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2014 TV News Archives

September 11, 2014: Superman Animated Parodies

Since his debut in 1938 Superman has been the subject of quite a few parodies across many different animated shows, popping up in person, as a caricature, or interpreted by other Hollywood animators - some authorized, others unauthorized. I've collected together information about those animated parodies with links to sites where you can watch the cartoons.

Goofy Groceries
First Aired: March 29, 1941
In 1941 Warner Bros. released a Merrie Melodies cartoon titled "Goofy Groceries" which featured what is possibly the first on-screen parody of Superman.

Watch the "Goofy Groceries" cartoon online.

Super Mouse
First Aired: October 16, 1942
From 1942-1943 seven "Super Mouse" cartoons were released by Terrytoons. "The Mouse of Tomorrow" (October 16, 1942), "Frankenstein's Cat" (November 27, 1942), "He Dood It Again" (February 5, 1943), "Pandora's Box" (June 11, 1943), "Super Mouse Rides Again" (August 6, 1943), "Down with Cats" (October 7, 1943) and "Lion and the Mouse" (November 12, 1943). Super Mouse later became known as Mighty Mouse.

You can watch six of the seven "Super Mouse" cartoons via YouTube.

Super Rabbit
First Aired: April 3, 1943
In 1943 Warner Bros. released a Bugs Bunny cartoon "Super Rabbit" as a parody of the Fleischer series. Special carrots make Bugs into a superhero. The first villain he goes up against is Cottontail Smith who is a mad and evil Texas rabbit exterminator. Unfortunately, little by little, Bugs' powers start to wear off.

Watch the "Super Rabbit" cartoon online.

Snafuperman
First Screened: 1944
A wartime parody of the Fleischer Superman cartoons, created for the Army-Navy Screen Magazine and shown only to American soldiers. The "Private Snafu" cartoons were not released commercially until December 2010.

Watch the "Snafuperman" cartoon at YouTube.

She-Sick Sailors
First Aired: December 8, 1944
In 1944 Paramount released a Popeye cartoon titled "She-Sick Sailors" in which Olive is more interested in her Superman comic book than in Popeye. Bluto overhears this and dresses as Superman.

Watch the "She-Sick Sailors" cartoon at YouTube.

A Hatful of Dreams
First Released: July 6, 1945
In 1945 Paramount released a Puppetoon titled "A Hatful of Dreams" by George Pal in which a young boy becomes Superman thanks to a magic hat.

Note: Unfortunately I've been unable to find an online video of this Puppetoon.

Super Lulu
First Aired: November 21, 1947
In 1947 Paramount released a Little Lulu cartoon titled "Super Lulu" in which Lulu dreams of being a superhero, much to her father's anger.

Watch the "Super Lulu" cartoon at YouTube.

Stupor Duck
First Aired: July 7, 1956
In 1956 Warner Bros. released another Superman parody, this time using Daffy Duck in the cartoon "Stupor Duck". In this parody of Superman, Daffy is "Cluck Trent," a mild-mannered reporter at a major metropolitan daily newspaper, Cluck takes a mild-mannered pill and hears something from the editor's office. The editor is watching a crime drama about Aardvark Ratnik, a fictional mad Russian villain who threatens to "blow up everything" in his hell-bent scheme for world domination. Believing that Aardvark is an actual villain who has announced his plans to the editor, Daffy becomes Stupor Duck, set to foil Aardvark Ratnik's schemes. He searches for the putative villain. One by one, he spots "examples" of Aardvark's supposed work: a skyscraper being razed to make way for a new city hall; a train wreck that's actually a stunt for a new Warner's movie; a sinking ship that turns out to be a submarine; and a nuclear missile that's actually a rocket headed for the moon (with Cluck/Daffy holding on for dear life).

Watch the "Stupor Duck" cartoon online.

