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| The Fleischer Superman |
In 1941, a scant three years
after the introduction of Superman in 1938, animation producers Max and Dave Fleischer
were approached by Paramount Studios to create a
series of cartoons based on the new superhero. The results were breathtaking.
Although the Fleischers were hesitant to take the project, they treated the
topic seriously and used state-of-art techniques and technology to bring this
quintessential American character to life. A total of 17 episodes were
eventually produced.
One innovation the Fleischers
introduced is Superman’s ability to fly. Prior to the cartoons, Superman
traveled by leaping, as in “Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound!”
After initial animation tests, however, the scenes of Superman leaping lacked
the fluid motion the Fleischers sought. More frankly, they thought it looked
“silly.” After consultation with DC Comics, Superman began to fly both on the
screen and in the comics.
Max Fleischer invented rotoscoping,
the process in which animation is applied over live-action film footage to
create more natural movement. For the Superman cartoons, the Fleischers
employed this technique and over 600 artists and technical personnel to bring
the comic book superhero to life. No attention to detail was spared. The black shield on Superman's chest draws the eye to the character. Art Deco accents and the use
of shadows to emulate film noir lighting give a cinematic feel to the shorts. Brilliant special effects create electricity,
lightning, and fire to heighten the sense of danger. The overall production
design influenced the look of the critically acclaimed 1990s Superman: The Animated Series.
Following the first nine shorts,
a falling out between the brothers led to the creation of Famous Studios with many
of the same animators. The Fleischer Studio shorts, completed by the end of
1941, had mad scientists, robots, dinosaurs, earthquakes, meteors, and volcanos
– the stock and trade of the classic Man of Steel. Famous Studios, however, in
the wake of Pearl Harbor and the U.S. involvement in World War II, introduced
plots with Japanese saboteurs and Nazi spies. Here we begin to see the shift of
Superman from a brightly costumed super-powered pulp hero to an All-American
icon. Nevertheless, one cannot mistake a hint of racism in the title of the
episode “Japoteurs.” On many levels, these animated shorts typify the era.
What I love about these cartoons
is not just the animation, which retains its beauty nearly eight decades
later, but also how they show America in the twilight of the Machine Age, that
period of time between the 1880s and 1945. We built big, from the Empire State
Building to the Hoover Dam, and had cautionary tragedies from the Titanic to the Hindenburg that tested our moral and technological limits. In many
respects, these cartoons embody the zeitgeist of the times and give us a unique
look at America at a critical time in our history. Click on the links below to see all 17 episodes on the Aeolus 13 Umbra YouTube channel!
From the Aeolus 13 Umbra YouTube Channel
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Fleischer Studios
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Famous Studios
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