''Superman'' is a 1988 American animated Saturday morning

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...

produced by Ruby-Spears Enterprises for

Warner Bros. Television Warner Bros. Television Studios (operating under the name Warner Bros. Television; formerly known as Warner Bros. Television Division) is an American television production and distribution studio of the Warner Bros. Television Group division of ...

that aired on CBS featuring the

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. ( doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with the ...

superhero of the same name (coinciding with the character's 50th anniversary, along with the live-action ''

Superboy Superboy is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comicbooks published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series featuring ...

'' TV series that year). Veteran

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

writer

Marv Wolfman Marvin Arthur Wolfman (born May 13, 1946) is an American comic book and novelization writer. He worked on Marvel Comics's '' The Tomb of Dracula'', for which he and artist Gene Colan created the vampire-slayer Blade, and DC Comics's ''The New Te ...

was the head

story editor Story editor is a job title in motion picture and television production, also sometimes called "supervising producer". In live action television, a story editor is a member of the screenwriting staff who edits scripts, pitches stories, and report ...

, and comic book artist Gil Kane provided character designs.

Format

The series was the third animated Superman series (after the

Filmation Filmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation and live-action programming for television from 1963 until 1989. Located in Reseda, California, the animation studio was founded in 1962. Filmation's founders and ...

-produced '' The New Adventures of Superman''). While its characterization was in keeping with previous licensed incarnations of Superman characters (e.g. Superman had powers from infancy, Superman had an indestructible cape, and Lex Luthor referred to himself as a "criminal scientist") the series was notable for introducing Marv Wolfman's conception of

Lex Luthor Alexander Joseph "Lex" Luthor () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Lex Luthor originally appeared in ''Action Comics'' #23 (cover dated: April ...

into animation. In the first episode, Luthor was portrayed as a billionaire possessing a ring fashioned with a

kryptonite Kryptonite is a fictional material that appears primarily in Superman stories published by DC Comics. In its best-known form, it is a green, crystalline material originating from Superman's home world of Krypton that emits a unique, poisonous r ...

stone, which he used to keep Superman from apprehending him. Wolfman blended characteristics of his recent comic-book revamp of Luthor with

Gene Hackman Eugene Allen Hackman (born January 30, 1930) is an American retired actor and former novelist. In a career that has spanned more than six decades, Hackman has won two Academy Awards, four Golden Globes, one Screen Actors Guild Award, two BAFTAs ...

's portrayal of the character in live-action films. Other characters included Cybron (a time traveling conqueror composed of energy) and an appearance by

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byrne, are credited as bein ...

, in her first non-print appearance since the final season of ''

Super Friends ''Super Friends'' is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes, which ran from 1973 to 1985 on ABC as part of its Saturday-morning cartoon lineup. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera and was based on the Justice League of ...

''. Classic characters included

Jimmy Olsen Jimmy Olsen is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Olsen is most often portrayed as a young photojournalist working for the '' Daily Planet''. He is close friends with Lois Lane and Clark Kent, and ha ...

bow-tie The bow tie is a type of necktie. A modern bow tie is tied using a common shoelace knot, which is also called the bow knot for that reason. It consists of a ribbon of fabric tied around the collar of a shirt in a symmetrical manner so that t ...

d in appearance, and

Perry White Perry White is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the editor-in-chief of the Metropolis newspaper the ''Daily Planet''. The character maintains very high ethical and journalistic standards and ...

Lois Lane Lois Lane is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in ''Action Comics'' #1 (June 1938). Lois is an award-winning journalist for ...

maintained her identity as an assertive woman with initiative, both in style and business attitude, although her dress and hairstyle were more reflective of the 1980s. A new character to the series, inspired by Miss Tessmacher of the live-action Superman movie from 1978, was Jessica Morganberry who appeared to be the ditzy blonde live-in girlfriend of Lex Luthor with whom he fully confided his schemes. Superman/Clark Kent was voiced by

Beau Weaver Beau Weaver (born January 19, 1952) is an American voice actor in television and film, heard widely in trailers for feature films, network television promos, documentaries, national radio and television commercials and cartoons. Career Weaver ...

, who would later go on to voice

Mister Fantastic Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards) is a superhero character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member, and the leader, of the Fantastic Four. Richards has a mastery of mechanical, aerospace and ...

in the 1994 Marvel animated series ''

Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in ''The Fantastic Four'' #1 (cover dated Nov. 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism in the medium. It was the first s ...

