2020 Movie News Archives
November 18, 2020: Rare Fleischer Superman Artwork Up For Auction
Heritage Auction has listed a rare collection of never-before-seen production cels and model sketches from the Fleischer Superman cartoons of the 1940s.Thought to have been lost to time, dozens of hand-rendered graphite-made production drawings were recently compiled by Dallas-based Heritage Auctions for their December 11-13, 2020 Animation Art event.
The first Superman cartoon hit the big screens on September 26, 1941. And nearly 80 years later, that 10-minute short, known today as "The Mad Scientist," still looks like it was made the day after tomorrow.
The bright big-screen wonder, created by animation pioneers Max and Dave Fleischer and voiced by some of the stars of the Mutual Network radio series, wasn't just groundbreaking but earthshaking. The series did far more than merely introduce audiences to the immortal phrase, "Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound!" For the first time, a costumed hero leaped off the page and onto the screen — and in the process somehow looked as human as anyone in the audience.
This was kid stuff made for the grown-ups. Art Deco by way of Action Comics. The artistry of Citizen Kane dressed up in blue tights and a red cape.
"The oblique camera angles, the extended shadows, the chiaroscuro lighting, the diagonal lines, even the freeze frame of the scientist turning into the front-page picture in the Daily Planet — all seem right out of [Orson] Welles' masterpiece," Philip Skerry and Chris Lambert wrote in the book Superman at Fifty! "The technicolor hues are also gorgeous, retaining even today the vividness of the original dyes while other less stable coloring processes … are fading away on the original negative."
In all there were 17 Man of Steel cartoons released between the fall of 1941 and the summer of '43, nine with the Fleischers at the helm before the brothers went their separate ways and Paramount Pictures took control. And from that relatively small output of genius, whose influence spans every single superhero blockbuster and cartoon and comic that followed to this day, only a few key moments have survived.
The production cels from the shorts — each of which cost $30,000 to produce — were thought vanished. The hand-rendered graphite-made production drawings were surely lost somewhere between buyouts, break-ups and bankruptcies. And there was no reason at all to believe the sketched models of Superman and Lois Lane would ever been seen again.
Yet here they are, compiled by Dallas-based Heritage Auctions for the Dec. 11-13 Animation Art event. More than 50 original pieces from the Fleischer's run on Superman, amassed from two separate collections never before available to the public, create the largest assemblage ever to come to auction.
Jim Lentz, Heritage's Director Animation Art, says the 28 total lots being offered in December constitute "almost everything that exists" from the Superman cartoons. Perhaps, he says, this is as much as 80-85% of all the surviving artwork – enough to whet the appetites of animation scholars and collectors alike.
"To have a collection like this is a once-in-a-lifetime event," says cataloger David Tosh, Heritage's in-house expert on the Fleischers' work. "When I first saw it, I thought I must be dreaming. This material just doesn't show up. In 17 years at Heritage I've seen a few pieces, but nothing this gorgeous. It's mind-blowing to me."
Here, rather unbelievably, collectors will find the color model for Superman himself, whose stands with hands on hips while animators color-code each piece of the costume rendered in graphite. Below, Dave Fleischer's signature provides the animators with the OK to proceed. There's also a color model for Lois Lane as well, even more detailed than that of the Man of Steel.
Also included is the model sheet for Superman's head and face — the square jaw, of course, topped with the spit curl — dated August 1941. Its five views of Superman serve as a quintessential piece from the Fleischer Studios, as does the model sheet for Lois known as the "Head and Mouth Action Chart," which features 26 looks at the Daily Planet's star reporter in various poses.
Another model sheet featuring Lois in various poses (flying, even!), alongside Clark Kent and a rough sketch of Superman, is just as indispensable.
The animation event also features several production cel setups with the key master backgrounds – including an extraordinary piece from "The Mad Scientist" in which Superman carries Lois to safety before the scientist's lair blows to bits. From the same episode comes a production cel showcasing the Man of Steel staring down the scientist's destructive "electrothanasia" ray aimed at Metropolis.
There's another production cel, as well, from the second Superman short, November 1941's "The Mechanical Monsters," showing the hero demolishing the titular villains.
The event features drawings of a swaying Daily Planet under attack in "The Mad Scientist"; Krypton's destruction from the first episode's introduction; Lois, Clark and Perry White huddled around the Daily Planet editor's desk; Superman repelling the death ray; and a detailed flyover look at the bright lights of Metropolis.
