Bullwinkle #3 (2025 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle debuted in animated form in 1959. The creation of animator Jay Ward, the iconic team of Moose and Squirrel first appeared on ABC and eventually NBC where the show wrapped up it's original run in 1964. Over the next 5 decades, Rocky and Bullwinkle would reappear in reruns and new series with the flying gray squirrel always getting top billing, with exception of a Sunday evening show titled merely The Bullwinkle Show. However, when it comes to their appearance in comics forms, it's almost like Rocket J. Squirrel doesn't even exist. 

The furry friends first appeared in comic book form as part of the much beloved Dell Four Color anthology series. Their first 4 appearances were titled 'Rocky and His Friends' before being switched over to 'Bullwinkle and Rocky'. Despite being named in the title, Rocky disappeared from the front cover, with issue #1270 showing only Bullwinkle and the villainous female spy, Natasha, enjoying a piano recital. Eventually, even the supporting players vanished with solely the starring Moose on the cover and the title reduced to being called solely 'Bullwinkle.' Putting Bullwinkle in the spotlight would be a trend that would continue in comics through the 1990s.

Dell, Gold Key, Charlton and Marvel's all-ages imprint Star would publish officially licensed comics based on the Jay Ward Productions series. Every series starring Rocky and Bullwinkle from 1962-1988 would be published as Bullwinkle and Rocky. For the Gold Key series, of which I read issue #3, the publishing credits on the bottom of the opening page would list the series as only Bullwinkle. 

This issue is framed like a classic Rocky and Bullwinkle episode. The main story is broken into 2-parts. In-between the main story arc, there's a segment starring genius pooch Mr. Peabody and his boy, Sherman. Then to finish out the issue, Rocky recites a 'Fractured Fairy Tale' to his buddy Bullwinkle.

In the main tale, a slight parody of that holiday B-movie classic Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, the children of the Moon are absolutely ga-ga for the antics of Bullwinkle. Wanting to make the children of the Moon happy, a pair of Moon Men come to Earth in the hopes of luring the moose to the Lunar surface. In order to achieve this, the aliens sprinkle an anti-gravity powder to Bullwinkle's antlers which makes him begin to float. Seeing an advantage of Bullwinkle's magical antlers in the Cold War, spies Boris and Natasha seek to remove them as a potential power supply for a squadron of jets. 

The Sherman and Peabody segment puts a spin on the mythos of Billy the Kid, with the notorious outlaw actually being a pistol packing infant! You'll never look at the story of Cinderella the same ever again after reading her story in Fractured Fairy Tales!

The Moon people story is noteworthy in that all of the Lunar residents look like Quisp, the alien spokesman of the Quaker Oats cereal of the same name. Instead of a spinning propeller atop their heads, the Moon people have shaggy mop tops. But with their pink flesh, bulbish heads and googly eyes, the shared ancestry of Quisp and the Moon people cannot be denied. That's because Jay Ward designed Quisp as part of the cereal's original animated marketing campaign in 1965. Whether the likeness was an homage or accidental influence of the works of Jay Ward on the unlisted and unknown artist of the Rocky and Bullwinkle main story is up for debate. GoCollect.com claims that Al Kilgore was a writer and an artist for the issue. Kilgore did work on the Rocky and Bullwinkle newspaper strip that ran from 1962-67. His comic book work in 1972, however, is not confirmed.  No credits for either backup story are available either.

Rocky would finally receive top billing again in the 2014 4-issue miniseries, Rocky and Bullwinkle, published by IDW. It's a position that the level headed squirrel has maintained with other publications ever since.

Completing this review completes Task #10 ( Funny Animal Book starring a SQUIRREL, POLAR BEAR or ANTEATER) the 2025 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Cow Boy Hallow’s (2012 Halloween ComicFest Exclusive (Family Comic Friday)

I give this 2012 ComicFest offering an E for Effort. The cover is a cool Halloween themed pic of our hero, Cow Boy. I think this story appeals to those who remember dressing up as a cowboy for Halloween or those today who still do dress the part. This story takes place in a small town in the Old West during Halloween but aside from some establishing shots of towns folk in costume for trick-or-treating, that’s about it for All Hallow’s Eve in this comic.

The story itself in set in a saloon where a friend of Billy the Kid is loudly claiming that nobody can out best his friend the Kid. The noisy rumblings wake up Cow Boy, a child bounty hunter, from his slumber upstairs. Now its dead shot vs. outlaw but does ether party really want to end the witching hour with a gunfight?

Cow Boy was a cute story about a child bounty hunter trying to make amends for his family’s robbing ways. I know that my library has the graphic novel that this story is inspired from. While I wasn’t terribly enthralled by the comic, it does garner enough interest that I wouldn’t mind checking it out. The dialogue was very clever with unique voices for all of the characters. The art is very cartoony but it works since this is a kids comic book.

This leads to my plug for Halloween ComicFest 2014. It’s tomorrow. Comic Book stores nationwide will be giving out free comics for the event. Kids will even get a chance to dress up early for Halloween as many stores will be hosting costume contests. You can even go to the ComicFest website and submit pics for a chance to win a gift card. Stores usually offer up some mighty fine sales and there is usually other chances for people to win prizes at the store for coloring contests, trivia, and lots of other cool activities.

Another thing to consider is buying a mini pack or two, or three of comics to hand out for trick-or-treating instead of candy. Like the packages say, comics last longer than candy and they can make meaningful strides in getting kids excited about comics and reading. (Homeroom parents- imagine how happy your child’s teacher will be when you hand out comic book instead of sugary treats for this year’s Halloween party!) The sets are $4.99 for a pack of 20. There are at least 12 different titles available for this year. Some stores will be selling the packs tomorrow. If you live in Durham, NC, check out my friends at Atomic Empire tomorrow. It’s where I picked up my packs!

Also, as a special treat, Family Comic Friday will be invading the whole week as I review a handful of the titles available for trick-or-treating. Check with me starting Sunday for this 5 day event.

Worth Consuming

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.