''.

The "Superman Family Album"

The final four minutes of each Superman episode were devoted to a brief snapshot from the "Superman Family Album". In addition to "super-baby" misadventures in the early episodes, the segments featured rites of passage such as Clark Kent's first day at school, an overnight

scouting Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth Social movement, movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hik ...

campout, getting a driver's license, his first date, graduation from high school, and ultimately his premiere as Superman. The initial idea for the segments was proposed by Judy Price, then head of the CBS Kids division.

Cast

–

Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book '' Action Comics'' #1 ( cover-dated June 1938 and pu ...

/Kal-El/Clark Kent *

Ginny McSwain Ginny McSwain is an American voice actress, voice casting director, and animation production professional from Los Angeles, CA. Life and career McSwain graduated from Stephens College in 1974, before moving to Los Angeles. She has worked as cas ...

–

, Jenet Klyburn (in "Fugitive from Space"), Ursa (in "The Hunter"), Faora (in "The Hunter") * Michael Bell –

, Patron (in "Superman and Wonder Woman vs. the Sorceress of Time") *

Tress MacNeille Teressa Claire MacNeille (née Payne; born June 20, 1951) is an American voice actress, whose credits include voicing Dot Warner on the animated television series '' Animaniacs'', Babs Bunny on ''Tiny Toon Adventures'', Chip and Gadget Hackwrenc ...

–

Martha Kent Jonathan Kent and Martha Kent, often referred to as "Pa" and "Ma" Kent (respectively), are fictional characters in American comic books published by DC Comics. They are the adoptive parents of Superman. They live in the rural town of Smallville, ...

Alan Oppenheimer Alan Oppenheimer (born April 23, 1930) is an American actor. He has performed numerous roles on live action television since the 1960s, and he has had an active career doing voice work since the 1970s. Early life Oppenheimer was born in New Yor ...

– Jonathan Kent * Stanley Ralph Ross –

, Starrok *

Lynne Marie Stewart Lynne Marie Stewart (born December 14, 1946) is an American actress, best known for her performance as Miss Yvonne, the Most Beautiful Woman in Puppet Land. She originated the role in the 1981 stage show ''The Pee-wee Herman Show'', continuing it ...

– Jessica Morganberry, Young

Clark Kent Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book '' Action Comics'' #1 ( cover-dated June 1938 and pu ...

* Mark Taylor –

Bill Woodson William T. Woodson (July 16, 1917 – February 22, 2017) was an American film, stage, radio and voice actor, best known for his narration of the radio series '' This is Your FBI'', the animated series ''Super Friends'' and all its spin-offs, and ...

– Opening Narration

Additional voices

Jack Angel Jack Angel (October 24, 1930 – October 18, 2021) was an American voice actor, comedian, and radio personality. He provided voice-overs for animation and video games. Angel had voiced characters in shows by Hasbro and Hanna-Barbera such as '' S ...

– General Hawkins (in "Cybron Strikes") * René Auberjonois –

General Zod General Zod is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly known as an adversary of the superhero Superman. The character, who first appeared in ''Adventure Comics'' #283 (April 1961), was created by Rob ...

(in "The Hunter") * Brandon Bluhm – Scout Kid (in "Overnight with the Scouts") * Don Bovinglough – Coach (in "To Play or Not to Play") * P.L. Brown – (in "Night of the Living Shadows") *

William Callaway William Ronald Callaway (born March 11, 1940) is an American retired voice actor. He is also known as Bill Callaway and Bill Calloway. He is known for playing Aquaman in ''Super Friends''. Filmography Animated roles * ''Aladdin'' - Zarasto * '' ...

– Defendroids (in "Destroy the Defendroids"), (in "The Last Time I Saw Earth") *

Joey Camen Joey Camen (born January 16, 1957) is an American voice actor, comedian and writer who has performed voice over work in various movies, TV shows and video games. Early life Camen is of Russian and Romanian Jewish ancestry. His father, Hyman C ...

– Short Henchman (in "Triple-Play") *

Darleen Carr Darleen Carr (born Darlene Farnon) is an American actress, singer, and voice-over artist. She is also known as Darlene Carr or Darleen Drake. She has two sisters, both actresses ( Shannon Farnon and Charmian Carr). Early years Carr was born i ...

