostensibly aimed at children. I wish Fleischer Studios got a crack at depicting more golden age superheros like Batman which surely would have created some iconic images and a time capsule of the quintessence of the character contemporaneous with its comic debut without all the baggage of nearly a century of different depictions by countless comic authors. It's also interesting to think about how the character of Lois Lane is depicted from a historical feminism perspective - on one hand she's an extremely accomplished journalist who CAN ALSO FLY A FRIGGIN' PLANE but is also a bit of a doofus constantly getting captured in no small part due to being completely careless while at the same time placing herself in dangerous situations. i.e. maybe DON'T knock on the door of a mad scientist's lair and expect a good outcome...

i just love these more optimistic superman stories it just feels right for him

You can actually see Superman's powers evolving and leveling up over the course of the Fleischer shorts. I'm pretty sure he *can't* fly in the first one, not exactly, but by a few episodes later he definitely can. But in "Billion Dollar Limited" he still has to strain to stop a train. There's some effort there that maintains the drama.

In the hardcover edition of "Superman From The 30s To The 70s" -- which you certainly know about and probably have, Steve -- was a reprint of a comic book *sequel* to the first Fleischer Superman cartoon, unofficially named "The Mad Scientist." The comic story itself was entitled "Superman - Matinee Idol!" The book describes this as "Our First Superman Imaginary Story" (was that placed into the reprint, or was it part of the original comic?), and it depicted Clark Kent and Lois Lane spending an afternoon at the movies...when a Fleischer Superman cartoon played on the screen. It featured the return of the same "mad scientist" from the cartoon, and in this story he released a giant robot to attack Metropolis. Superman sprang into action and defeated the giant robot, capturing "the mad scientist" (whose name was never provided). Meanwhile, in the movie theater, Clark Kent kept distracting Lois to keep her from watching the movie screen at key moments that revealed Superman's secret identity.

I think it was these cartoons, more than anything else, that transformed the leaping tall buildings into flight. I can't remember who the quote was attributed to, but I read somewhere that the studio people had found that leaping looked rather silly and awkward when animated, so they asked DC editors if Superman could fly instead as that would be more elegant. (The radio show predates the start of production on the cartoons by a year, but obviously the radio show focused more on Superman's departing and arriving, not so much on what he did in between.)

I remember watching these on Nick at Nite as a kid. I loved them. Especially the backgrounds. I spent a good chunk of my life wanting to know how they were painted so well. The rotoscoped people. Just, great. 😍 It's a pity what happened to Fleischer studios.

The Fleischer Superman shorts are one of the finest works of animation of all time. There is no question. They're gorgeous - that sort of shading and depth wasn't standard for animation at the time - I think it's even more striking than the early Disney films. And the body language and fluidity of motion.... I could wax eloquent no these. I saw them in middle school in the early 90s, when I was doing a project on animation during WWII for the social studies fair at school, and I have loved them ever since.

I love the Fleischer's Superman. Growing up, my sibling and I had a DVD box set that pretty much consisted of nothing but Fleischer cartoons. And you bet the Superman shorts would be on there. In fact, there were my little brother and I's favorites. Everytime I read a comic that would try to swiftly explain away Clark's origin story, I can hear the intro to those shorts playing in my head. They're just perfect!

Nice video, did you know that the Fleischer version of Superman invented a lot of the famous motifs associated with the character? Starting with the legendary “Faster than a speeding bullet…it’s a bird, no it’s a plane…” phrase to anticipates his name. Also he started changing in a phone booth in these cartoons since it was easier to animate a shadow and it gave a bit of a theatrical anticipation too. Last but not least in the comics he leapt buildings but in these animated shorts he started to actually FLY!.

The Fleischer Superman was the first iteration of the character I was introduced to when I was younger.

As I recall the Fleischer cartoons shifted Superman from leaping to flying. The said the animated leaps made him look like a kangaroo. The did contact the company publishing the comic book. They gave the Fleischers the “go ahead”. Flying appeared in the comics very soon as well.

When I was a kid my parents had a collection of cartoons from the thirties and forties on VHS, and when I was older my dad found a VHS with all the old Superman shorts. Probably one of my favorite memories is watching that version of the Man of Steel. I really do appreciate these Steve Shives Deep Dives (you’re more than welcome to steal that)

Awesome! I watched a couple of these when I was a kid. I can't remember which or how many, I was rather young, and I haven't seen them since. They left an impression, though. In my mind's eye, that's how Superman has always appeared. That was a very impressive animation, I thought. I love your comic history videos and can't wait to see more!

