Lots of shows used limited animation, but Rocky & Bullwinkle is the only one I've seen where it felt like an intentional part of the style, rather than a cost-cutting effort. The 2000 film was great, but the animated prologue was done at full frame rate, which just felt wrong.
My first dog as a kid was named Rocky. Mr. Peabody and his spectacles! Boris and Natasha reflect this period of the Cold War when nobody seemed to laugh about any of it. So fun to laugh at inept spies from Eastern Europe that we could laugh at hiding under our school desks during nuclear fall-out drills.
This is about the only animated show where I know all the episode content backwards and forwards, but I still enjoy watching it all the same. It naturally has been a major influence on my fiction writing.
For its time, it was a remarkably satirical program, in a way few American television programs truly are. It wasn't just staging the various sub-genres it spoofed- it was interrogating and dismembering them with ease. And it certainly wasn't afraid to take on its own sponsors and networks- although that ended up costing them with cancellation in the end.
And unquestionably, it is one of the most influential television animation programs within that genre. Its influence, as you noted, can be found in the adult-oriented humor of "The Simpsons" and "Family Guy", but also in "The Powerpuff Girls" (which staged a full episode in the show's house style) not only staging but interrogating its subgenre. And those shows themselves influenced the structure and development of other animated shows to this day....
Rocky And Bullwinkle!!! Oh my god, I had so much nostalgia while reading this! I always loved those character designs and the animation style. I love your Substack so much!
I remember watching, and being entertained by, R&B when I was a kid. Somehow, I missed showing these to our kids when they were young. We had plenty of Disney and Warner Bros. DVDs and VHS. I wonder whether R&B videos were never really marketed in the same way?
Lots of shows used limited animation, but Rocky & Bullwinkle is the only one I've seen where it felt like an intentional part of the style, rather than a cost-cutting effort. The 2000 film was great, but the animated prologue was done at full frame rate, which just felt wrong.
Interesting🤣🤣🤣
Really loved this article!! I hope you can do a part two with the rest of the information. Thank you for the great memories :)
Thank you for this compact history of an iconic show! :)
I was just quoting them last night. As relevant as ever. Wife rolled her eyes. So you’ve moved on from Dostoevsky to Bullwinkle she asked. Yes. 👍
ah yes, the days when you learn history by accident, while you laugh, on Saturday morning....
My first dog as a kid was named Rocky. Mr. Peabody and his spectacles! Boris and Natasha reflect this period of the Cold War when nobody seemed to laugh about any of it. So fun to laugh at inept spies from Eastern Europe that we could laugh at hiding under our school desks during nuclear fall-out drills.
This is about the only animated show where I know all the episode content backwards and forwards, but I still enjoy watching it all the same. It naturally has been a major influence on my fiction writing.
For its time, it was a remarkably satirical program, in a way few American television programs truly are. It wasn't just staging the various sub-genres it spoofed- it was interrogating and dismembering them with ease. And it certainly wasn't afraid to take on its own sponsors and networks- although that ended up costing them with cancellation in the end.
And unquestionably, it is one of the most influential television animation programs within that genre. Its influence, as you noted, can be found in the adult-oriented humor of "The Simpsons" and "Family Guy", but also in "The Powerpuff Girls" (which staged a full episode in the show's house style) not only staging but interrogating its subgenre. And those shows themselves influenced the structure and development of other animated shows to this day....
Thanks Kathleen. It really was forward thinking animation. Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment. 😁
That’s such a cool name for a pet. That’s such an interesting memory, thank you for reading and taking the time to share.
This and The Animaniacs are probably my two greatest influences as far as animation is concerned.
One of my top favorite shows.
I need to learn more about how they animated it!
You are right; the influence ripples far and wide from this one!
Rocky And Bullwinkle!!! Oh my god, I had so much nostalgia while reading this! I always loved those character designs and the animation style. I love your Substack so much!
Thank you so much. I love doing it and am so glad you like it. :)
Rocky and Bullwinkle have such an enduring legacy on the world of animation! This is a great look at the history and making of the cartoon :)
I remember watching, and being entertained by, R&B when I was a kid. Somehow, I missed showing these to our kids when they were young. We had plenty of Disney and Warner Bros. DVDs and VHS. I wonder whether R&B videos were never really marketed in the same way?
I know, I think that about a number of cartoons that really seemed to have been missed. I think there’s a real nostalgia market for this too.
I had great fun introducing my kids to Bugs Bunny and company when DVD box sets hit Costco. They wore out the discs!
Didn’t this same creative team produce “Crusader Rabbit” in the 1950’s? My mom got the jokes that were way over the heads of my brother and myself.
It was great at doing that, capturing the child and adult market for sure. Thank you for reading and taking the time to comment. 🤩
Great piece!
Thank you, and thanks for taking the time to read and comment.