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James R. Rich at DVDTalk on Max Fleischer's Superman 1941-1942.

Are the quality of these shorts any different from the ones in the Superman anthology set?

They appear to be exactly the same.

Rich talks about waiting for this set since he got a DVD player. There was a legit 2-volume set about 10 years ago that was substantially restored - I bought it. There is also a dollar store rip of it that puts the whole thing on a single disc for a buck.

I'd love to know just how much improved this current collection is.

Same shit.

I work at a video store and I checked both copies. Also, these are public domain cartoons, so there appears to be very little incentive to spend more than needed.

Something tells me Warner Bros/DC Comics might disagree about the PD status ... which is undoubtedly why they've released this set. It's likely an attempt to re-establish ownership.
I wish I could recall which label issued the discs back in the late 1990s ...

I was going off Wiki...I have to say, the packaging shows some effort, so it's not completely worthless. I can't say the same for the contents. The cartoons are rather dull after you see one, however the animation is gorgeous.

HarryLong wrote:Something tells me Warner Bros/DC Comics might disagree about the PD status ... which is undoubtedly why they've released this set. It's likely an attempt to re-establish ownership.
I wish I could recall which label issued the discs back in the late 1990s ...

Some of the cartoons may be public domain, but Warner seems to have and own the best prints for all of them. It must be a similar situation to the Looney Tunes cartoons that are PD.

It seems as though they can't fully be public domain, since they're derivative works based on a character still in copyright. Same situation as "It's A Wonderful Life"- the actual film is in the public domain but you can't just show it or release it since the short story it's based on is still under copyright.
Then again, the fact remains that there are many versions out on DVD, and one would think a 700 pound gorilla like Warner would be much more litigious about one of their iconic characters if they had the legal standing to do so.

The copyright for Superman has been "under review" for a long time now, with Siegel and Schuster's estates challenging WB in court -- last year the heirs were awarded the copyright to Action Comics #1, which could potentially give them control of the entire character. WB has appealed, of course, but it wouldn't be easy to win an infringement case when their ownership of the copyright is subject of an outstanding lawsuit. Maybe that's why WB is looking the other way for the time being.

What I'm really saying here is that this is a great time to do that Superman/Johnny Wadd crossover you've always dreamed of.

Too bad Johnny Wadd shuffled off that ole mortal coil some years ago. Just a look at him in tights & you'd know why he was called Superman ...
>last year the heirs were awarded the copyright to Action Comics #1, which could potentially give them control of the entire character
I knew of the ongoing litigation, I hadn't heard of that development somehow.
Messy. Messy. Messy.

HarryLong wrote:Something tells me Warner Bros/DC Comics might disagree about the PD status ... which is undoubtedly why they've released this set. It's likely an attempt to re-establish ownership.
I wish I could recall which label issued the discs back in the late 1990s ...

My set, bought in 2001, was from Image Entertainment. Great copies of all 17 cartoons.

Thanks Vic. If it was in 2 volumes that's the one I half bought from good old Columbia House (it was damn near impossible to find DVDs in or close to my town back in those days). And then I found the Dollar Store version with all of the toons fer a buck...