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Max Fleischer’s remastered Superman 1941-1943 animated shorts to be released digitally and on Blu-Ray.

Max Fleischer’s Superman 1941-1943 Blu-ray Disc

Warner Bros. Discovery has announced the release of Max Fleischer’s 17 animated Superman shorts from 1941 to 1943, which have been meticulously remastered from the original 35mm source elements. The set will be available for digital purchase in HD and on Blu-ray on May 16, 2023.

Max Fleischer introduces Superman as an animation

Superman, the world’s first superhero, was introduced in Action Comics #1 in 1938. His popularity soared with his radio program. Max Fleischer then gave him his first animated spotlight by producing 17 theatrical animated shorts, which added many significant aspects to his canon and elevated his profile.

Clayton “Bud” Collyer and Joan Alexander, well-known radio actors, reprised their roles for the Fleischer/Famous Studios animated shorts as Superman/ Clark Kent and Lois Lane respectively. Additional voices were given by Jackson Beck, who provided the voice of Perry White and the show’s primary narrator, and other actors who had participated in the Superman radio program.

How Warner Bros. remastered Max Fleischer’s 1941-1943 Superman

Warner Bros. Discovery’s advanced remastering process began with a 4K, 16-bit scan of Fleischer’s original 35mm successive exposure negative. The raw image was then scanned and entered into the recombine process, using special proprietary software to merge the successive exposure Technicolor negatives into a single RGB color image. The end result is a set of pristine animated shorts that have been restored to the animators’ originally intended production quality.

Where to buy Max Fleischer’s remastered Superman 1941-1943 animated shorts on digital media

The remastered set of Max Fleischer’s Superman 1941-1943 will be available for digital purchase in HD from Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Google Play, Vudu, and more, and on Blu-ray at major retailers both online and in-store from May 16, 2023.

Max Fleischer’s remastered Superman 1941-1943 Episodes and Premiere Date

  • Superman (Mad Scientist) – 9/26/1941
  • The Mechanical Monsters – 11/28/1941
  • Billion Dollar Limited – 1/9/1942
  • Arctic Giant – 2/27/1942
  • The Bulleteers – 3/27/1942
  • The Magnetic Telescope – 4/24/1942
  • Electric Earthquake – 5/15/1942
  • Volcano – 7/10/1942
  • Terror on the Midway – 8/28/1942
  • The Japoteurs – 9/18/1942
  • Showdown – 10/16/1942
  • The Eleventh Hour – 11/20/1942
  • Destruction, Inc. – 12/25/1942
  • The Mummy Strikes – 2/19/1943
  • Jungle Drums – 3/26/1943
  • Underground World – 6/18/1943
  • Secret Agent – 7/30/1943

Max Fleischer’s remastered Superman 1941-1943 Special Features

  • New Featurette – Superman: Speeding Toward Tomorrow – This featurette explores the visual storytelling of the Fleischer series, examining the lavish animation and atomic age technology that pushed science fiction closer to becoming a powerful social and pop culture force.
  • Featurette – First Flight: The Fleischer Superman Series – A gathering of contemporary animators, comic book and animation historians, and legendary Fleischer artists examine these beloved shorts, focusing on the animation and the breakthrough techniques that created it, as well as studying the title character’s place in history.
  • Featurette – The Man, the Myth, Superman: Exploring the Tradition of Superman Heroes on the Page and Screen – A fascinating study of Superman-esque characters throughout history – in ancient myth, literature, and film – that bring forth imaginative, super-human qualities, captivating audiences, and enduring the test of time.

Max Fleischer’s remastered Superman 1941-1943 Pricing and Film Information

  • Digital HD Purchase: $14.99 USA and CANADA
  • Blu-ray: $33.99 USA, 39.99 CANADA
  • Languages: English
  • Subtitles: English, French
  • Running Time: 145 minutes

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Max Fleischer’s Superman 1941-1943 Blu-ray Disc via DC Comics with usage type - News Release Media

 

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