It all started when Danny Hunter walked into a Target store and saw a pair of adult-size Superman pajamas. The St. Paul auto dealer had been looking for a way to add a little fun to his otherwise generic stock of car photos on Craigslist, and he knew this was it.

"I asked the cashier if she knew where the nearest pay phone booth was," he said. "They're hard to find these days."

Back at Auto Technical, Inc., a nonprofit car dealership in St. Paul, Hunter set up a photo shoot that had him "flying" over cars and lifting the rear bumper as Superman, and standing in the trunk and showing off the hood as Batman.

"I've never been much into posing for the camera, so that's been a new learning thing," he said. "I'm a little out there, but you know, it makes life more interesting."

The Craigslist ads aren't the first time Hunter has been seen in costume. The 67-year-old Columbia Heights Navy veteran has been known to show up to community events and family gatherings with a new persona. He's been Santa Claus, the Easter bunny and even had a hot dog-donning gig during his employment with Target's snack bar business.

"I just want to make people happy, and I think people enjoy that," he said.

Danny Hunter

If the superhero photos sell cars, Hunter said that would be great, but it's not just about sales.

"Chasing the dollar, where does that get you?" he said. "But gosh, you have to trust Superman."

Aimee Blanchette • 612-673-1715

@aimeeblanchette