ReFrederator Blog

We put the plug in Underwater Week with today’s final installment, “Electric Earthquake” starring not a bird, nor a plane but, you guessed it, the amazing stranger from the planet Krypton, Superman. This time the big guy has to rescue our girl Lois from a watery fate, and spends most of his screen time submerged. For the first time this week, animated fish do not play a major role, but there are some serpentine electrical cables making a lively cameo.

Director Dave Fleischer and his writers seemed to knock themselves out trying to make every new mad scientist in this series a distinct and interesting character. The technologically advanced extortionist this time around is a very dignified Native American, uniquely civil as cartoon villains go. Modern audiences are bound to be more than a little sympathetic when he lays out his grievances against the current occupants of Manhattan Island, but, of course, he does demand the authorities turn the whole damn city over to him personally, or bingo — he explodes the bejeebers out of everything. Key components here are water and electricity, so you can bet the effects animators were stacking up the overtime hours back in 1942 when this classic was first released.

Monday it’s work! Work! Work! Our Occupational Hazard Week kicks off with a bang, so set your alarm clocks early, and be ready to punch on time! ReFrederator, the world’s first daily cartoon podcast.

Dave Kirwan