Watch Superman: The Fleischer Cartoons

1969
1 Season

Superman: The Fleischer Cartoons is an iconic animated television series produced by the Fleischer Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures in the early 1940s. The show was based on the fictional character Superman, created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, and published by DC Comics.

The show is widely regarded as a classic and a significant entry in the pantheon of superhero adaptations. It remains an influential cultural artifact and has been referenced and celebrated by subsequent filmmakers, artists, and writers who have worked with the character.

Each episode of the show is a self-contained story that lasts around ten minutes. The show's visuals are striking and distinctive, with bold, vivid colors and iconic character designs. The animation is fluid and lively, with a sense of dynamic movement and action that makes the show exciting and engaging.

The music in the show is also noteworthy, with a lively, catchy score that is still fondly remembered by fans. The voice acting is also strong, with Bud Collyer's booming, confident performance as Superman and Joan Alexander's charming, energetic portrayal of Lois Lane standing out as highlights.

The series' stories are generally straightforward, with Superman battling various villains and rescuing people in distress. The show's writers display a strong sense of the character's values and heroic qualities, emphasizing his commitment to justice, truth, and the American way.

In addition to Superman, the show also introduces a number of other characters from the comics, including Lois Lane, Perry White, and Jimmy Olsen. These characters are all faithfully portrayed and offer fun and enjoyable interactions with the Man of Steel.

One of the most notable aspects of the series is its use of innovative animation techniques. The Fleischer Studios pioneered the use of the rotoscope, a device that allowed animators to trace over live-action footage frame by frame, resulting in a realistic and lifelike sense of movement that was unparalleled at the time.

The rotoscope was used extensively in the series to create the show's action sequences, giving them a sense of kinetic energy and realism that was exciting and groundbreaking.

Another notable aspect of the series is its political context. The show was produced during World War II, and its patriotic themes and imagery reflect the values and concerns of the era. The show's portrayal of Superman as a champion of American values and as a symbol of hope and inspiration for the nation was a significant part of its appeal for audiences at the time.

Superman: The Fleischer Cartoons represents a significant milestone in the history of American animation and of superhero adaptations. It captures the spirit of the character and its era in a way that remains timeless and resonant today. The show's vibrant visuals, engaging characters, and stirring music make it a classic that still holds up to this day.

Superman: The Fleischer Cartoons is a series that ran for 1 seasons (17 episodes) between and on DC Comics

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Seasons

17. Secret Agent

January 1, 1941

While in a drugstore, Clark Kent finds himself in the middle of a high-speed chase and running gun battle by Axis saboteurs trying the capture a female American espionage agent. Now, only the Man of Steel can get the spy to Washington to deliver her vital information.

16. The Underground World

January 1, 1941

Lois turns in a true story too strange to print when she and Clark are taken prisoner by a race of half-human, half-bird people who inhabit a massive complex of unexplored, underground caverns. Lois' doom seems certain until she is rescued by Superman.

15. Jungle Drums

When Lois' plane is shot down over Africa, Lois and Superman battle Nazis at a secret base in a desperate attempt to prevent German submarines from attacking an unsuspecting American fleet.

14. The Mummy Strikes

When Clark gets a lead on the murder of an Egyptologist, Lois tries to get the scoop before him, but only succeeds in putting herself in danger as the two reporters face the reanimated mummies guarding an ancient pharaoh's sarcophagus.

13. Destruction, Inc.

When Lois goes undercover to investigate a murder at a local munitions plant, she is caught and sealed inside a torpedo filled with explosives that is aimed at a barge. Onlookers watch what they believe to be a harmless weapons test but only Superman can save her from imminent death!

12. Eleventh Hour

When Lois and Clark are held prisoner in Japan, Superman sneaks out every night to help fight the Japanese from behind enemy lines. When the Japanese realize that the Man of Steel is behind the attacks, they threaten to kill Lois unless he stops. Superman discovers the threat just in time to rush between Lois and the bullets from a firing squad -- then take her out of Japan. Clark (and Superman), stays behind to help the Allies' war effort.

