DC COMICS: The Adventures of Superpup

DC COMICS: The Adventures of Superpup

The Adventures of Superpup was a 1958 pilot for a children's series, following the end of Adventures of Superman. The star was heroic dog Superpup, alias reporter Bark Bent. In contrast to most animal spoofs of Superman, the series was authorized by Superman Incorporated, and thus Superpup wore the actual "S" on his chest and his superhero costume was otherwise identical to the Man of Steel's. The production crew included several staffers of the George Reeves series, notably producer/writer Whitney Ellsworth.

PLOT:
The pilot opens with a variant of the standard Superman intro (with the announcer noting that it's presented by "your product, the best of its kind in the world," as an appeal for sponsors), including shots of rockets and Superpup in flight. Montmorency Mouse appears and notes that only he and the audience know that Superpup is really Bark Bent, "star reporter for The Daily Bugle." Montmorency, who has a tendency to chatter "Ohboyohboyohboy" and "Goodygoodygoody" in a high-pitch, lives in Bark's drawer and serves both to goad him into action and to provide exposition and segues normally covered by the Narrator. He even explains continuity errors (as when the professor suddenly uses a different getaway car in the second half, explaining it was to avoid wrecking the first one which is newer).XXXAt the newspaper building, Bark Bent is summoned to the office of growling bulldog editor Terry Bite. Bite compliments Bent and Pamela Poodle for their work in capturing sheepdog Professor Sheepdip, with the help of Superpup. Sheepdip is a villain in the mold of Lex Luthor's comics incarnation at the time, or any number of Superman mad scientists, bent on revenge.XXXMeanwhile, at the local jail (labeled simply as "JAIL"), the professor makes good his escape, with the help of a saw and his henchman Wolfingham (a wolf). Sergeant Beagle (despite the name, a sleepy-eyed bloodhound with an English accent) attempts to foil them with a toy cannon but fails, and his pursuit is similarly fruitless. While the Bugle staffers worry, the professor explains his plot to gain revenge on Bark Bent and everyone on The Daily Bugle. His new liquid bomb will blow up the building and everyone inside, and Sheepdip dispatches the oafish Wolfingham (hidden in a grandfather clock) to plant the explosive.XXXBack at the Bugle, Bark Bent and Montmorency Mouse discuss how he can recapture the professor. Beagle has made no progress, and Wolfingham enters, converses with Bite from within the clock, and finally asks for a match to light the bomb. A startled Terry Bite (finally aware of the bomb, as his eyes grow wide for one shot), calls a sleeping Bark in to solve the crisis. After a change into his costume (apparently behind a filing cabinet), Superpup bursts through a wall and proceeds to jettison office products until Bite furiously shows where the bomb is. Superpup flies the clock through the ear and drops it at the bottom of a cliff, where Professor Sheepdip just happened to be waiting. Terry Bite is still bellowing for Bark Bent and grumbling about the lack of help.XXXFoiled in his first effort, Sheepdip constructs a rocket and lures Pamela Poodle to his hideout, through a phony tip about a society party. When Montmorency passes on the tip, Bark realizes it's a ruse and (modulating his voice)changes to Superpup and rushes to the rescue. He unties Pamela from the rocket, just as it goes off. The rocket passes the good guys only to chase the villains. The car explodes and Sergeant Beagle and Terry Bite arrive in time for the arrest, as the sergeant notes they can't escape the long arm of the law. Superpup flies off while Pamela gazes up at him admiringly. The pilot closes with a final shot of Superpup in the air.