Watch Some of Filmation’s Superboy Cartoons Now

While much of Superman’s (and Superboy’s) animated exploits are available on Blu-Ray or DVD, one cartoon remains unreleased… Filmation’s Superboy cartoons.

“The New Adventures of Superman” premiered on CBS-TV on September 10, 1966. The first season of the show featured two “Superman” adventures, split into two six-minute segments.

In between the two Superman cartoons, each first season episode included a six-minute segment of “The Adventures of Superboy”. “Superboy” starred voice actor Bob Hastings as young Clark Kent and Superboy (Hastings later portrayed Commissioner Gordon on “Batman: The Animated Series”) and featured Superboy’s Dog of Steel, Krypto the Superdog. During this first season, there were 18 “Superboy” cartoons. None of these have been released in any official DVD package (though eight episodes were released a decade or so ago on VHS as part of Warner Home Video’s “Super Powers Collection”).

In September 1967, Filmation lengthened the show to an hour, added Aquaman to the mix, and retitled it “The Superman – Aquaman Hour of Adventure”.

There were 16 new six-minute “Superman” cartoons, two of which aired per hour. There were also eight new six-minute “Superboy” cartoons, which again partnered the Boy of Steel with his canine companion Krypto.

The complete season (minus the Superboy segments) was released to DVD in “The New Adventures of Superman – Seasons 2 and 3” in June 2014.

In September 1968, the show was retooled once more and retitled a final time to “The Batman – Superman Hour”. Following the two-part format, “Superman” returned with eight new 12-minute adventures, split into two six-minute parts one and two, respectively.

Superboy and Krypto also returned with eight six-minute segments.

The complete season (minus the Superboy segments) was released to DVD in “The New Adventures of Superman – Seasons 2 and 3” in June 2014.

While the first 18 Superboy episodes remain unreleased, the 1967 and 1968 episodes are now available as part of the DC Universe digital streaming service.

They’re not easy to find though. They’re attached to the “New Adventures of Superman” cartoons (Season 2 and 3).

Source: 13thdimension

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Superman2878
January 1, 2019 9:40 pm

I remember the episode with mighty lad, the fake superhero.

sundevil82
sundevil82
January 2, 2019 12:08 am
Reply to  Superman2878

Yes! I can even hear him say his name in my head right now haha

This one always stuck out and the Superman episode ‘luminians on the loose’

sundevil82
sundevil82
January 2, 2019 12:07 am

I had the VHS’s for all of these, Superman, superboy, Aquaman and Batman… wore them out

Superman2878
January 2, 2019 12:18 am
Reply to  sundevil82

Did they ever mention where mighty lad came from? It’s been so long since I have seen this episode.

sundevil82
sundevil82
January 2, 2019 7:43 am
Reply to  Superman2878

He was of another alien race and pretended to be from krypton I believe

Superman2878
January 2, 2019 12:43 pm
Reply to  sundevil82

Thanks for answering my question sundevil82. I appreciate the explanation for this character’s origin.I always thought that it was a missed opportunity that they didn’t bring him back. They could’ve had him back as an adult in the Superman series. Mighty man perhaps? Maybe an episode where he’s trying to actually be a hero this time so he can make up for past mistakes,but ends up still needing Superman to help him. And at the end of the episode , they’re friends.

sundevil82
sundevil82
January 2, 2019 2:03 pm
Reply to  Superman2878

No prob… They also did a variation of this on the live action Superboy show with ‘Microboy’. Ahhh I miss that show haha

Superman2878
January 2, 2019 3:26 pm
Reply to  sundevil82

I remember that one. He had that lightning bolt at the top of his head and his suit was yellow. He traveled back in time with Superboy because his powers were killing him. At the end of the episode, he met someone who looked exactly like Lana, since he had a huge crush on her.

Nate1986
Nate1986
January 2, 2019 6:58 pm

Will they release this on DVD? I think this is the last of the Filmation stuff, or at least the ones I care about: 60s Superman, Batman, Aquaman, the shorts (Flash, Titans, JLA, etc)

Kal-Ed
January 3, 2019 6:38 am

Aaaahhhhhhhhhh the good old days when we used to rent the VHS and watch those classics. My older brother managed to copy all episodes of various Filmation cartoons to other VHS. Hehehehe good times.

supermilt
supermilt
January 3, 2019 12:47 pm

These cartoons give us another way to enjoy the classic superboy stories.