To those of us who grew up during cartoon’s golden age, Rocky and Bullwinkle are icons. Add the show’s entire cast, now we have a tribute to creator Jay Ward’s brilliance.
J Troplong “Jay” Ward, creator and leader of Jay Ward Productions, is responsible for such characters as Rocky and Bullwinkle, Peabody and Sherman (past post), Dudley Do-Right, Snidely Whiplash, Hoppity Hopper, Tom Slick, Super Chick, Crusader Rabbit, and the two honorees in this post.
Rocky and Bullwinkle debuted in 1959 on ABC, and then moved to NBC two years later. Notables as Frostbite Falls, Wossamatta U, Mr. Know It All, Fractured Fairytales, a way-back time machine for Peabody and Sherman (past post), and more became part of popular culture.
Two villains constantly chasing Bullwinkle – and always foiled by Moose and Squirrel – were Boris and Natasha. Not only was the Cold War prominent in our lives at that time, this event of the era also served as the springboard for these two characters. A few notes about each are below, followed by a wonderful music video about them. Enjoy, and thank you Larry for the find.
Boris Badenov
- From Pottsylvania
- Name is a play on the 16th-century Russian Tsar Boris Godunov
- Degree from The University of Safe-Cracking (USC)
- Taglines: Must capture moose and squirrel;
- Report to Fearless Leader, and occasionally Mr. Big
- List of his disguises
Natasha Fatale
- Taglines: Hello Dollink, Sharrup your mouth,
- A former Miss Transylvania
- Almost always seen in a purple dress, put also wore red in the final season
- Original name Natasha Nogoodnik
- Appeared in two Mr. Know-It-All segments
- Appeared in all but four Rocky and Bullwinkle storylines
Such good memories, thanks! But I must admit Super Chicken was my favorite. I even know most of the theme song.
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Patti,
LOL … if you know most of the words to that fast song, that means you knew all the words at the time. Here’s one for you … and thanks for visiting.
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What a great fun post. I always thought Natasha was “hot”. in her own Cruella DeVille way. And now I’ll just “sharrup” my mouth. 🙂
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Mobius,
Glad you enjoyed this. Being able to rekindle memories with this post has been fun. Thanks for visiting.
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Love these cartoons; fond memories of Saturday morning TV. I always thought that Danny DeVito would be a great Boris. All of these cartoons were multi-layered – kids loved them and adults got to enjoy all of the hidden jokes (glad you mentioned the Boris Godunov reference, as it is also a musical work) But I still love Fractured Fairytales the most 🙂
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Lynn,
Hooray for smiles to another Rocky and Bullwinkle follower … and you are not the only commenter favoring Fractured Fairytales!
By the way, I would like you thoughts on the piece in this post. https://afrankangle.wordpress.com/2012/04/11/on-cymbals-and-drums/
Thanks for visiting.
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A classic cartoon show. And not one just for kids.
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Hansi,
Well said .. and thanks for sharing!
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Rocky and Bullwinkle was a favorite of my dad and watching it with him and my brother is one of my earliest memories. I always thought there was something he was getting that my brother and I were missing. Must be the hidden jokes. 🙂
Hope your weekend is a good one Frank!
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Alex,
Thanks for sharing the great example of how different generations took Moose and Squirrel. Thanks for commenting!
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Great post, and fun facts about the diabolical(ly challenged) pair.
My girl is a huge fan of them and anjoyed the tiriva.
Thanks Frank, have a great weekend!
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Guapo,
“Diabolical(ly-challenged) pair” is a great description. Well done!!! Thanks for visiting!
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My favs! Thanks, Frank.
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Elyse,
Woo hoo … glad to see you are a fan! Thanks for visiting.
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another tag line, when explaining his evil plans to natasha, was: “bomb go off – no more moose and squirrel!”
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Rich,
Script writers knew how to phrase the lingo! Thanks for sharing.
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Hi,
Oh yes I remember all these cartoons very well. They were always on Saturday mornings and I always enjoyed watching them, great memories, and good laughs.
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Mags,
Cheers to another who remembers these from the golden age of cartoons! Thanks for visiting.
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Loved Fractured Fairytales. I think I learned more about Greek mythology from them than in class!
Thank you, Frank for posting “something you’ll REALLY like”! (“Again? That joke NEVER works!” 😀 )
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John,
For giving me the great line at the end, here’s a treat for you. Many thanks for the chuckle.
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so great to see these again!
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Mimo,
Glad it created smiles … and thanks for commenting.
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I loved all the Rocky and Bullwinkle characters. I particularly loved Boris and Natasha. What great memories…I think some of the episodes are still available on Netflix. We’re never too old for these clever episodes. They really were really amazingly complex and unique. 🙂 Debra
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Debra,
Glad to connect with a fellow fan of Rocky and Bullwinkle .. and rekindling memories is a plus! Thanks for commenting.
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I didn’t watch this cartoon but my husband is a huge fan. And I think we have a dvd of the movie that came out a few years ago and that’s been a big hit with my teenagers xx
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Spiced,
Rocky and Bullwinkle is classic Americana – hence the reason why they made the movie your teens enjoy. Thanks for commenting.
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I actually never saw Rocky and Bullwinkle, but I did enjoy this post and the little Youtube video. I could easily have been a fan, I believe.
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Otto,
Rocky and Bullwinkle were kids cartoons that adults liked – especially because they got the inside jokes. Thanks for visiting.
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I spent my deformative years watching Rocky and Bullwinkle, great post!
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Blab,
Good to learn of another person who know the characters. Thanks for visiting.
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As a Rocky and Bullwinkle fan, I gave this blog a Bean’s Pat on my blog today.
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Pat,
A special welcome to you and I’m glad this post of two classics from Rocky and Bullwinkle met your approval! Thanks for visiting and commenting … a special thanks for my first-ever Bean’s Pat!
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I always remember Bullwinkle as being the first political cartoon for kids.
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Les,
Great point about Rocky and Bullwinkle! Thanks for the additional tidbit!
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Pingback: On Reviewing Frostbite Falls | A Frank Angle
A favorite cartoon villain couple of mine!
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RoSy,
They are quite the couple, so your appreciation is justified.
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