Max Fleischer and his brother Dave changed the world, and gave us much of what we know as the Superman mythos today.
Before diving into the pivotal moment in 1941 when Max and Dave Fleischer were approached by Paramount Pictures to create a series of Superman cartoons, it’s important to understand the journey that led them to this point. Max Fleischer, born on July 19, 1883, and his younger brother Dave, born on July 14, 1894, had been influential figures in the animation industry long before Superman’s cape flew across the screen.
Max Fleischer’s career in animation began with the invention of the rotoscope in 1915, a device that allowed animators to trace over live-action film frame by frame. This innovation significantly advanced the quality of animation, making movements more realistic. Max and Dave founded the Fleischer Studios in 1921, and it quickly became one of the leading animation studios of its time.
Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the Fleischer brothers were known for creating some of the most beloved and iconic characters and series in animation history. They introduced the world to Koko the Clown through their “Out of the Inkwell” series and brought to life Betty Boop, a character that became a cultural icon. Their adaptation of E.C. Segar’s comic strip character Popeye the Sailor also became wildly popular, further cementing their place in animation history.
By mid-1941, Max and Dave Fleischer were hard at work running their animation studio in Miami, Florida. They had just wrapped up their first animated feature film, “Gulliver’s Travels” (1939), and were knee-deep in production on their second, “Mr. Bug Goes to Town” (1942). The last thing they wanted was to pile on another big project and risk spreading themselves too thin. But Paramount Pictures, their studio’s distributor and majority owner since May 1941, had different ideas. They saw the massive potential in the new Superman comic books and wanted to cash in by making a series of theatrical cartoons based on the character.
The Fleischers, not wanting to seem uncooperative but also hoping to dodge the project, threw out a ludicrous budget of $100,000 per episode (that’s around $1,700,000 per short in today’s money). This was about four times the cost of a typical six-minute “Popeye the Sailor” cartoon. This was their attempt to make Paramount’s collective stomachs drop and give them incentive to go away, without actually having to turn down the project directly. To their surprise, Paramount didn’t flinch and instead negotiated the budget down to $50,000 per episode. Now, the Fleischers were stuck with a project they never wanted but with more financial backing and marketing muscle than they’d ever had before. They were on the hook for it.
The first cartoon in the series, simply titled “Superman” (also known as “The Mad Scientist”), hit theaters on September 26, 1941. It even snagged a nomination for the 1941 Academy Award for Best Short Subject: Cartoons, although it lost to “Lend a Paw” (1941), a Pluto cartoon from Walt Disney Productions and RKO Pictures.
These Fleischer Superman cartoons were game-changers. One of their most significant contributions was giving Superman his iconic ability to fly. In the original comic books, Superman could only leap from place to place (“able to leap tall buildings in a single bound”). The Fleischers had a great deal of trouble making this work visually. Lacking visual context, it was frequently hard to tell if he was jumping or flying, so the Fleischers talked Action Comics into just letting them give Superman the gift of flight. The publisher agreed, and flying became a permanent part of Superman’s powers. Before this, Superman had only been shown flying due to an artist and editorial error in Superman #10.
The Fleischer cartoons didn’t just introduce flight; they helped cement Superman’s visual style and narrative framework. These shorts laid the groundwork for the character’s mythology, influencing how Superman is portrayed across all forms of media to this day. They established several other key elements that became integral to the Superman mythos:
- Art Deco Metropolis: The Fleischer cartoons presented Metropolis with a distinct Art Deco style, influencing how the city would be depicted in later comics, films, and TV shows. This urban design became synonymous with Superman’s world.
- Superman’s Look: The streamlined, muscular appearance of Superman in these cartoons helped solidify his iconic look. The animation emphasized his strength and agility, setting a standard for his physical depiction.
- Daily Planet: The cartoons popularized the Daily Planet as a central hub for Superman’s alter ego, Clark Kent. While the newspaper had appeared in the comics, its role was further cemented through these shorts, along with its iconic globe-topped building.
- Clark Kent’s Persona: The cartoons emphasized Clark Kent’s mild-mannered, bumbling reporter persona, juxtaposing it with Superman’s confident and heroic demeanor. This duality became a critical aspect of his character.
- Lois Lane: The Fleischer series played a significant role in shaping Lois Lane’s character. She was portrayed as a determined and fearless reporter, often finding herself in perilous situations that required Superman’s intervention. This portrayal reinforced her as an essential and dynamic character in the Superman narrative.
- Iconic Phrases and Themes: The opening narration of the Fleischer cartoons, featuring phrases like “faster than a speeding bullet,” “more powerful than a locomotive,” and “able to leap tall buildings in a single bound,” became legendary and are still associated with Superman today.
- Villains and Plots: The cartoons introduced various villains and storylines that expanded Superman’s rogues’ gallery and narrative scope. Though not all villains were from the comics, the idea of Superman battling a diverse range of adversaries was reinforced.
- Dynamic Action Scenes: The Fleischer cartoons were known for their groundbreaking animation techniques and dynamic action sequences. These sequences set a high bar for how superhero action could be depicted and influenced future superhero media.
- Serial Structure: The episodic nature of the Fleischer cartoons laid the groundwork for future serialized storytelling in superhero media, influencing television shows, animated series, and even film franchises.
- Technological Marvels: The cartoons often featured advanced technology and futuristic concepts, reflecting the pulp science fiction roots of the original comics and helping to cement Superman’s association with high-tech gadgets and scenarios.
Some of the characteristics of the Superman mythos came from the radio serial, The Adventures of Superman, which had made its debut in 1940, the year before the release of the first Fleischman Superman cartoon.. The Daily Planet, Perry White, and Jimmy Olson all came from the radio serial. Kryptonite didn’t appear on the radio serial until 1943, well after the Fleischmans were done with Superman, so that story element never appeared in the cartoons.
Creativity is a resonant element. Everything we make together becomes greater than the sum of its parts, and the legend of Superman benefits from this effect as much as anything else in our modern popular culture. The Fleischer Superman cartoons not only brought significant changes to the character’s powers but also set visual and narrative standards that have influenced every subsequent iteration of Superman, making them a cornerstone in the development of the Superman mythos.
SCIFI.radio is listener supported sci-fi geek culture radio, and operates almost exclusively via the generous contributions of our fans via our Patreon campaign. If you like, you can also use our tip jar and send us a little something to help support the many fine creatives that make this station possible.
