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The 1940s Superman cartoons by the Fleischer Studios are being released in a complete 2-disc DVD set on April 7th.

The set will contain all 17 cartoons from 1941 to 1943, including the latter propaganda pieces like “The Japoteurs.” It will include two special features — a new featurette entitled “The Man, The Myth, Superman,” along with a re-used featurette (from the Superman II disc) entitled “First Flight: The Fleischer Superman Series”.

These cartoons are in the public domain, and available all over the place — including for free on the internet. But, I think I’ll be picking this up anyway, simply because this authorized edition is taken from the original master prints. I love the design of these cartoons, bordering between art deco, superhero and pulp.

The black-background emblem is a favorite of mine as well — forming the basis of my favorite interpretation of the character, Alex Ross’ ‘Kingdom Come’ version.

Sci-Fi Channel is rebranding itself as “SyFy.”

Except that they didn’t realize that “syfy” in Polish refers to a venereal disease. John Scalzi opines about this, and re-branding via marketing buzzwords in general, here. Well worth your time.

• Finally managed to kick the illness that had me dragging for the past week or so. Now, back to work — behind-schedule projects are stacking up. MARS (Savage Worlds edition) is out this week. Also need to get back to regular fiction output.
• MLS season kicks off (no pun intended) this coming weekend. KC’s home opener is against Toronto F.C. — and I are holding off until Wednesday before making an attendance decision (we figure the weather forecast will be settled by then — last year, we froze our asses off, and would prefer to avoid that).
• I have good friends. Thanks to the efforts of and his Disney-Fu, I know have a copy of the sold-out, extremely-limited-run Dr. Syn, Alias The Scarecrow collector’s DVD, for which I am very grateful…. and thanks to the globetrotting business trips of , I now have the India-only Modesty Blaise retro-revival series headed to me. I bounce with unrestrained fanboy glee. Seriously. It’s not pretty.
• Whim of the moment: Is it worth considering moving from current digs to downtown KC in order to get at least *something* of an urban fix, while still staying within the ass-cheap midwestern cost of living? There are some very nice lofts and such….