There are also several drawings from "Terror on the Midway" released in August 1942 — and, sadly, the final of the nine Superman cartoons produced under the auspices of Fleischer Studios before the brothers parted company and Paramount rebranded their production company Famous Studios. There is but one piece from the final batch of cartoons: a drawing of an airplane from September 1942's "Japoteurs," when the studio turned Superman's attention from sci-fi villainy to real-world headlines.
Heritage's Animation Art event features artwork from other Fleischer projects, as well, including sketches from 1939's deeply influential Gulliver's Travels; cels and sketches and sculptures and other highly coveted ephemera from 1941's Mr. Bug Goes to Town, and rough drafts from the brothers' work on Popeye and Betty Boop.
"But the Superman collection serves as a historical document on the making of one of animation's greatest series," Lentz says. "It continues to mean so much to so many. It was a gateway to everything from the George Reeves TV series to the Christopher Reeve movies to the more recent Batman and Superman animated series to The Dark Knight Returns. And it's likely we'll never see a collection such as this one ever again."
2020 Movie News
Listed below are all the Movie News items archived for 2020 organized into various categories:'Supermen: Red Son' Animated Movie News:
- February 12, 2020: World Premiere of “Superman: Red Son” Animated Movie
- February 28, 2020: New York Premiere of “Superman: Red Son”
- February 28, 2020: Exclusive Interview with Jason Isaacs - “Superman: Red Son”
- February 29, 2020: Exclusive Interview with Amy Acker - “Superman: Red Son”
- February 29, 2020: Exclusive Interview with Bruce Timm - “Superman: Red Son”
- February 29, 2020: Exclusive Interview with Roger Craig Smith - “Superman: Red Son”
- March 2, 2020: Coronavirus Threat Ends “Superman: Red Son” New York Premiere
- March 3, 2020: New Clip from “Superman: Red Son” Animated Movie
- March 3, 2020: Exclusive Interview with Travis Willingham - “Superman: Red Son”
- March 3, 2020: Exclusive Interview with Phil Morris - “Superman: Red Son”
- March 3, 2020: Exclusive Interview with Sam Liu - “Superman: Red Son”
- March 11, 2020: New Clip from “Superman: Red Son” Animated Movie
- March 13, 2020: Another New Clip from “Superman: Red Son” Animated Movie
- March 14, 2020: “Superman: Red Son” Animated Movie Character Posters
- March 16, 2020: Two New Clips from “Superman: Red Son” Animated Movie
- March 17, 2020: “Superman: Red Son” Animated Movie Available Today!
- March 26, 2020: Fan Ratings for “Superman: Red Son” - Poll Results
- March 30, 2020: Amy Acker on Portraying Lois Lane in “Superman: Red Son”
- May 17, 2020: Director Sam Liu Talks “Superman: Red Son”
- February 23, 2020: “Justice League Dark: Apokolips War” Animated Movie Cast Announced
- March 2, 2020: “Justice League Dark: Apokolips War” Animated Movie Trailer
- March 4, 2020: “Justice League Dark: Apokolips War” Arriving in May
- April 24, 2020: “Justice League Dark: Apokolips War” Preview Clip
- May 6, 2020: “Justice League Dark: Apokolips War” Available Digitally Today!
- May 8, 2020: “Justice League Dark: Apokolips War” Watch Party and Panel
- May 12, 2020: Superman is the 'Crown Jewel' of Jerry O'Connell's Career
- May 18, 2020: “Justice League Dark: Apokolips War” Arrives on 4K/Blu-ray Tomorrow
- May 19, 2020: “Justice League Dark: Apokolips War” Arrives on 4K/Blu-ray Today!
