MovieChat Forums > Superman: The Animated Series (1996) Discussion > The only design issue I have with Superm...

The only design issue I have with Superman here.

posted 9 years ago by SuperCore
3 replies | jump to latest

I'm just doing a rewatch and something that I remember bugging me the first time is bugging me again. Superman's eyes. For one thing I think it's strange they didn't give him the blue eyes like he has in the comics...but I can live with that.

What really bugs me is the lack of sclera (white part of the eyes). That was just such an odd choice to make his eyes just on top of what looks like skin. And what's more annoying is that there are several close up shots where they did add the sclera and let him move his pupils a bit in them. But when it pulls back to wide shot the white in the eyes is gone again.

Just a minor complaint. I wonder why they chose that as their design?

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[–] A-zone 9 years ago

I know what you mean. What I found strange is that they gave Bruce Wayne blue eyes.

"If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving is not for you!"

[–] DarthBill 8 years ago

Yeah I always thought it looked weird that Superman's eyes were just beady little black dots while almost everyone else from Lois Lane to Lex Luthor to even Jimmy Olsen had fully animated eyes. It took some of the emotion out of his face.

Apparently the reason for this is that Superman's character design was patterned on Hercules from "The Mighty Hercules" cartoon of the 1960s. You can see one of the 4+ minute episode segments here -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEHeqz-zbwM

[–] Duragizer 8 years ago

I feel the same way. I don't mind the "dot eyes" when he's Clark -- what with the glasses and all -- but when he's Superman, he should've had fully-defined eyes (preferably blue).

I also wish they had used the red-and-black "S" from the Fleischer cartoons for his costume (but that's another topic for another discussion).

A Superman without trunks isn't worth watching or reading about.