– *

Pat Carroll Patricia Ann Carroll (May 5, 1927 – July 30, 2022) was an American actress and comedian. She was known for voicing Ursula in '' The Little Mermaid'' and for appearances in CBS's ''The Danny Thomas Show'', ABC's '' Laverne & Shirley'', and ...

– Queen Hippolyta (in "Superman and Wonder Woman vs. the Sorceress of Time") *

Nancy Cartwright Nancy Cartwright (born October 25, 1957) is an American actress. She is the long-time voice of Bart Simpson on the animated television series ''The Simpsons'', for which she has received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Perform ...

– Melissa (in "At the Babysitter's") *

Cathy Cavadini Catherine Janet Cavadini is an American voice actress. She is most well known as the original voice of Blossom on Cartoon Network's animated television series ''The Powerpuff Girls'', and as and Tanya Mousekewitz in '' An American Tail: Fieve ...

– Barbara (in "Bonechill"), Co-Ed (in "The Driver's License"), Maria (in "The Driver's License") *

Townsend Coleman Townsend Coleman is an American voice actor who has performed in many animated series and TV commercials beginning in the early 1980s. Among his most notable roles are Michaelangelo from ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'', Wayne Gretzky on '' ProSta ...

– Teenage

, Ted Kline *

Christopher Collins Christopher Charles Collins (born Christopher Lawrence Latta; August 30, 1949 – June 12, 1994) was an American actor and stand-up comedian. He is best known as the voice of Cobra Commander in the '' G.I. Joe'' animated series and Starscream ...

–

Minotaur In Greek mythology, the Minotaur ( , ;. grc, ; in Latin as ''Minotaurus'' ) is a mythical creature portrayed during classical antiquity with the head and tail of a bull and the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, a being "p ...

(in "Superman and Wonder Woman vs. the Sorceress of Time"),

Cyclops In Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, the Cyclopes ( ; el, Κύκλωπες, ''Kýklōpes'', "Circle-eyes" or "Round-eyes"; singular Cyclops ; , ''Kýklōps'') are giant one-eyed creatures. Three groups of Cyclopes can be distinguish ...

(in "Superman and Wonder Woman vs. the Sorceress of Time") *

Danny Cooksey Daniel Ray Allen Cooksey Jr. (born November 2, 1975) is an American actor and musician. He is best known for his roles in television shows, such as ''Diff'rent Strokes'' (during the final three seasons), '' The Cavanaughs'', '' Xiaolin Showdown' ...

– George (in "The First Day of School") *

Peter Cullen Peter Claver Cullen (born July 28, 1941) is a Canadian voice actor. He is best known as the voice of Optimus Prime in the original 1980s ''Transformers'' animated series, reprising the role many times since 2007. He has also voiced many other ...

– The Hunter (in "The Hunter") *

Keene Curtis Keene Holbrook Curtis (February 15, 1923 – October 13, 2002) was an American character actor. Early life Curtis was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Polley Francella (née Holbrook), a teacher, and Ira Charles Curtis, a railway and civil s ...

– Bonechill/Chilton Bone (in "Bonechill") * Gabriel Damon – (in "Superman and Wonder Woman vs. the Sorceress of Time"), Jessik (in "The Last Time I Saw Earth") * Victor DiMattia (in "The First Day At School" and "Overnight with the Scouts") * Shawn Donahue – *

Jeff Doucette Jeffrey Doucette (born November 25, 1947) is an American character actor. Growing up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, he was the second of eight children born to Elizabeth (Betty Andres) and William (Bill) Doucette. Jeffrey attended Marquette Universit ...

– Sideshow Barker (in "The Circus") * Jeannie Elias – Mrs. Murphy (in "The Supermarket") *

Ron Feinberg Ronald Aaron Feinberg (October 10, 1932 – January 29, 2005) was an American character and voice actor who appeared in films and on television. Career At 6' 7", the towering Feinberg played the character Fellini, opposite Don Johnson, in the ...

– (in "Night of the Living Shadows", "The Last Time I Saw Earth") * Ben Ryan Ganger – Scout Kid (in "Overnight with the Scouts") *

Linda Gary Linda Gary (born Linda Gary Dewoskin, November 4, 1944 – October 5, 1995) was an American actress. Career Live-action appearances Gary worked as a voice-over artist in animation and also appeared in two live-action films, 1977's ''Joyride T ...

