By Michael Lyons
Got four hours to spare? The answer last week for movie and comic book fans was most definitely “Yes!”
That’s because four hours is the length of Zack Snyder’s Justice League, a revised version of the 2017 theatrical film, which debuted on HBO Max on March 18, after several years of campaigns to “Release the Snyder Cut.” The fact that it debuted is a testament to the passion and power of fandom, and the fact that it was watched at its four-hour length multiple times (followed by rapid-fire, social media discussion) solidifies just how popular the DC Extended Universe of superheroes truly is.
Before all of this recent, blockbuster success the DC characters shared quaint, humble moments in many animated forms. While we are at the zenith of Zack Snyder's Justice League’s explosive blast into our collective pop culture, now’s the perfect time to look back at these classic DC cartoons.
The Fleischer Studios Superman Cartoons (1941)
From the Studio that gave us Betty Boop and Popeye came this series of theatrical shorts made during The Golden Age of Animation in Hollywood.
Brothers Dave and Max Fleischer secured the rights from DC Comics and produced cartoons that are most definitely “of their time” (including several that had World War II-related plots). Still, the animation is nothing short of impressive.
Rotoscoping (a filmmaking process in which animation drawings are traced from live-action footage) provided some startling realistic moments and some genuinely well-executed action sequences. These cartoons are also credited as the first time Superman was shown flying, where he was only “leaping” in the comics.
The very first cartoon in the series Superman (1941) was nominated for an Academy Award and also named #33 of the Top 50 Cartoons of All Time in 1994. In all, a high-flying way for the Man of Steel to kick off his movie career.
The Batman/Superman Hour, 1968
Batman made his animated debut in this Saturday morning offering of cartoon adventures of the Caped Crusader and Boy Wonder, alternated with Superman adventures.
This animated offering from Filmation Studios (who would bring us Archie and Fat Albert) featured familiar, comforting cartoon voices. Olan Soule was Batman, Casey (“Zoinks!” Shaggy himself), Kasem as Robin, and comedian Ted Knight as multiple voices, such as the narrator and the villain Mr. Freeze.
Coming on the heels of the top-rated live-action Batman primetime series that had debuted two years earlier, this animated show no doubt help fuel the “Bat-mania” of the 60s.
The Brady Kids Meet Wonder Woman, 1972
In the 1970s, if a show was popular enough, it inspired a Saturday morning cartoon show, like this one featuring the younger stars of The Brady Bunch. Once again produced by Filmation, this trippy series sent the kids on adventures with their dog Moptop, a talking bird named Marlon, and a pair of Pandas named Ping and Pong.
The Brady Kids would also meet some famous heroic faces, such as The Lone Ranger and Superman. In an episode entitled “It’s All Greek to Me,” they meet up with Wonder Woman. She and the Kids find themselves accidentally transported to Ancient Greece.
Oddly enough, it was one of the show’s saner episodes and marked Wonder Woman’s animated debut.
Batman and Robin on The New Scooby-Doo Movies, 1972
Saturday morning cartoons were taken to a new level with this Scooby-Doo series that featured both celebrity guests who were real - Don Knotts, Sonny & Cher - and fiction - The Three Stooges, The Addams Family.
The latter category includes Batman and Robin's team-up with Scooby and the Gang in two episodes, “The Dynamic Scooby-Doo Affair” and “The Caped Crusader Caper.” Some of Gotham City’s villains are behind the shows’ mysteries, and like all of the episodes of this series, these are an amazing time capsule.
This was it! The pinnacle of Saturday morning superheroes! Before DC comics inspired big-budget movies with astronomical box-office results, this was how an entire generation got their superhero fix.
This series was based on the DC Justice League comics and came from the Hanna-Barbera Studio (the kings of the Golden Age of Saturday Morning Cartoons). The episodes featured Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Robin, teaming up up each week.
There were also guest shots from other DC superheroes, such as The Flash, Green Arrow, and Hawkman, some of which were eventually added to the permanent roster.
Super Friends was so popular, it ran for eight years, under various titles. The series also had some Hanna-Barbera touches, such as the characters of teenagers Wendy and Marvin, along with their pet Wonder Dog and the Wonder Twins, who could change into any form or shape by activating their powers.
The series is such a connection to Saturday mornings gone by that watching it today immediately causes one to shout: “Form of a bowl of sugar-coated cereal!”
Batman: The Animated Series, 1992
This animated series was a game-changer for the character of Batman and the other DC characters in future animated offerings.
Taking its cue from Tim Burton’s Batman films, this series featured a brooding, film noir look, and thoughtful storylines. Batman: The Animated Series also featured great vocal performances from Kevin Conroy as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Mark Hamill as The Joker, Paul Williams as the Penguin, and Adrienne Barbeau as Catwoman.
The series gave way to an entire DC Animated Universe with significant offerings that take their comic book foundation seriously and continue to this day.
Before you sit down for another brisk, four hours with Mr. Snyder’s impressive Justice League, consider a Barry Allen-esque trip back in time to enjoy these super-nostalgic animated DC offerings from another era.
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