Originally written March 15, 2017

So, I already reviewed the first nine Superman cartoons of the 1940s, but they were followed up by eight more. However, a transition happened between these two halves, which is why I divided them up into two different reviews. Basically, after the first nine cartoons, the Fleischer brothers that created the cartoons were ousted by Paramount. Paramount then seized Fleischer Studios and renamed it Famous Studios, putting the Superman cartoons under new direction. I’ve already talked about my general feelings on the Superman cartoons in my review of the first nine cartoons, so before I individually look at these next eight, all I’d like to do is mention the main differences between the two sets of cartoons.

As far as the look and animation of the cartoons go, you won’t see much of a difference. This is great because the animation is one of the best parts of these cartoons, looking even better than a lot of cartoons today. Aside from some minor changes like differences in the opening title sequences, the main difference you’ll see between the two sets is in the storylines. The Fleischer Studios cartoons focused more on sci-fi elements, having Superman go up against enemies like giant robots, dinosaurs, meteors from outer space, etc. Meanwhile, Famous Studios focused a lot more on a blend of fantasy elements (such as a species of underground eagle people) mixed with a lot of World War II propaganda, which was going on at the time. This is interesting to see, but it can be a little uncomfortable to watch nowadays because of how much the cartoons portray the Japanese people in a negative light. Still, it’s a product of its time, so I won’t hold it against it. Still, though, I definitely preferred the Fleischer Studios route of focusing on sci-fi storylines. There are still some gems here in the Famous Studios cartoons, but as a whole it’s slightly inferior.

Anyway, here’s what I think of each of the individual cartoons in the Famous Studios library:

Japoteurs (1942)

If you’re looking for an example of the World War II racism I was referring to, look no further than to the title of Japoteurs. I wasn’t sure what the title was supposed to mean until I watched it. It’s a combination of the ethnic slur “Jap” and the word “saboteur.” This cartoon covers Superman’s adventures of stopping Japanese spies from hijacking a bomber plane and bringing it to Tokyo. While this cartoon is still visually impressive and features some fun moments, overall it’s not one of the best in the catalogue.

3.5/5

Showdown (1942)

Showdown focuses on a thief who is impersonating Superman to steal things for a gangster and have the blame be pinned on Superman. I understand that this seems to be an unpopular opinion, but this one is definitely my favorite out of the Famous Studios cartoons. In fact, out of all 17 cartoons, the only one I really liked more than Showdown was The Mechanical Monsters. The reason I like this one so much is because it’s so different from the rest of the cartoons. Most of the cartoons feature Superman punching his way out of a fight, but this one has him using more intimidation methods than he does any other time. It’s really interesting to watch and made for an engaging cartoon.

4.5/5

Eleventh Hour (1942)

Following the interesting and different Showdown cartoon, we are brought another propaganda cartoon with Eleventh Hour. However, I will say that this one has a slightly more interesting story than Japoteurs did at least. In Eleventh Hour, Lois and Clark are being held as prisoners of war in Japan. Clark sneaks out at night to sabotage the Japanese soldiers. This one felt a bit darker than some of the other ones, even featuring Lois almost being killed by a firing squad. It’s just propaganda, but it was still entertaining.

3.5/5

Destruction, Inc. (1942)

Destruction, Inc. is kinda just in the middle for me. This one features Superman stopping a plot from a factory supervisor to blow up his factory. I don’t really have too many feelings on this one way or another. It’s entertaining enough and has some funny irony at the end of it, but other than that it’s one of the more forgettable cartoons of the bunch.

3.5/5

The Mummy Strikes (1943)

The Mummy Strikes has a lot of the fantasy elements that I was referring to. Basically, in this one, a mummy’s curse is awoken, and so Superman has to fight some mummies. As ridiculous as it sounds, this one was pretty solidly entertaining. I enjoyed it a lot more than I did the propaganda ones. It may not be amazing, but it was definitely having fun with its concept.

4/5

Jungle Drums (1943)

Jungle Drums is the true blend of propaganda and fantasy out of the bunch. This one features a Nazi base that is disguised as a sacred temple that’s home to some jungle natives. Superman must fight the Nazis and the jungle natives to save Lois. This one was definitely the most entertaining out of the propaganda cartoons. It wasn’t so much entertaining for its plot as it is for its imagery. There are just some great animations of the jungle natives, Superman walking through fire, and even a shot of Adolf Hitler at the end.

4/5

The Underground World (1943)

Unfortunately, Jungle Drums was the last of the great Superman cartoons, because these last two are bland. This one in particular, The Underground World, is easily the worst out of all of the cartoons. On its own it isn’t a terrible cartoon by any means, it’s just so uninspired, which is a word I wouldn’t normally use about a cartoon that centers on Superman fighting a race of bird-people that live in a cave. There are some decent action scenes, but that’s about all that’s interesting.

3/5

Secret Agent (1943)

Secret Agent is also a bland cartoon, just like The Underground World was. This one simply features Superman helping a secret agent trying to stop some gangsters. I liked some of the action scenes, but that was about it. This is the only one of the cartoons to not feature Lois Lane, but the secret agent is basically just Lois with blonde hair anyway.

3/5