Jet Fuel Formula facts for kids

Quick facts for kids "Jet Fuel Formula"
Rocky and His Friends episode
Bullwinkle, Rocky, Gidney & Cloyd, in a scene from Jet Fuel Formula
Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 1 (100 segments)
Directed by	Gerard Baldwin Pete Burness Bill Hurtz Gerry Ray Bob Schleh George Singer Ernie Terrazas
Written by	George Atkins Chris Hayward Chris Jenkins Lloyd Turner
Produced by	Ponsonby Britt
Production code	1–40
Original air date	November 19, 1959 - c. March 31, 1960
Episode chronology
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List of Rocky and Bullwinkle episodes

Jet Fuel Formula is the very first and longest story in the cartoon series The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends. It's like the pilot episode that started everything! This story covers forty episodes, which is a lot, since most stories in the show are only about sixteen episodes long.

This first story was important because it introduced most of the characters, jokes, and ideas that would be used in all the future Rocky and Bullwinkle shows. It really set the stage for what the cartoon would become. When the first few episodes first aired, they had a laugh track, but this was later removed for the DVD release.

Even though the title says "Jet Fuel Formula," the story is actually about finding a recipe for rocket fuel!

The Story So Far

Just like many of Rocky and Bullwinkle's adventures, this one starts with the characters accidentally getting into a silly situation. This then leads to even more silly events!

Rocky and Bullwinkle try to bake a special "Mooseberry fudge cake" using Grandma Bullwinkle's recipe. But they don't know that the cake batter is actually a super powerful rocket fuel! When Bullwinkle tries to light their old oven, the first layer of cake batter explodes. This launches the oven all the way to the Moon!

To get their oven back, they build their own rocket ship. They use the rest of the cake batter to power their trip to the Moon and back to Earth. When they return, the U.S. government puts Bullwinkle in charge of "moosile" (missile) research. He tries to make the cake recipe again, but half of it was destroyed in the first explosion.

Two friendly Moon Men, named Gidney and Cloyd, arrive on Earth. They want to stop Bullwinkle from making more of the fuel. They are worried that if Earthlings get rocket fuel, too many tourists will visit the Moon!

Later, the bad guy Boris hypnotizes Bullwinkle, who then remembers the recipe. But Boris falls asleep, and when Bullwinkle finally says the formula, the Moon Men "scrootch" (freeze) him. Boris then steals the frozen Bullwinkle!

When Bullwinkle wakes up, Boris makes him work in a new lab. Bullwinkle remembers the new recipe, which includes funny ingredients like "2 cups of flour, a pound of kumquats and a hat full of vanilla to give it character." It also has some strange chemicals. Boris sends Bullwinkle's research to his bosses, but they explode when they try to use it! Boris also tries to stop the Moon Men with sleeping pills.

Luckily, Rocky rescues Bullwinkle and the Moon Men. Gidney and Cloyd become famous, but they soon get tired of being celebrities. They want Rocky and Bullwinkle to come back to the Moon with them. But their ship's fuel has been stolen by Boris! Rocky and Bullwinkle agree to help make more fuel. They head to Frostbite Falls to get the secret ingredient: mooseberries.

Boris sends the stolen Moon Men's fuel to Pottsylvania, his home country. But it explodes when it arrives, destroying the seaport! Boris then kidnaps Rocky and Bullwinkle on their way to Minnesota. He pretends to be a pilot offering to fly them home. They crash-land near Frostbite Falls, only to find that a plant sickness has ruined the mooseberry crop. Bullwinkle finds the only mooseberry bush left, but Boris quickly steals it!

Rocky and Bullwinkle call the Moon Men, who are now popular entertainers, and ask for their help. They all book a trip on a ship to Pottsylvania, which is the only other place where mooseberries grow. Boris and Natasha have also stolen tickets for the same trip. They want to return home with the stolen bush.

The ship's captain, Peter Peachfuzz, is very clumsy. He steers the ship to Holland, Antarctica, and Perth Amboy instead of Pottsylvania! When their stolen mooseberry bush starts to look sick, Boris and Natasha pick the berries. But the food on the ship is running low, and a very hungry Bullwinkle eats the berries. Once picked, the berries become very explosive! Bullwinkle survives the blast.

The ship gets stuck on a tropical island. While Rocky, Bullwinkle, and Peachfuzz go ashore, Boris steals the ship. But he is ordered to go back and get Bullwinkle. When they finally arrive in Pottsylvania, Boris meets with Fearless Leader. Boris tells him his plan: to use the rocket fuel to put a television transmitter on the moon. This way, they can block American TV shows with Pottsylvanian commercials!

Rocky and Bullwinkle start looking for a mooseberry bush, which grows on Pottsylvania's highest mountain, Wynchataka Peak. They hire Boris and Natasha, who are in disguise, as their guides. They find a single mooseberry bush on the mountain. The group then meets an Abominable Snowman, which turns out to be Gidney and Cloyd in disguise! The Moon Men hope to use the bush to make fuel to go home, while Rocky wants to give it to the U.S. government.

They escape Pottsylvania and sail for the United States. Rocky comes up with a plan to send the Moon Men home and also give the government rocket fuel. He suggests that Gidney and Cloyd become American citizens. Then, they could be the first Americans on the Moon, using the mooseberry rocket fuel!

However, Senator Fussmussen, a politician who doesn't like new people, makes the citizenship test very hard. With Rocky and Bullwinkle's bad study help, Gidney and Cloyd fail the test. They are then sent away—back to the Moon! Bullwinkle makes a batch of fuel, and the Moon Men return home. Senator Fussmussen, who is too proud to take off his coat after it gets stuck in the door, goes with them as the new ambassador to the moon.