The animation holds up so well. These are so much fun!

I grew up on Superfriends, then had my mind blown by B:TAS & S:TAS, then had it blown again when I discovered the Fleischer Superman cartoons. They really were deservedly instant classics.

Back in Thanksgiving weekend in 1973 at a comic con I found out about these cartoons and today I own them on dvd! They are definitely a product of their time but they are the Man of Steel at his purist! Thanks for a great 👍video!

My first exposure to Superman was these shorts as a kid. While Superman isn’t my all time favorite superhero, I still consider him the one of the best and these shorts remind me of my fond memories of my childhood. Definitely one of my favorite interpretations of him.

Not a lot of character development but plenty of action and great animation

I found these cartoons on DVD in a bargain bin years back and picked them up without knowing just how good they are. I think we may have watched an episode in high school in a film studies course (actually think it was the uh, sabatours episode). Great stuff. Big fan of the animation, it is gorgeous.

My Grandparents had these on VHS and I got to watch them when they watched me, good memories.

Born in the year 2003. My grandfather had a comic and cassette recording that he got from his grandfather which worked for the Fleischer brothers back in the day. I grew up with it and I'll love to show it to my children one day so that they could experience it as well. It sure is my favorite version of Superman. 👍😍

Oh man I remember watching this on Boomerang and some DVDs back in the day! I need to do a deep dive binge into it, it was so good!

I remember watching it for the first time in preschool or daycare, dont remember exactly, and wow, it stunned me. An absolute lasting impact

Amazing that this cattoon captures the "art deco" style more than most anything else

I had the entire VHS series as a kid. Loved watching them.

Smallville will always be my favorite live-action version of the character, even if some of the stories and character arcs got a bit convoluted at times. Up, up and away!

The animation is gorgeous and showcases the lovely architecture and design of the time.

I used to have a VHS that compiled a bunch of Superman cartoons as a kid. I loved watching those cartoons.

The animated Superman theatrical shorts from '41 and '43 produced by Max and Dave Fleischer (and, later, by Famous Studios) are undoubtedly the gold standard for American animation, bar none. I have a two-disc DVD compilation box set on my shelf that includes all seventeen shorts plus bonus featurettes.

this still holds up! the animation and art style are top notch!!

I remember briefly when Cartoon Network actually aired the Fleischer shorts sometime in the late 90s early 2000s. I was familiar with them but never got to see one until they decided to broadcast them. One "interesting" fact was because this was first shown in 1941 with the comic itself only three years old at the time. That said, the origin story used in the short was actually based off the original 1937 comic. I know a lot of you are reading this and going "DUHHHHHH!!!" and I understand. What you may not know is the "original" origin story had all the people on Krypton with superpowers (no red sun or atmosphere neutralization). Also, when "Clark" was found he was taken to an orphanage where he lived until he came of age as was the norm in those days. His parents are later introduced in 1942 or 43 but with varying names. It wasn't until a reboot telling of the origin story in the early 1950s that the names Jonathan and Martha Kent were introduced into the mythos as we knew it when we first learn the stories. Even before watching this video I was going to see how Steve was going to address that "wait a minute" hiccup for anyone who has seen the first one in it's entirety.

I used to have an old video casette with these old cartoons. They are beautiful to watch.

i remember being a little kid and watching a VHS of Fleischer cartoons and really enjoyed watching the superman ones.

I definitely enjoyed the Fleischer Superman cartoons and that version of Superman.

I love how the first 30 minutes of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow is essentially a live-action Fleischer Superman cartoon.

Absolutely spot on, Steve! Loved this version from the first time I laid eyes on it, unchgrumpf years ago on black and white TV at the same time George Reeves was wearing the cape every week. (No offense, George, but Christopher Reeve took over as my live-action fave.) It was at a convention several years later that I saw the Fleischer toons in color--and on a big screen!--for the first time, and suddenly I was that little kid, enjoying the "Oh wow!" factor all over again. Absent those unfortunate propaganda-piece episodes (still beautifully rendered), this is STILL my favorite Superman--and for all the same reasons you cited.