– (in "Graduation") * Liz Georges – Teenage

Lana Lang Lana Lang is a fictional supporting character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She has appeared in other media adaptations of Superman, typically as a teenager. These portrayals include the ''Superboy (TV series), Advent ...

Ellen Gerstell Ellen Gerstell (born October 16, 1954) is an American voice actress. She is most known for providing the voice of Rapture in '' Jem'' and Mihoshi Kuramitsu in the ''Tenchi Muyo!'' franchise. She is the wife of the late Emmy Award-winning writer ...

– Madame Nikua (in "By the Skin of the Dragon's Teeth") *

Ed Gilbert Edmund Francis Gilbert (June 29, 1931 – May 8, 1999) was an American actor, with extensive credits in both live-action roles and voice work in animation, although he was better known for the latter. He is also credited, under his birth name (E ...

– Shuttle Captain (in ""The Last Time I Saw Earth") *

Dan Gilvezan Daniel John Gilvezan (born October 26, 1950) is an American actor, known for playing Peter Parker / Spider-Man in the 1981 animated series, '' Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends'' and Bumblebee in the original 1984-1987 '' The Transformers'' ser ...

– Dr. Morpheus (in "The Beast Beneath These Streets") *

Barry Gordon Barry Gordon (born December 21, 1948) is an American actor and political talk show host. He was the longest-serving president of the Screen Actors Guild, having served from 1988 to 1995. He is perhaps best known as the original voice of Donatello ...

– (in "The Driver's License") * Patrick Gorman – Ship Computer (in "Fugitive from Space") * Edan Gross – Scout Kid (in "Overnight with the Scouts") * Kenneth Hartman – * Darryl Hickman – (in "The Last Time I Saw Earth") * Jerry Houser – (in "To Play or Not to Play") * Dennis Howard – (in "Wildsharkk") * Erv Immerman – (in "Night of the Living Shadows") * Danny Mann – (in "Bonechill") *

Kellie Martin Kellie Martin (born October 16, 1975) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Rebecca "Becca" Thatcher in '' Life Goes On'' (1989–1993), Lucy Knight on '' ER'' (1998–2000), Samantha Kinsey in the '' Mystery Woman'' TV film seri ...

– Young Lana Lang (in "The Birthday Party") * Ron Masak – (in "Wildsharkk") * Mary McDonald-Lewis –

(in "Superman and Wonder Woman vs. the Sorceress of Time") * Cindy McGee – (in "Graduation") *

Howard Morris Howard Jerome Morris (September 4, 1919 – May 21, 2005) was an American actor, comedian, and director. He was best known for his role in ''The Andy Griffith Show'' as Ernest T. Bass, and as "Uncle Goopy" in a celebrated comedy sketch on Sid Ca ...

– Prankster/Oswald Loomis (in "Triple-Play") *

Ron Palillo Ronald Gabriel Palillo (April 2, 1949 – August 14, 2012) was an American actor and teacher. He was best known for his role as the endearingly dim-witted character Arnold Horshack on the ABC sitcom ''Welcome Back, Kotter'' (1975–1979). Ear ...

– (in "Night of the Living Shadows") *

Diane Pershing Diane Pershing (born May 27, 1943) is an American voice actress. She began her singing career as a back-up singer for Johnny Mathis and went on to appear in the show group, The Establishment, on tour and on TV. She also voiced Poison Ivy in the ...

– Anne White (in "Wildsharkk") * Pat Pinney – Scout Leader (in "Overnight with the Scouts") *

Henry Polic II Henry Albert Polic II (February 20, 1945 – August 11, 2013) was an American stage, screen, and voice actor, best known as Jerry Silver on '' Webster''. He earned his Master of Fine Arts degree from Florida State University and later served in ...

– Captain Wildsharkk (in "Wildsharkk") *

Hal Rayle Hal Rayle (born January 4, 1955) is an American voice actor. He has done many roles for both animated series and live action movies. Career Rayle has had a number of voice acting jobs over his career. Rayle's animated series roles include Miss Pi ...

– (in "The Big Scoop", "The Last Time I Saw Earth") * Kathy Ritter – (in "Bonechill") * Jennifer Roach – *

Stu Rosen Stuart M. Rosen (June 26, 1939 – August 4, 2019) was an American voice director and voice actor. History Shortly after graduating from California State College, Long Beach, Rosen got work as a production assistant at KCET. He wrote and starr ...

