The 1941 Superman cartoon series is a landmark set of 17 theatrical Technicolor short films produced by Fleischer Studios and released by Paramount Pictures. Renowned for their fluid rotoscoped animation, realistic shadows, and cinematic lighting, animation historians consistently rank them among the greatest animated shorts ever made. Paramount originally budgeted the first short at a massive $50,000, with later episodes costing around $30,000 each (far more than typical cartoons of the era). Directed primarily by Dave Fleischer and produced by Max Fleischer, the series marked Superman's very first appearance in animation.