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Important Importables
Jenni Lada brings us information about all of the groovy new gaming imports from around the world.
Jenni Lada brings us information about all of the groovy new gaming imports from around the world.
Celebrating Supe’s 50th anniversary, Ruby-Spears Productions miraculously got the rights to create Superman the animated TV series.
It exists in an awkward gap between the kitche-y late-1970s-to-early-1980s Super Friends cartoons and the slick 1990s Superman: The Animated series. It’s a series that only those who could bear the live-action Superboy TV series recall.
Superman goes far to embrace elements from print, film and even previous animated series, sometimes seeming disjointed but, by the time you get through all 13 episodes, becomes appropriate.
It’s A Bird
Superman aired Saturday mornings on CBS from 1988 to 1989, with only thirteen 30-minute episodes. While it has many nostalgic nods to previous incarnations our do-good alien, it definitely screams ‘80s.
Lex Luthor (voiced by Michael Bell) is a boisterous, swarming gajillionaire, his bimbo sidekick Miss Moganberry (Lynne Marie Stewart) sports poofy sleaves and high-front hair and even Lois Lane (Ginny McSwain) got a decade-appropriate, tight-skirted makeover while acquiring some assertive strength.
Poor Jimmy Olsen (Mark L. Taylor), however, will forever be stuck in the ‘50s forever but even that’s OK since the series starts with a nod to the 1950s Superman cartoons. You’ll even hear the infamous, “It’s a bird,” line a few times.
Superman also borrows a lot of scenes and reworked soundtrack from the 1978 live-action film starring Christopher Reeves. Even Lex’s shouts for Miss Moganberry are easily mistaken for similar shouts calling for Miss Tessmacher in the live-action movie.
It’s a Plane
As mixed as the decades may seem, the series has a lot going for especially in terms of talent. Marv Wolfman (DC Universe Online) was the head writer, also penning a few specific segments, while Gil Kane (Green Lantern) worked as the lead artist.
The stories also tried try to show a slightly softer side of Supes (voiced by Beau Weaver) even though he’s a bit beefier than earlier versions, with less bravado and a seemingly appropriate dab of assuredness that was part of the character’s comic book reinvention. The villains do come right out of the comics’ sense of absurdity (what was with that crazy, non-Joker clown?). The series also reverts back to Lex a bit too often but, for the time, an regular villain was just beginning to become the cartoon norm. Lex’s voice does get a bit irritating early on but will mellow out for later episodes.
You’ll also see a flying Wonder Woman which will seem unfamiliar to those who only know her as the lady with the lasso, high kicks, wrist bands and invisible jet.
One of the initially gut-wrenching elements are the “Superman Family Album” segments that ran as the final few minutes of each episode. Often scripted by different writers, each segment gives a glimpse into the theoretical childhood of a superhero starting in diapers and going through those awkward dating high school years. The first few are the most ridiculous - as in how would no one recall this little baby openly demonstrating such abilities - but they eventually tame down and become more bearable and entertaining, leading up to Clark Kent’s emergence as the caped hero.
Get Superman!
Even though Rub-Spears, known for producing some outrageous cartoons (Piggsburg Pigs, Mega Man), had much of the work done overseas, there are a few rare sparks of anime stylings in a few background gestures and expressions only a cartoon aficionado will recognize.
The art style certainly fits with comic books with Superman looking more like his print partner here than any other cartoon take. The reproduction, as well, is rather nice, with hardly a speck and fairly vibrant colors. It’s a bit light on extras but you do get the whole series which I have not seen on TV in many years.
This Superman animated series is certainly worth watching a time or to for a giggle and an historical bridging of the gap between the Super Friends Superman with his chesty bravado and the more mild-tone Supes of the ‘90s and early ‘00s.
Photo Gallery [Gamertell] Purchase [Ruby-Spears Superman DVD] Site [Ruby-Spears] Read [Superman Super Site]
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