Rocky the Flying Squirrel

Rocket J. Squirrel, usually called by the nickname "Rocky", is the name of the flying squirrel protagonist of the 1959-1964 animated television series "Rocky and His Friends" and "The Bullwinkle Show" (both shows often referred to collectively as "The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show"), produced by Jay Ward. His sidekick is the cartoon moose, Bullwinkle. Both Rocky and Bullwinkle were given the middle initial "J" in reference to Ward.

Rocky's personality was meant to be that of an upstanding, if slightly naive, all-American youth. As the brains of the "moose and squirrel" duo, Rocky often was shown as coming up with creative solutions to the various situations the duo found themselves in on their adventures. However, he is no less gullible toward Boris Badenov's and Natasha Fatale's disguises than Bullwinkle. The best he can do is to occasionally remark, "Those two look familiar!" or "That voice, where have I heard that voice?"

Besides his cleverness, Rocky also made extensive use in the series of his ability to fly, which was presented with, appropriate to his full name, a jet engine sound effect (the original opening of "Rocky and His Friends" introduces Rocky as "that Jet Age aerial ace", complete with Rocky performing an air show for a crowd of spectators). Some episodes presented this ability as limited to gliding (similar to a real flying squirrel), while others presented it as similar to that of Superman (hovering in mid-air, carrying objects, etc.). According to the series, Rocky learned his aerial skills at Cedar Yorpantz Flying School.

Rocky shared a house with his best friend, Bullwinkle, in the fictional small town of Frostbite Falls, Minnesota, a parody of the real-life American town of International Falls, Minnesota.

Rocky's most frequently used catch phrase was "hokey smoke!"

Veteran cartoon voice artist June Foray was the voice of Rocky as well as the voice of Natasha Fatale and other characters.

From his debut along with Bullwinkle, Rocky's goggles on his pilot helmet were rectangular. Later in the second story arc for the rest of the series, they become round and stick out.

References

External links

* [http://bullwinkle.toonzone.net Hokey Smoke! Rocky and Bullwinkle]