First Flight: Max Fleisher Superman Cartoons

I’m not even sure how I came across this, but I sure knew I wanted to share it from the moment I saw it.

Superman debuted in 1939 and shortly after that the Max Fleischer Studios were approached to do a cartoon of the character.They weren’t really interested in doing it. They were doing Popeye Cartoons and a big success for the studio was Betty Boop, so one of the Fleischer brothers told Paramount an incredibly high number just to get them off their backs and to their surprise they accepted it.

I am going to say very little in this column, as the video supplied here will tell you everything you need to know about this incredible series of cartoons and the incredible process that was developed to produce them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMOE6Ob4c4M

I love this stuff! The movement and motion, the storytelling and drama are what makes these cartoons stand out as a cut above from so many of the cartoons that have been created since.

Again, I will let this short video show and tell the rest!

Enjoy!…and Continued Happy Collecting!

Dennis De Pues
Dennis De Pues

Dennis is an admitted "Son of the Silver Age", having grown up with the influences of Silver Age greats: Kirby, Colan, Romita and Buscema.Three decades later, he is the creator of Crash!! and Galloway Park. More is definitely on the way.

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Ed Dee
Ed Dee
7 years ago

Dennis, great post. I love the art and animation. Which leads me into requesting you talk about the 1960’s Marvel cartoons as well as the spiderman cartoons from 1966. Any chance we’ll get some info into the construction of these cartoons in a future post ?

Dennis De Pues
7 years ago

Absolutely Ed!They were the catalyst that hooked me into collecting in the first place!The thing I found so compelling in the Fleischer Superman Cartoons was the sheer attention to detail that they went to.The motion and way Supes cape or Lois’ skirt would move when he lifted her in his arms! Pure magic!