I originally encountered Plastic Man when he appeared as the first guest-star on the Saturday morning cartoon Super Friends. “What?!? You mean there are more heroes besides Batman and Robin, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman?” I remember thinking he was pretty cool and wishing I could see more of him.

Actually, it would be indecent to see much more of him—that’s an awfully skimpy outfit especially by male hero standards. Sure it’s weird, but it’s also eye-catching and memorable, an example of brilliant character design. As a result, Plas hasn’t changed at all since his introduction in the 40s when his adventures were written and drawn by creator Jack Cole.

Today, many consider Cole’s goofy and surreal stories to be masterpieces of comic art. At the very least, they make it obvious why Plastic Man was a logical choice for an animated adaptation .

Illustrating one playing card a day using characters found between 1957-1967 in DC Comics. Monday: It’s Green Lantern!