- May 29, 2020: “Justice League Dark: Apokolips War” Online Watch Party
- May 30, 2020: Watch the “Justice League Dark: Apokolips War” Panel
- April 30, 2020: Voice Cast for “Superman: Man of Tomorrow”
- May 6, 2020: New Images from “Superman: Man of Tomorrow” Animated Movie
- June 23, 2020: “Superman: Man of Tomorrow” Official Trailer
- June 25, 2020: “Superman: Man of Tomorrow” Release Date Announced
- July 21, 2020: Tim Sheridan Talks “Superman: Man of Tomorrow” Animated Movie
- August 18, 2020: Preview Clip - “Superman: Man of Tomorrow” Animated Movie
- August 20, 2020: Preview Clip - “Superman: Man of Tomorrow” Animated Movie
- August 21, 2020: Superman vs Lobo - “Superman: Man of Tomorrow“ Preview Clip
- August 21, 2020: Clark vs. Lobo Preview Clip - “Superman: Man of Tomorrow” Animated Movie
- August 22, 2020: Watch the DC FanDome “Superman: Man of Tomorrow” Panel
- August 24, 2020: Director Chris Palmer on the Art Style of “Superman: Man of Tomorrow”
- August 26, 2020: “Superman: Man of Tomorrow” Animated Movie Review
- August 27, 2020: Purchasing “Superman: Man of Tomorrow” - Poll Results
- August 30, 2020: Character Videos for “Superman: Man of Tomorrow” Animated Movie
- September 8, 2020: “Superman: Man of Tomorrow” Now Available on Blu-ray/DVD
- September 10, 2020: Purchase the Soundtrack to “Superman: Man of Tomorrow”
- September 10, 2020: Fan Ratings on “Superman: Man of Tomorrow” - Poll Results
- November 19, 2020: “Superman: Man of Tomorrow” Nominated for Critics Choice Award
- May 19, 2020: Snyder Cut of “Justice League” Could Premiere on HBO Max
- May 20, 2020: It's Official! HBO Max to Release the Snyder Cut of “Justice League”!
- May 25, 2020: What Can We Expect from the Snyder Cut of “Justice League”?
- May 27, 2020: Ray Porter Talks Voicing Darkseid as Zack Snyder Shares Official Photo
- May 28, 2020: Will You Watch the Snyder Cut of “Justice League”? - Poll Results
- June 18, 2020: First Sneak Peek from Zack Snyder's “Justice League”
- July 17, 2020: JusticeCon to Celebrate Snyder Cut of “Justice League”
- July 20, 2020: Zack Snyder Talks About “Justice League” Running Time, Superman and More
- July 24, 2020: Reminder - Justice Con to Celebrate Snyder Cut of “Justice League”
- July 25, 2020: Zack Snyder Shares Black Suit Superman Scene During Justice Con Panel
- August 8, 2020: Zack Snyder Shares New “Justice League” Steppenwolf Image
- August 13, 2020: Superman's Black Costume - Poll Results
- August 20, 2020: New Teaser Trailer for Snyder Cut of “Justice League”
- August 22, 2020: Zack Snyder Talks About the Snyder Cut “Justice League” Trailer
- August 22, 2020: DC FanDome Report - “The Snyder Cut of Justice League” Panel and Trailer
- September 23, 2020: Henry Cavill to Film New Scenes for “Zack Snyder's Justice League”
- September 24, 2020: Is Henry Cavill Participating in New “Justice League” Reshoots for Snyder Cut?
- October 1, 2020: Henry Cavill Excited for Zack Snyder's “Justice League”
- October 20, 2020: “Justice League: The Snyder Cut” 16-bit Trailer Remake
- October 21, 2020: Jared Leto's Joker to Appear in Zack Snyder's “Justice League”
- November 13, 2020: Zack Snyder Only Shot 4 Extra Minutes of Footage for “Justice League”
- November 17, 2020: Updated Teaser Trailer for Zack Snyder's “Justice League”
- December 14, 2020: Zack Snyder Calls for “Justice League” Theatrical Release
- December 17, 2020: Will Zack Snyder's “Justice League” Premiere in March 2021?
- January 21, 2020: “Superman: The Movie” Screening at The Prince Charles Cinema, London
- January 23, 2020: “Music of John Williams” Concert in Toronto, Canada
- February 17, 2020: “Superman: The Movie - The Final Cut” Fan Film Remastered Trailer
- February 21, 2020: Superman Movie Marathon at The Mahoning Drive-In Theater
- April 3, 2020: Pittsburgh Symphony Brass Play Superman Theme... At Home
- April 28, 2020: InHouse-Con Presents “Superman - Good vs. Evil”
- June 8, 2020: Watch “Superman: The Movie” at the Cheri Theater in Kentucky
- June 8, 2020: Watch “Superman: The Movie” at the Getty Drive-In Theater in Michigan
- June 23, 2020: “Superman: The Movie - The Final Cut” Fan Film Remastered Project
- July 1, 2020: Auction - Christopher Reeve Wire and Zoptic “Flying & Mechanical” Cape
- July 19, 2020: Sold! - Christopher Reeve Wire and Zoptic “Flying & Mechanical” Cape
- July 22, 2020: Annie Ross, “Superman III” Actress, Dies at 89
- July 24, 2020: Sideshow Unveils Their “Superman: The Movie” Premium Format Figure
- August 20, 2020: Video - Making “Superman III” in Calgary, Canada
- November 3, 2020: “Superman in Concert” Delayed Until March 2021
- November 19, 2020: “Superman: The Movie” Screening in Los Angeles Tomorrow Night
- January 2, 2020: Zack Snyder Answers “Justice League” Hologram Question
- January 5, 2020: “Justice League” Snyder Cut 40 Minute Online Video
- March 28, 2020: Live “Batman v Superman” Commentary by Zack Snyder
- March 29, 2020: Video of Zack Snyder’s Live “Batman v Superman” Commentary
- April 11, 2020: Harry Lennix Talks “Man of Steel” and “Batman v Superman”
- April 18, 2020: Fan Fixes Henry Cavill's “Justice League” Mustache Problem
- May 18, 2020: Live “Man of Steel” Commentary by Zack Snyder
- May 20, 2020: Video of Zack Snyder's “Man of Steel” Watch Party
- May 27, 2020: Will Henry Cavill Return as Superman?
