The Superman animated cartoons, commonly known as the "Fleischer Superman cartoons" were a series of seventeen animated Technicolor short films, released by Paramount Pictures between 1941 and 1943, based upon the comic book character Superman.

The first nine cartoons were produced by Fleischer Studios (the name by which the cartoons are commonly known). In 1942, Fleischer Studios was dissolved and reorganized as Famous Studios, which produced the final eight shorts.

These cartoons are seen as some of the finest, and certainly the most lavishly budgeted, animated cartoons produced during The Golden Age of American animation. In 1994, the series was voted #33 of the 50 Greatest Cartoons of all time by members of the animation field.

Influence: Decades later, the series strongly influenced the creation of the acclaimed animated television series Batman: The Animated Series, the 1990s Superman: The Animated Series, and the feature length film Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. Award-winning comic book artist Alex Ross has also listed the shorts among the inspiration for his take on Superman's look. Japanese animation director Hayao Miyazaki was influenced by the robots from "The Mechanical Monsters" short and used designs based on them in his feature film, Castle in the Sky and the last episode of the second Lupin III TV series. Other famous animators, such as Osamu Tezuka (Astro Boy), also say they were heavily influenced by these films. The 2006 film Superman Returns also pays homage to these Superman cartoons. (More news from Wikipedia.org)

Click here, download Superman Film Series (1940s)

As all of these cartoons are now in the public domain.

Toonami Digital Arsenal is closing out the year by posting the complete Fleischer/Famous Studios Superman Film Series!

In the early 1940s, this series raised the bar for theatrical shorts with its fluid animation and action-packed storylines. It remains a classic series thanks to its high production values and historical significance not only as the first comic-to-film ad aptation, but also as an occasional vehicle for American propaganda during the war.

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