24 Hours of Superman on Boomerang

Celebrating the theatrical release of “Superman Returns,” Boomerang will be airing 24 hours of Superman animation starting at 6 AM on Saturday June 24.
Episodes from Superman The Animated Series, Justice League, and even Batman Beyond will be showcased during the television event, just a few days before the June 29 opening of the new Bryan Singer directed movie.

Press release follows.

Boomerang Celebrates Superman Returns Premiere with SUPERMAN SATURDAY, 24-Hour Marathon Airing June 24

All-Animated Tribute to DC Comics’ Man of Steel to Run Commercial-Free 6 a.m.-6 a.m.

In high anticipation of the upcoming worldwide premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures’ Superman Returns on June 30, Boomerang, Cartoon Network’s 24-hour commercial free network showcasing classic cartoons, will treat viewers to a 24-hour marathon of the “Man of Steel” in his best animated form. On June 24, starting at 6 a.m., Boomerang will present SUPERMAN SATURDAY, a non-stop showcase of favorite episodes from Superman, Justice League and Batman Beyond, each of which were produced by the renowned Warner Bros. animation director, Bruce Timm.

SUPERMAN SATURDAY will spotlight action-packed episodes hand-picked by Boomerang programmers to reveal the many talents and facets of the fabled DC Comics Superman character. Bursting onto the world in the 1938 Action Comics #1, our young hero was introduced as an orphan from the dying planet, Krypton, sent to live here on Earth. Endowed with super-human strength and other amazing abilities, he now resides in the city of Metropolis, disguised as mild-mannered reporter for The Daily Planet, Clark Kent. However, when danger arises in the form of sinister emergencies caused by villains such as Lex Luthor, Braniac or Cybron, he quickly reveals himself as the defender of truth, justice and the American
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“Superman is the ultimate comic book hero,” said Marc Buhaj, Cartoon Network and Boomerang vice president of programming and scheduling. “He was created at a time when much of the world was suffering from the rise of totalitarian governments and the effects of the Great Depression. As a defender of the innocent and the powerless, Superman became a global icon. His story and resulting adventures have been depicted repeatedly over the years in comics, in motion pictures, on live series television and, of course, in animation. We’re thrilled that we can celebrate the newest Superman feature film project with a salute to the very best of the award-winning animated series produced by Bruce Timm.”

A lifelong Superman fan, Bruce Timm practically grew up with a pen and sketch pad in hand. A completely self-taught artist, he joined Warner Bros. Television Animation in 1989 as a storyboard artist and character designer. Later he was promoted to serve as a producer for Batman: The Animated Series, and later served to create Superman, which premiered in September 1996. In 1999, he went on to produce Batman Beyond, and in 2001, he led the Warner Bros. creative team that produced Justice League for Cartoon Network. Following is a description of each spotlighted series:

* Superman (1996-2000): Created for the WB Network, Superman employs the Man of Steel to keep the streets of Metropolis safe from classic comic-book villains such as Parasite, Lex Luthor, Braniac, the Toyman and a whole new gang of baddies, among them Superman’s evil clone, Bizarro. The usual cast of characters from the DC Comic book are featured: Daily Planet editor Perry White, reporter Lois Lane and pal Jimmy Olsen, as well as a new character, Angela Chen, star gossip columnist and host of the Metropolis Today TV show.

* Batman Beyond (1999-2001): Twenty years after Bruce Wayne (a.k.a Batman) has officially retired from his crime-fighting role, his secret is discovered by troubled teen Terry McGinnis. After McGinnis’ father is murdered by the man who took over Bruce Wayne’s company, McGinnis dons a high-tech Bat suit that Wayne last used, creating a new hero for a future Gotham City. Bruce Wayne decides to make Terry the new Batman and train him in the use of the ultimate new Batsuit. (Superman makes two guest appearances in Batman Beyond.)

* Justice League (2001-2004): Bringing together characters that haven’t been seen on television since The Super Friends (1973-85), this new DC Comics animated series enlists the world’s greatest superheroes as a united team to battle an evil alliance of villains, supernatural creatures and malevolent alien forces determined to usurp authority over the world. The new Justice League consists of seven all-time favorite superheroes-Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Hawkgirl and Martian Manhunter. The Justice League has existed in some form since 1940 when DC Comics’ All-Star Comics introduced the first-ever group of superheroes in a comic book series entitled “Justice Society of America,” which ran until 1951. DC Comics revived the concept in March 1960, renaming it the “Justice League of America.”

Boomerang is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.’s (TBS, Inc.) 24-hour cable/satellite network offering the best in classic animated entertainment. In partnership with Cartoon Network, the service boasts 75 percent unduplicated programming and is available to cable/satellite operators and their customers in Spanish. Boomerang’s official Web site is located at http://Boomerang.CartoonNetwork.com.

Cartoon Network, currently seen in more than 88 million U.S. homes and 160 countries around the world, is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.’s 24-hour, ad-supported cable service offering the best in original, acquired and classic animated entertainment for kids and families.