Cartoon a Day: Superman

Superman
1941
Directed by Dave Fleischer
Available on: The Complete Superman Collection

I really wiped out on sticking with my "Cartoon a Day" last week. The craziness of being at a conference all week, combined with being without internet service conspired against me. I tell ya, the Town and Country resort in San Diego is a nice place for a convention, but a rotten hotel. $10 a day for internet, they are out of their minds. Not to mention the fact that the rooms are tiny and the decor is stuck in 1978. I have seriously stayed in nicer Super 8's. Anyway, back to the cartoons. Let's take a look at the first Fleischer Superman short, simply called "Superman" though sometimes referred to as "The Mad Scientist."

This is a great introduction to the series. It gives a brief back story on the blue boy's Kryptonian origins before going into a story about a mad scientist terrorizing Metropolis with a huge laser. The great angles and layout design that can be seen throughout the other Superman shorts is here in all it's glory. Just check out that great shot above, which is our first introduction to the villain.

Superman's final destruction of the weapon is pretty spectacular. He twists the barrel of the laser gun into a knot causing the weapon to bubble, melt and explode. It's not just a simple explosion. That's one of the things that is great about this series, there are often so many levels to the animation of explosions, crashes, and the like.

The only part of the cartoon that is a bit out of place is the mad scientist's bird companion. At first he looks like he's going to be creepy, which would've been great. Instead, he ends up being comic relief, that is if he were funny, smirking and gawking at various events. He's more like a character you would expect to see in one of Fleischer's Popeye shorts, but he's all wrong for this short. Still, this is a great kickoff to this short-lived cartoon series.

Cartoon a Day: Japoteurs

Japoteurs
1942
Directed by Seymour Kneitel
Available on: The Complete Superman Cartoons

Today's wartime cartoon is a Fleischer Superman film, "Japoteurs." Now the title alone is enough to make you cringe, but really there isn't much in the way of offensive content here. Lois Lane does use the term "Japs" at one point and Superman refers to the chief Japanese bad guy as "little man," but that's about it. This is much like any of the other Superman shorts, only the bad guys are a team of Japanese agents trying to sabotage a giant new American plane.


Like many of the Superman shorts, "Japoteurs" is visually stunning. The scene of the giant plane, a sort of aircraft carrier for the sky, being rolled out of the hanger has a big 'Wow' effect. Though fictional, it's an impressive display of American military might. I'm sure it boosted morale for audiences to some degree.



The ending of the short is also very creatively animated and is classic Superman. The plane is crashing down toward the city so Superman catches it and lays it neatly down in the city street. Not all that different than a scene from the recent "Superman Returns," in which the boy in blue sets down a plane in the middle of a baseball field.

It's surprising that there weren't more Superman shorts that dealt directly with the war. What better way to boost spirits than with one who fights for "truth, justice, and the American way."

Cartoon a Day: Terror on the Midway

Terror on the Midway
1942
Directed by Dave Fleischer
Available on: The Complete Superman Cartoons

I wish I could say that "Terror on the Midway" is as good as "The Bulleteers," but sadly that's not the case. Now this isn't a bad cartoon, it's just doesn't have the pacing do keep the viewer as involved.



In this short, Clark Kent and Lois Lane are on assignment at a circus. Lois is bored to tears with the big top when a small monkey inadvertently lets a monster gorilla loose. The panic results in lions and panthers being let loose, stampeding elephants and even a fire. Luckily, Superman swoops in to save the day.

One of the most interesting aspects of this short is that many scenes involve showing the action in shadow. In case you didn't know, I'm a puppeteer and shadow puppetry happens to be one of my favorite forms of puppetry. So portraying several sequences in shadow is really intriguing to me. Even if the rest of short isn't as exciting as some of the other Superman toons, there are still some interesting techniques at work.

Cartoon a Day: The Bulleteers

The Bulleteers

1942

Directed by Dave Fleischer

Available on: The Complete Superman Cartoons

Well, yesterday I missed doing a cartoon, so I'm doing two today...two Superman shorts.

"The Bulleteers" is another one of the gems in the short-lived Fleischer Superman series. Metropolis is being terrorized by three crooks in a "bullet car." This thing can drive, fly and blow up buildings without even being dented itself. So, it's up to Superman to stop them.

Right off the bat you notice the great stylized look to Metropolis in the opening sequence. Not to mention the fact that the first sequence where the bullet car plows into police headquarters is startling.

The editing has a quick pace, rapid cuts between various shots with extreme angles. The story is goofy, I mean it involves bullet men, but I didn't think about that while watching.


This short builds...the action mixed with the extreme designs and angles is a perfect mix. There's a lot of imagination behind this short.

Cartoon a Day: The Mummy Strikes

The Mummy Strikes
1943
Directed by Izzy Sparber (as I. Sparber)
Available on: The Complete Superman Cartoon Collection

The Superman series of cartoons are fun to watch, but "The Mummy Strikes" is not one of the stronger entries in the series. In this short, a scientist is found dead at the foot of a mummy. His assistant finds him and ends up being convicted of his murder. Clark Kent then follows a tip to try and clear the girl's name. Too curious for her own good, Lois Lane follows him.



What ends up following is a long drawn out sequence as another scientist explains an ancient curse to Kent. Eventually, a bunch of mummies are released, which go after Lois and the scientist. Superman then shows up and, in a very brief fight, dispenses with the baddies.

The animation is still the great style the Superman shorts are known for, but the story just doesn't work. Too much silly plot exposition and not enough action.

Cartoon a Day: The Mechanical Monsters

The Mechanical Monsters
1941
Directed by Dave Fleischer
Available on: The Complete Superman Cartoons

So far I've been focusing on animated comedies. The great majority of animated shorts are for laughs, but there are some other genres. Among those, the Fleischer Superman series is certainly worth a look. Many consider "The Mechanical Monsters" to be one of the best of this series. It was clearly a great influence on the makers of the live action film "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow."

This short features great achievements in character design, and amazing attention to detail in camera angles and lighting. These elements actually work to create a level of suspense that is pretty rare in animation. The action sequences are also quite complex and violent for their time. The special effects animation is also worth noting. This short alone features flame throwers, machine gun fire, electricity and molten lava all portrayed in beautiful animation that was ahead of it's time.

It's a shame that there weren't more Superman shorts made (only 17 total). For that matter, it's a shame more animated action shorts weren't made. I love the comedies, don't get me wrong, but everybody needs a little excitement in their lives.