I’m hoping to direct the attention of some fans to these images. They compare frames from the old SD and the new HD versions of the classic Fleischer Superman cartoon, “The Mechanical Monsters”, as released by Warner. Color differences aside, you will note there is significant cropping in the DVD release, as shown on the left.
Submitted for your consideration, if not approval.
Original Cel (With Additional Elements)
The 2009 DVD That’s Considered “Good”
The 2023 Blu-ray That’s Considered “Terrible”
2009 is on the left, and 2023 is on the right. I admit the background in the HD version looks smeared and soft by comparison.
I submitted some images to Jerry Beck’s Cartoon Research group on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/161346744015168
They compare original cel materials with frames from a DVD of the Fleischer/Famous Superman cartoons. The post hasn’t been approved, and I have my doubts that it will be. I previously gave the Max Fleischer Superman Blu-ray from Warner Brothers a favorable review, despite the Archive Collection team being taken off of the project for reasons I don’t know.
The reviews by hardcore fans have been scathing, with the consensus being that, for all its faults, the 2009 Warner DVD is vastly better and truer to the original cartoons. Comparisons between images from the raw HD transfers and the restoration work that was done on them for the Blu-ray release can be seen here.
https://bluray.highdefdigest.com/115440/maxfleischerssuperman.html
The guy who produced this video review goes so far down the proverbial rabbit hole, he’s beyond all reasonable hope of returning.
Here are the images I submitted. My idea is, if the old DVD is preferred over the Blu-ray, how does it compare to the original cels? There aren’t many still in existence, and with an acknowledgment that the paint on the underside of the cels may be faded, they look nothing at all like the colors as presented on the DVD.
My point about the Blu-ray image quality is that it gives an inkling of how the cartoons might have looked if it had been possible to scan the original cels digitally, rather than being photographed in Technicolor. The Technicolor process requires combining three strips of film, one for each primary color, with each layer having its own grain. The Fleischer/Famous Superman cartoons have always seemed especially grainy, compared to other Technicolor cartoons. Not too bad in SD DVD, but revealing to the point of distraction in HD Blu-ray. I’d compare it to the dust that plagued the layers of glass on Disney’s multi-plane camera. Technicolor’s color saturation is appealing, but it can also go too far, along with changes in contrast.
The mastering software used on the Fleischer Superman Blu-ray set has removed Technicolor’s triple-layer grain and subdued some of the candy-coated colors. For better or for worse, the cartoons look nothing like they do in any of the previous releases. This is what makes the latest set interesting to me. There’s a happy outcome yet to be realized, and I agree with the majority opinion in wanting to see the raw transfers done over once again, but this time supervised by Jerry Beck and the Warner Archive Collection team.
Is this a celebration of Black culture, or is it racist?
This is one young person’s opinion of the cartoon.
Toon In with Me deserves attention and praise for multiple reasons. The show appeals to kids and adult animation fans alike. Although most of the cartoons are from Warner, Fleischer, and MGM, they dig fairly deep into those catalogs. Obviously offensive titles are avoided, so you won’t see “Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips”.
New viewers will quickly learn the names Tex Avery, Bob Clampett, and Chuck Jones. Helpful historical context is provided for cartoons that go as far back as the 1930’s. Each episode of Toon In has a theme, and there are plenty of hokey comedy bits between the cartoons. All that’s missing is a studio audience.
“By Word of Mouse” is a Warner Brothers cartoon I watched as a kid. Perhaps it had more of an influence on me than I realized, beyond Hawley Pratt being the layout artist.
https://pinkpanther.fandom.com/wiki/Hawley_Pratt
This video cuts out part of the cartoon in an attempt to keep YouTube from deleting it.
This video includes the parts about Microeconomics that are missing. The 1950’s emphasis on mass production and consumption doesn’t mention the corollary, planned obsolescence.