– Catcher Henchman (in "Triple-Play") *

Neil Ross Neil David Ross is a British-American voice actor and announcer. Noted for his Trans-Atlantic accent, he has provided voices in many American cartoons, most notably ''Voltron'', '' G.I. Joe'', and ''Transformers'', as well as video games, incl ...

– S.T.A.R. Labs Security Guard (in "Fugitive from Space") *

Will Ryan William Frank Ryan (May 21, 1949 – November 19, 2021) was an American voice actor, musician and singer. He provided the voice of Petrie in the 1988 animated film ''The Land Before Time''. He was also known for his voice work as Eugene Meltsner ...

– Conroy (in "The Adoption") *

Susan Silo Susan Silo (born July 27, 1942) is an American actress who is known for her work in voice-over roles. Early life Susan Silo was born in New York City. Both her parents were actors. Career Her acting career started in television on the episo ...

– Xelandra (in "Fugitive from Space") * John Stephenson – Driving Instructor (in "The Driver's License") *

Carl Steven Carlo Steven Krakoff (November 7, 1974 – July 31, 2011), professionally known as Carl Steven, was an American child actor. He was best known for his roles in '' Out of This World'' and '' Weird Science''. He played as a young Spock in '' Star ...

– *

– (in "The Big Scoop", "Graduation") * Andre Stojka – Professor Gerber (in "Bonechill"), Bowling Alley Manager (in "Bonechill") *

Cree Summer Cree Summer Francks (born July 7, 1969) is a American-Canadian actress and singer. She has worked extensively in animation, voicing long-running characters such as Susie Carmichael in '' Rugrats'' and Elmyra Duff in ''Tiny Toon Adventures'' and ...

– Barbara (in "Bonechill"), Astronaut (in "The Last Time I Saw Earth") * Eric Suter – (in "Bonechill") *

Russi Taylor Russi Taylor (May 4, 1944 – July 26, 2019) was an American voice actress. She is best remembered as the official voice of Minnie Mouse from 1986 to 2019, and was notably married to voice actor Wayne Allwine, the voice of Mickey Mouse, until h ...

– Young

(in "The First Day of School") * B.J. Ward – Syrene (in "Superman and Wonder Woman vs. the Sorceress of Time") *

Frank Welker Franklin Wendell Welker (born March 12, 1946) is an American voice actor. He began his career in the 1960s, and holds over 860 film, television, and video game credits as of 2022, making him one of the most prolific voice actors of all time. With ...

– Cybron (in "Cybron Strikes") * Tom Williams – Judge Cook (in "Triple-Play") * Stan Wojno – Fat Henchman (in "Triple-Play") *

Patric Zimmerman Patric Laine Zimmerman (born October 10, 1954 in Los Angeles, California) is a retired American voice actor. Career Due to Daws Butler's death in 1988, he voiced Elroy Jetson in the 1990 film '' Jetsons: The Movie''. He also did the voices of A ...

– (in "Bonechill")

Crew

– Voice Director * Lynne Batchelor – Talent Coordinator

Ties to other Superman adaptations

The series is also of note due to its use of re-orchestrated versions of

John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (15 November 2022)Classic Connection review '' WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who w ...

' classic themes from

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd government). * January 6 ...

's '' Superman: The Movie'', as well as an opening sequence that delivered the same narration as the 1950s '' Adventures of Superman'' television series (but by the narrator from ''

'').

Home media

Warner Home Video Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc. (formerly known as Warner Home Video and WCI Home Video and sometimes credited as Warner Home Entertainment) is the home video distribution division of Warner Bros. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Vide ...

and Warner Bros. Family Entertainment released the series as a 2-disc set on November 3, 2009.

Episodes

References

External links

* . * . * Superman Homepage �
episode guide
an
screenshots
{{DC Comics animated TV series 1988 American television series debuts 1988 American television series endings 1980s American science fiction television series Animated Superman television series 1980s American animated television series CBS original programming Ruby-Spears superheroes Animated television shows based on DC Comics Television series by Ruby-Spears Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios Television series set in 1988 Television series set in the 4th millennium English-language television shows American children's animated action television series American children's animated adventure television series American children's animated science fantasy television series American children's animated superhero television series