11. Showdown

January 1, 1941

A small-time thief dons a Superman costume to commit robberies and convinces Metropolis that the Man of Steel has gone rogue. Only when the police see Superman rescue the imposter from falling to his death, do the authorities realize there are two. Now, Superman must apprehend the thief's boss, which gives Lois a great story for the Daily Planet!

10. Japoteurs

When saboteurs attack the first working prototype of the United States' new bomber, Superman must defeat the attackers, save the plane and rescue Lois.

9. Terror on the Midway

Just as Lois is complaining that her current assignment to cover the circus is boring, a circus monkey accidentally releases a giant gorilla that proceeds to run amok, panic spectators, frighten the elephants, which then trample several cages releasing wild lions and panthers. Now, with a full-fledged stampede, Superman must corral the animals in time to rescue Lois from the high wire before either the gorilla or a fire raging inside the tent kill her.

8. Volcano

When Clark and Lois travel to an island to cover a volcanic eruption on Mount Monokoa, Superman must rescue a city from the eruption and save Lois from flowing lava. But Lois still manages to get her story in.

7. Electric Earthquake

From his secret, undersea laboratory, a mad scientist threatens to generate a massive earthquake that will destroy Metropolis unless all the citizens abandon the city and return the land to the descendents of the original Native American inhabitants. But the quake draws Superman to the underwater lair, where he nabs the scientist and rescues Lois in time for her to make the Daily Planet's deadline.

6. The Magnetic Telescope

The superhuman efforts of both Superman and Lois are required when a mad scientist loses control of a comet he has pulled toward earth to study. Now, as the comet accelerates in its relentless trajectory toward earth--and the destruction of the planet--Superman must use his own body to channel enough electricity into the scientist's dynamo to create the magnetic force to repel the comet.

5. The Bulleteers

Superman has his hands full saving both Metropolis and Lois when the city refuses a ransom demand by a gang that call themselves "The Bulleteers", and they use their high tech rocket to attack the city as Lois tries to cover the story up close.

4. The Arctic Giant

January 1, 1941

When a frozen dinosaur brought from Siberia to Metropolis thaws -- and awakens -- Superman must repair the massive destruction the prehistoric beast wreaks in time to pry Lois from between the jaws of the beast. But Superman corrals the beast and saves the city, while Lois files a first-hand, front-page story!

3. Billion Dollar Limited

When Lois is trapped aboard an out-of-control train loaded with gold intended for the national mint during a daring robbery attempt, Superman must wrestle the hurtling train to a halt before it collides with explosives on the tracks.

2. The Mechanical Monsters

A band of giant flying robots has been robbing buildings in Metropolis, Lois and Clark guess the next heist will be from a jewelry exhibit. At the exhibit, when one of the robots steals the jewels, Lois climbs into a cavity with the stolen gems inside the robot, which flies away with her inside. Using his X-ray vision to locate Lois, Superman wrestles with the robot in mid-air, but the robot escapes. Now, will Superman reach the robot master's lair before Lois is lowered into a vat of molten metal?

1. Superman (a.k.a The Mad Scientist)

When the Daily Planet receives a letter from a mad scientist who threatens to turn his ray gun on Metropolis at midnight, Lois flies a plane to the scientist's mountain-top lair to get the scoop--but is taken hostage. Superman must save the Daily Planet from collapsing after the building is targeted by the ray, but he proves that not even this city-destroying ray is a match for the Man of Steel as he nabs the scientist and rescues Lois.

Description

Where to Watch Superman: The Fleischer Cartoons

Superman: The Fleischer Cartoons is available for streaming on the DC Comics website, both individual episodes and full seasons. You can also watch Superman: The Fleischer Cartoons on demand at Amazon, Google Play and Apple TV.