Tiny Toon Adventures: Cinemaniacs!
First Aired: October 10, 1990
A parody of Superman, with Babs in the role of Superbabs (Superman), and with Montana Max in the role of a bald guy named Wex Wuthor (Lex Luthor). Superbabs flies around the world and into Acme Acres as the announcer describes her as a strange bunny from another planet who came to Acme Acres to fight for truth, justice...(he is then suddenly interrupted as Superbabs, now as Babs Bunny, comes out of her rabbit hole with a stereo and finishes his statement with "And rock and roll").

Watch the "Cinemaniacs!" cartoon online.

Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation
First Aired: March 11, 1992
When Buster and Babs fall down a waterfall, Superman flies in and catches them. Rather disturbed by his appearance, Buster and Babs demand him to leave, so he promptly drops them. Incidentally, immediately before Superman's cameo, Buster grabs Babs, saying "I gotcha!", to which Babs replies "But who's got you?" This piece of dialogue comes from the 1978 Superman film. Later in the movie, when surrounded by their predators, Babs asks "So where's Superman when you need him?!"

Watch the "How I Spent My Vacation" cartoon at YouTube.

Tiny Toon Adventures: New Class Day
First Aired: September 15, 1992
The segment "Just-Us League of Supertoons" features the characters acting as parodies of the Justice League, with Montana Max reprising his role of Wex Wuthor from "Cinemaniacs". Buster as Superman is known as Superbun.

Watch the "New Class Day!" cartoon online.

Looney Tunes: Superior Duck
First Aired: August 23, 1996
Daffy Duck was at it once again, playing the part of Superior Duck, a superhero who, over the course of the episode, tries to show off his powers via the narrator's introduction, mimicking the familiar Superman intro. Superman himself makes a cameo appearance towards the end of the episode, putting Daffy in his place.

Watch the "Superior Duck" cartoon at YouTube.

Pinky and the Brain: Two Mice and a Baby
First Aired: February 1, 1997
The episode's plot centers on the mice attempting to raise baby Kal-El (a.k.a. Superman) after he lands on Earth.

Watch the "Two Mice and a Baby" cartoon online (although not in English).

Histeria!: Inventors Hall of Fame - Part 1
First Aired: September 14, 1998
When Alexander Graham Bell approaches a telephone booth, Clark Kent goes in first and comes out as Superman. However his "S" emblem is drawn as an "F" here.

Watch the "Hall of Fame - Part 1" cartoon at YouTube.

Histeria!: Great Heroes of France
First Aired: October 7, 1998
In the sketch about the Lewis and Clark expedition, William Clark is depicted as looking like Clark Kent.

Watch the "Great Heroes of France" cartoon at YouTube.

Histeria!: When Time Collides
First Aired: October 10, 1998
When Frederich Nietchze is given a nomination, it is mentioned that he philisophized about the ideal individual being liberated from traditional values, and called it the Übermensch, or Superman. At this, we see that he is sitting next to Superman, and he complains about how Warner Bros. isn't giving him any payment for creating the concept.

Watch the "When Time Collides" cartoon at YouTube.

Duck Dodgers: Till Doom Do Us Part
First Aired: Marrch 11, 2005
At the start of the episode, while reminiscing about the days before the ceasefire, Daffy imagines himself as Superman.

Watch the "When Time Collides" cartoon at YouTube.

MAD TV: Extreme Renovation House Edition
First Aired: October 4, 2010
Ty Pennington is going to renovate the palace of one of histories greatest heroes. Superman's Fortress of Solitude. After sending Superman off to Disneyland on the misconception that something is wrong, the team renovates his fortress. He gets back from the false alarm only to find that the walls with his fathers influential recording has been replaced by a recording on a big screen tv, his chamber that harasses the suns rays has been replaced by bunk beds, and his phantom zone closet has been opened, much to Superman's displeasure.

Watch the "Extreme Renovation House Edition" cartoon at YouTube.

The Looney Tunes Show: Superrabbit
First Aired: August 31, 2014
Bugs explains to Daffy how he really was Super Rabbit for a while, and why he gave it all up.