I remember getting this on VHS when i was a kid. I was a huge Superman fan back then

I used to have either volume 1 or 2 of this on DVD as a kid....

I remember watching these as a kid in the 90s and being impressed with the animation even then.

Mr. Bug Goes to Town is fun. The opening shot is a wonderful cityscape that has dimension (I really want to say 3-D). But, it opened December 5, 1941 -- a date two days away from a date that would live in infamy. I suspect that timing was the reason for its failure.

I watched a Fleischer Superman Marathon. That Titel melody will stuck in my head forever. 😅

Thank you so much for the video I recently got into watching this show and you’ve made me like it even more. Again thanks and have a great day 😎👍🏿

Idc how old these still hold up I’m 2024! 😂 I still get hyped at “This looks like a job for Superman” Don Don Don! 👍👍👍👍

I've been watching these videos since they're available on Amazon Prime, and WOW do they hold up. It's especially fun comparing them to the old Super Friends stuff form the 70s and 80s. The animation is incredible for its time and still looks good. I also appreciate how Lois is written; she gets in trouble, but she doesn't come off as stupid or incapable because she's a woman. She shoots at gangsters with a tommy gun, stares down super criminals, and was the one to work the magnetic telescope while Superman was busy making the dynamo work! She's awesome! Also, I totally agree with how Superman's powers are portrayed; his victories are all the sweeter when we see him actually struggle to save the day. Also, also, while I'm fond of Supergirl and some of Clark's Kryptonian supporting cast, I FULLY agree that modern adaptations of the character are way too into Krypton. I am kind of sick of "Evil Kryptonians" and just wish TV and movie people would let the Super family fight robots and mutants and stuff and save Zod and the rest for later. Also, the Famous Studious' depiction of the Japanese and African individuals is especially awful when compared to how Fleischer depicted a Native American villain in "Electric Earthquake." Yeah, he was a villain, but he wasn't speaking in broken English, he was clearly a very intelligent scientist, and he

I agree with you 100% on the aspect of "Simple purity" that the Fleischer Superman has. It's like the perfect dose of Silver Age goodness, a refresher of sorts from the absolute diluge of mainline comics, cinematic universes, tv series' and video games that people have to keep up with to be engrossed in the DC universe. With these shorts, they can easily stand alone. A wondeful crash-course on what Superman in his purest form is.

When I was a child, ages 6 to 12-ish one of the local churches had a x-mas bazaar. One of the rooms in the basement was set up like a movie theater to show reel-to-reel films. Someone *every year* brought reels of the Fleischer Studio Superman shorts. I don't know who it was, but every year I would go down and watch them. They were a yearly obsession of mine. I think they had 5 of them, they had crisp sound and vibrant color, with smooth movements that mid-70s Saturday morning cartoons couldn't touch. I didn't realize until I was older, how special it was to have seen them. This was before VHS tapes were available. I am forever grateful to have had the privilege of seeing them.

This is the first Superman show I ever seen. It was the reason why I loved Superman.

My favorite version as well. Grew up with a small collection of these and had the same experience as you. Great retrospective.

The ghost of Christopher Reeve sounds likes he clearing his throat rather loudly. It sounds like: "ahem".😉

So I Actually Got This Version Of Gulliver's Travels On My Sixth Birthday..I Had No Idea Until I Saw This Video Essay That It Was The Same Company...All These Decades Later This Is Some Of The Best Animation I've Ever Seen (Or At Least In My Opinion)...I Have Mad Respect For The Work They Must Have Put Into What I Can Only Assume Is Hand Drawn Artistry...

I’m young but this was my first Superman, my parents bought a dvd with the shorts and my brother and I watched many times, this incarnation has a very special place in my heart for being the first superhero I’ve ever watch

Omg I love these superman stories they were my intro to the character and I couldn't get enough as a kid.

Agreed this is my favorite version of Superman. Kudos for 12:00 -12:42! I felt the same way! The new Superman feels like a cheat code. This version is incredibly balanced!

As much as I enjoy the Star Trek and Batman stuff, I just love the Superman videos. I find the character to be a very interesting but (too often) sadly misinterpreted one, and Steve's vision of the subject seems very in tune with mine's, so... here, wishing to see more videos on this series

Much agreed! - A s kid, there was a local UHF TV station that would air the Fleischer shorts followed by the George Reeves tv show each afternoon. THAT was appointment TV to my 6 yr old brain!

