"The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure" (1967) TV series 1967-1968

Writers:

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

9 September 1967 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Family | Animation

Plot:

The animated adventures of several DC Comics superheroes.

Plot Keywords:

DC Comics | Superman | Superhero | Green Lantern | Hawkman

Cast

Paul Frees

...

Evil Star / ... (2 episodes, 1967)

Runtime:

60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Filmation Associates

Trivia:

The Teen Titans line up was Kid Flash, Aqualad, Speedy and Wonder Girl. Notably absent was Robin. This was because Robin was appearing in a different animated series at the time, so they could not use the character. Whenever the Titans contacted each other on screen at the beginning of the episode, each character would appear on separate monitors. There was one monitor that was usually blank, presumably this would have been where Robin's image would appear.

Goofs:

Continuity: Green Lantern normally wears his power ring on his right hand, but in several shots he is firing the ring from his left hand.

Quotes:

Aquaman: Need help to put it out, First I must slow it down.

Movie Connections:

Version of Justice League: The New Frontier (2008) (V)

A Great Cartoon Show

The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure was my original introduction to the DC Universe beyond Superman and Batman and motivated me into loving comic book heroes to this day. Although the animation quality is considered crappy by today's standards, it will always have a special place in my heart.

I would like to point out some issue a few people have raised about the cartoons and why they were made the way they were.

Green Lantern - the main reason they used some alien kid instead of Hal Jordan's Eskimo buddy in the comics is because these cartoons were made at the height of the civil rights movement at a time when being friends with a non white still made a few people uncomfortable. The television executives at the time had to worry about the stations in the southern states refusing to air their programming over race.

Robin - Why he wasn't leading the Titans in their cartoon segment? Simple. The live action Adam West show was still in production and right in the middle of its original network run at the time these cartoons were made. The rights to the Robin character were still tied up with that show so Filmation couldn't include him. It was after the live action series ended when Filmation got the rights and produced the Batman cartoon show the following season.

Wonder Woman - The television execs were sexist pure and simple. A cartoon about a woman kicking butt didn't sit too well with them (these guys weren't happy campers about Honey West and The Avenger's Emma Peel).

Despite these issues, The S/A Hour of Adventure will always remain one of my all time favorite childhood shows.