Sensational Cat-Man Animated Movie Heads to Kickstarter

Austin McConnell, an author and filmmaker with a popular YouTube channel, is trying to raise $50,000 to make a feature-length animated movie based on the public domain superhero Cat-man. McConnell, who plans to create a cinematic universe made up of heroes from the public domain, recently released the first episode of a web-based animated series featuring Cat-Man. After positive reception from his audience, he and animator "SpikeyTortoise" started retooling the 15-minute pilot episode into something they can expand. Described as "a love-letter to the cartoons of yesteryear," McConnell and SpikeyTortoise -- real name Ian Wilkins -- say they hope to make superhero movies less formulaic and more fun. 

The plan is to make a feature film based on The Sensational Cat-Man, but if McConnell and Wilkins hit their stretch goal, they will make it into a 9-part animated series instead. You can see the Kickstarter campaign here.

You can see the pitch video below.

Cat-Man, who still appears in DC publications, entered the public domain after its copyright wasn't renewed in the late 1960s. Originally appearing in Crash Comics Adventures #4, the character quickly grew popular enough to take over the title completely. Created by Irwin Hansen, Cat-Man was published by Tem/Holyoke Publishing. After a brief period of popularity in the 1940s, the character languished for years. More recently, the character has been revived not just by DC, but also by other publishers, including AC Comics in the 1980s and Dynamite Entertainment, where they appeared alongside other public domain characters in Project Superpowers.

In 2022, just three months after first proposing a "Bargain Bin Cinematic Universe" filled with offbeat, old-timey superheroes whose rights had lapsed into the public domain, McConnell started work on Atlas, an animated feature film that will kick off that bizarre and ambitious project in earnest. Last week, he revealed in a video that the movie is mostly done, but has been pushed to 2024. 

In the meantime, though, he has released some smaller projects to keep interest alive and whet audience appetites, including the Cat-Man animation and a novel based on Spider-Queen.

"I hadn't heard of those before doing my thing, but several comments pointed me to Project Superpowers," McConnell told ComicBook.com last year. "I'm purposely keeping myself in the dark so as to not let their universe influence what I'm building. The great thing about the public domain is that there are an infinite number of character interpretations, and if you don't find one you like, you can make it yourself! I hope Atlas: The Animated Movie encourages aspiring writers and artists to dip their toes into the public domain, too. It's a lovely sandbox."