The Evolution of Superman (Animated version)

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6.3

Bud Collyer

1941-1943
Fleischer Superman Cartoons

SUPERMAN cartoons produced by Paramount Pictures and Fleischer Studios, and Famous Studios (last eight cartoons).
17 cartoons originally released in movie theaters from 1941-1943.

The first cartoon cost $50,000 while the remaining were budgeted at $30,000 each.

1966-1969
The New Adventures of Superman

In the 1960's the new animation company Filmation Associates persuaded DC Comics to allow Filmation to do a Superman cartoon series. The New Adventures of Superman debuted on the American network CBS on September 10, 1966. In the second season, the show was renamed The Superman-Aquaman Hour of Adventure adding adventures with other DC Comics heroes. In 1968, the show format again changed becoming The Batman-Superman Hour which ran until September 6, 1969 when the show was cancelled partly from protests by Action For Children's Television because of violent content.

In the first season, the show had two 6 minute Superman cartoons bracketing a Superboy cartoon. Superman comics editor Mort Weisinger served as story editor, while several Superman comics writer also scripted some of the cartoons.

The first season had 18 half-hours. The second and third seasons each had eight more made. In the third season (The Batman/Superman Hour), the artwork changed to imitate Superman artist Curt Swan's style, and the Superman episodes now were 2-part Superman adventures.

The cartoons used the familiar "Faster than a speeding bullet..." used previously in the 1940's Fleisher cartoons, the serials and 1950's television show The Adventures of Superman. Within the cartoons, Superman used the familiar "Up, up, and away" and "This is a job for Superman" phrases.

From the radio show returned actors Clayton "Bud" Collyer as Superman/Clark Kent and Joan Alexander as Lois Lane, with Jackson Beck as narrator. Bob Hastings played Superboy/Young Clark Kent. The director of the cartoons was Hal Sutherland.

8.3

Danny Dark

1976-1981

* Super Friends (1973)
* The All-New Super Friends Hour (1977)
* Challenge of the Super Friends (1978)
* The World's Greatest Super Friends (1979)
* SuperFriends: The Legendary Super Powers Show (1984)
* The SuperPowers Team: Galactic Guardians (1985)

Since the 1960's superhero cartoons had received good ratings despite interest groups protesting alleged violent content, interest in the 1970's in creating new series existed. Hanna Barbera produced a new series based on the DC Comics concept of the Justice League of America called Super Friends. Debuting on ABC on September 8th, 1973, the Super Friends concept would go through various incarnations providing DC Comics fans adventures through 1986 on ABC. The series was sucessful enough to merit a Super Friends comicbook series that ran from 1976 to 1981.

8.2

Beau Weaver

1988 Ruby-Spears Superman Cartoons

Coinciding with Superman's 50th anniversary, Ruby-Spears Enterprises produced a Superman cartoon show which debuted September 17, 1988. It ran on the american network CBS on Saturday mornings. Superman was a half-hour show with each show having one 18 minute Superman adventure, and one 4 minute segment - a continuing series called Superman Family Album that chronicled Clark Kent's life between his actual adoption by Ma and Pa Kent and his public debut as Superman. The idea for the Superman Family Album segments was CBS children's department head Judy Price. The head story editor for the Superman series was Marv Wolfman who had worked as one of the Superman comics writers with writer John Byrne in 1986's revamping of Superman. It was Wolfman's idea to change the portrayal of Lex Luthor from that of a criminal scientist to being a corrupt billionaire industrialist wanting to control Metropolis. Although his work in comics made him a Superman expert, Wolfman was hired based upon his prior experience in animation doing a Superman parody for the Garbage Pail Kids series. With Wolfman in charge, the cartoon series would reflect the new comic book version of Superman, while also influenced by the 1940's Fleischer cartoons style. Character design was by long time DC Comics artist Gil Kane. Although well made, this series lasted only one season, in part due to poor scheduling and the high licensing fee being charged.

6.9

Tim Daly

2012 Justice League: Doom

2010 Superman/Batman: Apocalypse

2009 Superman/Batman: Public Enemies

2006 Superman: Brainiac Attacks

1998 The Batman Superman Movie: World's Finest

1996-2000 Superman: The Animated Series

1996 Superman: The Last Son of Kyrpton

In September 1996, the Warner Brothers television network began a new animated series: Superman with 13 episodes in the first season. It started as a 90-minute primetime movie special on September 6, 1996 showing the first 3 episodes.

Tim Daly (Wings) voices Superman. Dana Delany (China Beach and Batman: Mask of Phantasm) is the voice of Lois Lane. Clancy Brown (Highlander) is Lex Luthor. Malcolm McDowell as Metallo. Michael York plays Kanto. Michael Ironside plays Darkseid. Gilbert Gottfried is Mr. Mxyzptlk.

Bruce Timm and Paul Dini (from Batman: The Animated Series) worked on character designs and stories. Timm acted as Animator, while Dini and Alan Burnett (story editor for the Super Friends in 1985) joined Timm as Producers.

The comic book Superman Adventures was based around the Animated Series.

The television series was similar, but did not copy the continuity from the Superman comic books of the time. In the first season episodes Lobo featured in a two part episode. Other episodes have Brainiac, Bizarro, Metallo, Dr. Fate, Batman, The Flash, Jax-Ur, Parasite, and the Toyman.

5.7

Christopher McDonald

2000 Batman Beyond: Season 2 Episodes 46-47 "The Call" Parts 1-2 (character appearance)

6.4

George Newbern

2012 Superman vs. The Elite

2010 Superman/Shazam! The return of Black Adam

2007-2008 The Batman (character appearance)

2001-2006 Justice League

2003 Static Shock (character appearance)