Last week I took a look at The Top 5 Best And Worst Live Action Superhero shows and I have to admit, that was much easier to decide. There have been so many superhero cartoons over the years, both taken from comic books and original ideas; it took a maximum effort to really pare it down to five on either side.
My first problem was taking my personal favorites out of the mix to really focus on the ones I felt were the best and the worst. For example, I love the old Aquaman cartoon with Tadpole and the voice of Ted Knight narrating the stories. As much as I love the cartoon it’s really not one of the best. The episodes repeat, the scripts are pretty bad and the animators re-used a lot of footage over and over.
On the flipside there was He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe. As I kid I hated everything about that show. Orko was annoying, the terrified tiger sucked and I really hated how Skeletor, an evil entity of unlimited power, was portrayed as the slapstick moron. I realize it’s a cartoon but even at that young of an age I found it insufferable. However those were largely my problems and not indicative of it being one of the worst.
So with that mind I present you with my Top 5 Best And Worst Superhero Cartoons. Remember, these are put together based on my entirely too lengthy time in front of the TV and lifetime love of superheroes. I’m hoping people will agree, or disagree or come up with their own. Regardless I hope it gives everybody a reason to go back and re-discover some of these gems.
BEST.
5. THE PLASTIC MAN COMEDY/ADVENTURE HOUR (1979-1981)
I realize some may cry foul at this choice but you have to look at the bigger picture. Sure it didn’t follow the comic book origin of Plastic Man but it did manage to retain the spirit of the character. Plastic Man was quick witted, charming and even darkly sarcastic in the most dangerous situations. The writing on the show was first rate; even smart which was a rarity back then. Especially in season two when Plastic Man and his sidekick Penny got hitched. There were real shades of sexual tension and even light references to Plastic Man’s…um…ability.
The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Hour was also one of the first cartoons to introduce multiple cartoon segments. When you watched the show you didn’t just get a Plastic Man adventure you also got Baby Plas (Plastic Man’s kid), Mighty Man and Yukk, Fangface And Fangpuss and Rickety Rocket. Through the mid-eighties this format was the preferred way for cartoon shows and The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Hour really led the charge.
On a personal note I was also addicted to Mighty Man & Yukk. The idea of a superhero that grows incredibly small with a canine sidekick whose face is so unbearably ugly he has to hide it under a small doghouse on his head is genius. When Yukk would be able to “scare” inanimate objects like guns and tanks into falling apart you had to laugh. That’s the kind of drop in logic that made cartoons great.
