Consume All Media! Superman: "Superman (AKA The Mad Scientist or The Death Ray)"

Joe Heath is a big fan of comic books and watching things in order. So they made this spreadsheet containing every serial, short, film, television episode, commercial, motion comic, and web series based on a comic book. Now they're watching them all. Previously, Joe finished the first ever comic book film serial. This time, they watch the first ever comic book animated short with the arrival of one of the most popular comic book heroes.

Superman:

In 1941, Paramount Pictures approached Fleischer Studios to produce animated shorts based on the very popular comic Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. However, Dave and Max Fleischer were very busy making feature films and Popeye the Sailor shorts and didn’t want to overwork themselves. But instead of turning it down, they decided to request about four times as much as they were making on their Popeye shorts: $100,000 per episode (roughly $1,790,000 in 2021 dollars). They were shocked when Paramount didn’t turn them down, but instead counter-offered with $50,000 for the first episode and $30,000 for subsequent episodes. They couldn’t say no, and thus the first comic book cartoon series was created!

A lot of what makes Superman iconic is present in these first animated adaptations, and even introduced lore that affected the character throughout his future incarnations in multiple films and television shows. Even the pilot for 2021’s Superman & Lois featured a flashback of Superman in a costume designed in the style of the original Fleischer cartoons.

So let us turn our attention to the very first of these animated endeavors and see if Superman stood for truth, justice, and the American way back in 1941.

Superman: “Superman (AKA The Mad Scientist or The Death Ray)” - 10:27 (Available on YouTube.)

Film Info

Release date: September 26th, 1941

Studio: Paramount Pictures

Written by Seymour Kneitel & Isadore Sparber

Based on the National Comics (later DC Comics) character Superman created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster

Produced by Max Fleischer

Directed by Dave Fleischer

Writer Highlights

Producer Highlights

Director Highlights

The first Superman cartoon begins with the origin of Superman told in a narrated prologue. Parts of this narration and the narrator himself, Jackson Beck, originated in the popular 1940 radio series The Adventures of Superman.

Actor Highlights

Jackson Beck (1912-2004)

Other comic book media credits: In addition to narrating all of the Superman animated shorts, he voiced multiple other characters throughout. He was also the narrator & Perry White in the animated series The Adventures of Superboy (1966), The New Adventures of Superman (1966), & The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure (1967). He voiced Perry White & Lex Luthor in The Batman/Superman Hour (1968).

In the prologue, we learn that a scientist on the planet Krypton discovers his planet is doomed and sends his son to Earth in a rocket ship before the planet explodes. The baby is found by a passing motorist and raised in an orphanage. (Ma and Pa Kent weren’t a thing yet!)

The baby soon grows into a man who is “Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound” ...Superman!

To keep his identity a secret, Superman disguises himself as a real nerd of a journalist named Clark Kent.

The voice actor for Superman, Bud Collyer, is another carryover from The Adventures of Superman radio series. In the radio series, the roles of Superman and Clark Kent were originally going to be performed by two different actors, but Collyer could switch from a tenor to a bass and secured both roles. He even switched from one voice to the other while saying his catchphrase “This looks like a job for Superman!”

Actor Highlights

Bud Collyer (1908-1969)

Other comic book media credits: In addition to voicing Superman in all of the animated shorts, he voiced multiple other characters throughout. He reprised the role of Superman in The New Adventures of Superman (1966), Aquaman (1967), The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure (1967), & The Batman/Superman Hour (1968).

After the prologue, the story begins with The Daily Planet’s editor-in-chief Perry White (Julian Noa) telling Clark and another reporter, Lois Lane (Joan Alexander) of a threatening letter from a mad scientist.

Actor Highlights

Julian Noa (1879-1958) Other comic book media credits: Previously played Perry White in the radio series & voiced him and various other characters throughout the animated Superman shorts. Interestingly, Perry White was created for the radio series and didn’t show up in the comics until nine months later!

Joan Alexander (1915-2009)

Other comic book media credits: Previously played Lois Lane in the radio series & voiced her again in The New Adventures of Superman (1966) & The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure (1967).

Lois wants to check it out alone and rushes out before anyone can say otherwise.

Lois Lane pilots a plane out to where the mad scientist (Jack Mercer) is and is immediately captured by him and his pet vulture.

Actor Highlights

Jack Mercer (1910-1984)

Other memorable roles: Popeye the Sailor & Felix the Cat.

Other comic book media credits: Various characters throughout the animated Superman shorts.

The Mad Scientist uses a laser beam to destroy a bridge, alerting Superman. The scientist attempts to topple a building, but Superman rushes in and pushes it back upright. Superman then punches the laser beam into submission (in time with the music score!), destroys the machine, saves Lois, and literally throws the Mad Scientist into prison.

Lois gets the scoop. Clark winks at the camera.

Should you watch it, though?: Absolutely! Due to the incredibly high budget, the animation for this is spectacular and holds up amazingly well. The music score by Sammy Timberg is iconic and catchy. I haven’t stopped humming it since I heard it. The short is so good it was even nominated for an Academy Award in 1942! The first ever cartoon based on a comic and it gets nominated for an Oscar? Not too shabby.

Tune in next time for another animated adventure with Superman: "The Mechanical Monsters" (Available on YouTube.)

A version of this article was previously published on The Dipp.

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