- June 24, 2020: Henry Cavill on Playing Superman for “Years to Come”
- July 2, 2020: Henry Cavill Talks About All Those Superman Rumors
- July 5, 2020: “Batman v Superman” Ultimate Edition on HBO Max
- July 26, 2020: Comic-Con@Home - David Goyer Talks “Man of Steel”
- September 10, 2020: Superman on Film - Evolution Over Nostalgia
- September 20, 2020: Fan Trailer - “Henry Cavill Superman Support Trailer”
- September 25, 2020: “Man of Steel” Coming to HBO Max
- November 4, 2020: Zack Snyder Shares Unseen “Man of Steel” Photo
- November 18, 2020: Will Zack Snyder Release a Director's Cut of “Man of Steel”?
- December 23, 2020: Why is Zack Snyder Remastering “Batman v Superman“?
- January 7, 2020: Casting Call for Big Budget Superman Fan Film
- January 16, 2020: What is the Best Superman Movie of the Past Decade? - Poll Results
- January 23, 2020: Major Roles Cast for “Superman vs Doomsday” Fan Film
- February 6, 2020: Watching Superman Fan Films - Poll Results
- March 4, 2020: Brandon Routh Talks to Michael Rosenbaum About Playing Superman
- March 21, 2020: A Guide to Every Actor Who Has Played Superman
- March 26, 2020: Would Michael Shannon Return to Play Zod in Supergirl Movie?
- April 6, 2020: “LEGO DC: Shazam! Magic and Monsters” Animated Movie
- April 12, 2020: Watch “Heroic Ambition” Superman Documentary Online Free
- April 18, 2020: Fan Creates “Kingdom Come” Live-Action Trailer
- April 29, 2020: “LEGO DC: Shazam! Magic and Monsters” Sneak Peek
- May 4, 2020: “The Amazing Story of Superman” Documentary Livestream
- May 5, 2020: Kirk Alyn - Film's First Superman
- May 13, 2020: Akiva Goldsman Talks Never-Made “Batman vs. Superman” Movie
- June 17, 2020: Mark Millar Talks Superman in Empire Magazine's July 2020 - The Heroes Issue
- June 24, 2020: Watch the “Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics” Full-Length Documentary Online
- July 22, 2020: Fleischer Superman Cartoon Upscaled to 4K Using Neural Networks
- August 5, 2020: “Hollywoodland” Blu-ray Release
- August 13, 2020: Zack Snyder - Skateboarding in the House of El
- August 20, 2020: SuperMuseum Watch Party
- August 26, 2020: Fan Film - “Legend of Superman - COVID RESPONSE”
- August 29, 2020: Video - The Evolution of Superman: DC Animated History
- September 3, 2020: Interview with Superman Actor Kevin Caliber - Voices From Krypton Podcast
- September 10, 2020: Fan Trailer: “Superman - The Hero We Need”
- October 8, 2020: Superman Movies You've Seen - Poll Results
- October 13, 2020: David Hasselhoff to Voice Superman in “Death Metal” Animated Shorts
- October 18, 2020: Superman Spotted on the Set of “The Batman”
- October 22, 2020: Fan Trailer - “Homelander v Superman Teaser Trailer”
- October 30, 2020: Fan Film Trailer - “Superman: Mortal Menaces”
- November 4, 2020: Brandon Routh on Why a “Superman Returns” Sequel Never Happened
- November 18, 2020: Rare Fleischer Superman Artwork Up For Auction
- December 10, 2020: Best Superman Movie Director - Poll Results
- December 31, 2020: Kevin Smith Relives His “Superman Lives” Pitch
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