A short time back I sent Lou an animated short video I had just completed and thought he might enjoy seeing. A short time later, both he and Jim felt that readers of TAC would also enjoy seeing the animated feature. Since then both have been working hard to bring it to you, the readers and fans of George Reeves and TAC. I thank both Lou and Jim for allowing me once more to share a project with you and explain how it came about.

Sometime back in 2004 I was listening to the theme song from another popular TV series Greatest American Hero. The lyrics really struck home with me, and I thought about how they also related to George and his sudden shot to fame as Superman. I began to think how much fun it would be to animate a dimensional puppet of George (as Superman) singing the song. I started to develop the idea and even made a drawing of a cartoon style George/Superman and then built a steel ball and socket armature for the foam rubber puppet that I planned to animate. But it didn't take long before I realized I had bitten off just a little too much, and that such a project would take years of my spare time. Building dimensional puppets along with the office sets... and then animating them... was too daunting. So like so many other ideas I filed it away. Then this past January I visited a favorite clay animation website of mine and noticed a link to a free computer animation program. After a short tour of the program I began to see an answer to that filed away idea of an animated, singing Superman. And this inspiration came to me at just the right time because by chance, I had some extra time to devote to it. I quickly located the original drawing I had done and got to work learning the animation program and making new drawings as well as developing the lip syncing tecniques needed. After just a month of work it was finished, and the rest, as they say, is history.

I had a whole lot of fun doing this video and learned a so much in the process. And to me, that's what it's all about. I hope you all enjoy the animated short video and that it will make you smile for just a moment... because I thought George would like that... and that too is what it's all about.

Best to you all
Richard Taylor

[To view Rich's video, click on Superman below. It may take some time to download, especially if you don't have a high speed connection, but I think you'll enjoy it. It is a Windows Media File. If you have any difficulty with it, let me know, and I'll see if I can help. Jim Nolt - April 4, 2006]