In the 1940s, Max Fleischer’s studio produced seventeen full-color Superman cartoons. Fleischer had made his name as the producer of cartoons starring Popeye and Betty Boop, but this foray into a dramatic series of shorts was unlike anything that had been produced before.For many fans of the Man of Steel, this remains the definitive version of the last son of Krypton. Alex Ross based his version of Superman in the graphic novel, Kingdom Come on the Fleischer Superman, and Bruce Timm and Paul Dini, the primary designers of the DC Animated Universe drew their visual inspiration from him.
With a sleek look and incredible animation, Fleischer’s Superman set a standard that animators still strive for today, some 75 years later. Above you will find all seventeen Fleischer Superman cartoons, in one playlist.
I don’t know when I saw my first Fleischer Superman cartoon but it must have been shortly after we got our television in 1958 or 59! Even on my old black-and-white portable the colors seemed to a leap from the set! It has taken me almost 60 years to see all 17 cartoons but it certainly is worth the wait!