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Filmation DC 1966 Cartoon DVD MenuGreen Lantern Menu from DC Heroes DVD

In 1966, Filmation successfully launched The New Adventures of Superman cartoon. It’s success led to a number of spin-off shorts and series. Between 1967 and 1969, Filmation produced a series of 18 shorts featuring The Atom, The Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, the Justice League, and the Teen Titans.

Growing up, I remember seeing these on the Bozo show and years later when they began running on Cartoon Network’s Boomerang in between shows I began recording them. A few episodes were recorded off of S-VHS tapes from a friend and cleaned up and enhanced. All in all, it’s a great looking set. Here’s hoping that Warner will release this series on DVD with extras similar to the New Adventures of Superman and the Adventures of Aquaman sets.


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It looks like the original 1966 New Adventures of Superman and Batman cartoons from Filmation will finally be coming to DVD, according to Warner Brothers animation writer Earl Kress.

At the end of a post detailing release plans for more old-school Hanah Barbera animation, Kress drops the following dates:

6/26/07: The New Adventures of Batman
The New Adventures of Superman

Those have not been “officially” announced by WB, so I wouldn’t call it 100%, but it’s a good sign. I would hope that the Batman series they are referring to is the Batman with Robin the Boy Wonder. It’s the one that was paired with the New Adventures of Superman in 1969 when they originally aired together as the Batman / Superman Hour on CBS.

The New Adventures of Batman was the series produced by Filmation in 1977. It’s the one I remember watching as a kid. It aired as part of the Super 7 block that featured Tarzan, Freedom Force, Jason of Star Command, Manta and Moray, Superstretch and Microwoman, and Web Woman. Freedom Force is out on DVD now and Jason of Star Command will be released in May.

These shows are the reason I started making my own DVDs a few years ago and I’m excited to see them finally get the actual release they deserve. If there is one area that DC dominates Marvel in, it’s tv/animation/DVD. With Superman and Batman coming, I hope they follow up with: Adventures of Superboy, the DC Heroes shorts, Aquaman, the 1988 Superman cartoon and the other Batman series (whichever one doesn’t get released). I haven’t completed (actually-just barely started) my Superman set, so it will save me some work.

Kress also states four more of my favorite cartoons will be released on July 17.

On July 17, Warner Home Video will release them in their original configuration as Space Ghost and Dino Boy and Birdman and the Galaxy Trio.

He also teases that a release of the Banana Splits Adventure Hour is pending as well.