2023 marks Warner Brothers' 100th anniversary. To celebrate the occasion the famous studio will be debuting newly remastered digital and Blu-ray releases of some of their biggest films, TV shows, and franchises. This of course includes DC with their most iconic superhero Superman getting a lot of love this year. Now WB will be releasing the newly remastered original Max Fleischer's Superman animated shorts on digital and Blu-ray for the first time this Spring.
The Influence of Fleischer’s Superman
Fleischer’s Superman was a theatrical series of 17 shorts that ran from September 1941 to July 1943 that played before the big movies of the day. Still in the infancy of both the character and animation, the shorts tested the limits of the medium of the time while also being most people's first exposure to Superman. The Man of Steel made his debut in Action Comics #1 in April 1938. He quickly took pop culture for a ride as the world’s first real superhero in one of the darkest times in history. In addition, Clayton “Bud” Collyer and Joan Alexander reprised their roles of Superman and Lois Lane from The Adventures of Superman radio show for the series.
The Fleischer cartoons also added many things to the Superman canon like flight and classic catchphrases like Superman being “able to leap tall buildings in a single bound”. However, the most memorable thing about this version of Superman is the art-style. Even by today's standards it’s breathtaking with eye-popping colors and a fluidity that will make you believe a man could fly. The art-style would go on to influence other masterful DC works like the beloved Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The Animated Series.
What’s WB Adding To Fleischer’s Superman?
For this newly remastered release WB did a 4K, 16-bit scan, of Fleischer’s original 35mm successive exposure negative. This release is staying true to the original theatrical aspect ratio with the highest quality raw image being scanned and recombined for the best image possible. WB promises that these pristine animated shorts have been restored to the animators’ originally intended production quality. There will also be a new featurette, Superman: Speeding Toward Tomorrow, which explores how Fleischer modernized the mythos and the series' continued impact on pop culture.
DC fans owe a lot of thanks to Fleischer as we wouldn’t have Christopher Reeves or Henry Cavill’s Superman without his historic work. On top of the new featurette, the remaster will come with two more previously released featurettes, First Flight: The Fleischer Superman Series – The Origins and Influence of This Groundbreaking Cartoon Series and The Man, the Myth and Superman: Exploring the Tradition of Superman Heroes on the Page and Screen.
When Does Fleischer’s Superman Release?
All 17 Fleischer's Superman shorts will be released on digital and Blu-ray May 16, 2023. The digital version will cost $14.99 while the Blu-ray will cost $33.99. Fleischer’s Superman is joining WB’s 100 birthday with Reeves’ Superman whose films are coming to 4K for the first time in April. You can preview Fleischer’s Superman Blu-ray cover down below.