My first Superman media my grandpa had them on a vhs tape this was my intro to superheroes and earliest memories

As a kid watching these on Nickelodeon (I think) I always thought how beautifully these were animated.

This animation is unbelievable! How did things DEVOLVE into the Superfriends CRAP I grew up on????

My very first exposure to Superman was the Christopher Reeve film on VHS back in 82 when I was 3 years old. That original release edited out some stuff because the cassettes of the time couldn't hold the full run time of the movie :p Sometime between 84 and 86 I discovered the Fleischer Superman shorts, which obviously I loved, and cemented my desire to become an animator.

Grew up with these cartoons.....they were way ahead of their time. Thanks for the info!

YES, truth, justice and the American way. I feel like a lot of people forget about that part, it's one of the most important parts of Superman. I remember growing up watching this show on DVD when I was a little kid this and the Richard Donner movies shaped what Superman is to me, hope you have a wonderful day.

The thing I love about this Superman is that he wasn’t too overpowered

My favorite Dave Fleisher Superman shorts are the Artic Gaint the Mechanical Telescope The Mummy Strikes The Mechanial monstors and the Bulleteers! Yes I still watch alot of these oldschool cartoons! Because there just so much better than today's cgi animated films!

So glad you've started on Superman. Excited for more of your insights. I also watched this on VHS from a young age and it made a huge impression on me

I really like the animation style. It ages well. Often old animation looks smudged over time. This doesn't.

My favorite thing about the Fleischer's depiction of the character is that he is "merely" a super - man. Yes, he's powerful, but there is always that one scene when he struggles and has to exert his super effort to overcome the obstacle.

I had a vhs of that first episode when i was little, this was my first intro to Superman but i am a 90s kid and so i think my image of Superman is the animated series version. Still i do have nostalgia for that first episode. Him punching the laser was always my favorite part of that episode, as soon as i saw this video that was the first thing i thought of.

Anybody else think it's a funny coincidence that the current animated iteration of superman got a gold-trimmed version of his suit immediately after punching back a death ray of his own? Watching the latest episode of My Adventures With Superman made me want to come back and rewatch this video

I was getting worried that you weren't going to mention that the Fleischers created Superman's flight power (due to a creative complaint about the leaping around all the time) that subsequently got added to the comics. Probably one of the very few instances that film media permanently altered a comic book character in an accepted, meaningful way.

Thank you for reminding me of memories watching (maybe the same!) Superman VHS tape as a young kid. Sadly, I dont remember them enough to say this or that episode was the one I had, but this was a nice look through Memory Lane.

I remember that when I started taking showers at age 6 my Dad left the setting on that one with the three powerful streams U didn’t like that impact force on my head so I would punch the water and stand up imagining I was the best Superman Thanks for the childhood memory reminder Steve

Excellent video. Thank you 🦸🦸🦸

I've seen smatterings of the Fleischer animations in the past few years, but seeing these clips of the first short, I'm hit with an skeptical nostalgia. Every other clips or so feels so familiar, like I remember it in tandem or in relation to my grandparents, a sizeable T.V. case, and a selection of VHS tapes. Wonder if those eclectic selections are still around, there or perhaps slotted into our own packed-away storage.

not to mention that absolutely fucking epic theme. IT SLAPS!

You are total right Steve. I live this version of sups. I wish wb would a new cartoon version using the animation style for all their superheros

Fun video! Thanks, Steve. This might be my first Superman, from around 1960 or a bit later, on the family black & white TV. The images stir some very old, very young memories. There were also the comic books at the barbershop then. With three older brothers, I had plenty of waiting-time to look at the pictures, years before I could read.

There is a scene near the end of the Crisis on Infinite Earths series where Earth 2 Superman is facing the Anti-Monitor and says something like, "Somebody had to stay behind to take out the garbage, ugly! Looks like I was elected!" To me that really captured the spirit of this Superman.

I grew up watching Superman and company on the Super Friends cartoon in the 70's & 80's. In the summer of '89 I rented the "Fleischer" Superman cartoons. This was the first time I had ever seen them & I was blown away. These and the 90's Animated Series are my two favorite Superman cartoons.

Love the struggle superman does! Your spot in brother

You talked about the train episode and didn't mention the bit where Lois grabs a gun and has a brief shootout with the robbers?