Characters

Characters in TV shows often change a bit over time. But it's cool to see how quickly the main Rocky and Bullwinkle characters became the famous "personalities" we know today!

Rocket J. Squirrel: Rocky was always a brave squirrel, much smarter than Bullwinkle, but sometimes a bit innocent. He didn't change much, except for small details on his flight helmet.

Bullwinkle J. Moose: In the beginning, Bullwinkle was a kind but silly moose, but he was a bit quieter. His mouth sometimes moved around on his face in early episodes before it stayed under his nose.

Boris Badenov: Boris started as a more serious bad guy, even looking a bit scary with red eyes. But by the fourth episode, he became more funny and started wearing his first disguise. His eyes even turned white after he woke up from a long sleep, as if the redness was from being tired!

Natasha Fatale: Natasha was a dangerous and attractive spy from her first appearance. She became a bit more curvy as the early episodes went on. In Jet Fuel Formula, her last name was said differently than in later stories.

Fearless Leader: When he first appeared, Fearless Leader was a heavy-set character who didn't stand out much. But by the end of this story, he became the thin, scarred, one-eyed character whose name is now a famous saying.

Peter "Wrongway" Peachfuzz: Captain Peachfuzz always looked the same and was always a terrible sailor. But in Jet Fuel Formula, he didn't have his usual funny voice yet. Instead, he sounded like a cartoon parrot. He was only in charge of the ship S.S. Andalusia because he bought it with money he inherited.

Gidney & Cloyd: These are the Moon Men sent to Earth by their people. They want to stop Earth tourists from flooding the Moon. Gidney has a mustache, and Cloyd carries a "scrootch gun" that freezes people.

Narrator: Like Bullwinkle, the Narrator was a bit quieter in the first episodes. He spoke as if he was telling the audience a secret. But he quickly developed a more dramatic style, perfect for the exciting, cliffhanger stories of the show.

Episode Segments

The Jet Fuel Formula story was told over many short parts, each shown in a different episode. Here are the main parts of the first few episodes:

Episode 1

• Jet Fuel Formula
• Fractured Fairy Tales: Rapunzel
• Bullwinkle's Corner: "The Swing" by Robert Louis Stevenson
• Peabody's Improbable History: Show Opening
• Bullwinkle's Ride or Goodbye Dollink

Episode 2

• Bullseye Bullwinkle or Destination Moose
• Fractured Fairy Tales: Puss In Boots
• Bullwinkle's Corner: "Little Miss Muffet"
• Peabody's Improbable History: Napoleon
• Squeeze Play or Invitation to the Trance

Episode 3

• The Scrooched Moose
• Fractured Fairy Tales: The Fisherman's Wishes
• Bullwinkle's Corner: "The Horn"
• Peabody's Improbable History: Lord Nelson
• Monitored Moose or The Carbon Copy Cats

Episode 4

• Rocky's Dilemma or A Squirrel In A Stew
• Fractured Fairy Tales: Goldilocks
• Bullwinkle's Corner: "Where Go The Boats"
• Peabody's Improbable History: Wyatt Earp
• The Submarine Squirrel or 20,000 Leagues Beneath the Sea

Episode 5

• Bars and Stripes Forever
• Fractured Fairy Tales: Fe-Fi-Fo-Fum
• Bullwinkle's Corner: "My Shadow"
• Peabody's Improbable History: King Arthur
• Hello Out There! or There's No Place Like Space

Episode 6

• A Creep At The Deep or Will Success Spoil Boris Badenov?
• Fractured Fairy Tales: Beauty and the Beast
• Bullwinkle's Corner: "I Love Little Pussy" (featuring a tiger)
• Peabody's Improbable History: Franz Schubert
• Ace Is Wild or The Flying Casket

Episode 7

• The Back Seat Divers or Mashed Landing
• Fractured Fairy Tales: The Brave Little Tailor or T-shirt Tall
• Bullwinkle's Corner: "Taffy"
• Peabody's Improbable History: Lucrezia Borgia
• Bullwinkle's Water Follies or Antlers Aweigh

Episode 8

• The Inspector-Detector or A Kick in the Plants
• Fractured Fairy Tales: Rumpelstiltskin
• Bullwinkle's Corner: "Wee Willie Winkie"
• Peabody's Improbable History: Sir Walter Raleigh
• Canoes Who? or Look before you leak.

Episode 9

• Two For the Ripsaw or Goodbye, Mr Chips
• Aesop and Son: The Lion and the Mouse
• Bullwinkle's Corner: "Little Jack Horner"
• Peabody's Improbable History: Robert Fulton
• Farewell, My Ugly or Knots to You

Episode 10

• Cheerful Little Pierful or Bomb Voyage
• Fractured Fairy Tales: The Princess and the Pea
• Bullwinkle's Corner: "The Queen of Hearts"
• Peabody's Improbable History: Annie Oakley
• Summer Squash or He's Too Flat for Me

Episode 11

• The Earl and the Squirrel or The March of Crime
• Fractured Fairy Tales: Sweet Little Beat
• Bullwinkle's Corner: Tom-Tom The Piper's Son
• Dudley Do-Right: The Disloyal Canadians
• A Drift in the Mist or Fog Groggy

Episode 12

• The Deep Six or The Old Moose and the Sea
• Fractured Fairy Tales: The Fisherman and his Wife
• Mr. Know-It-All: How To Train a Doggie
• Peabody's Improbable History: Jessie James
• The Slippery Helm or Captain's Outrageous

Episode 13

• Bullwinkle Makes a Hit or I Get a Bang out of You
• Aesop and Son: The Mice Who Belled The Cat or The Mice In Council
• Bullwinkle's Corner: "Barbara Frietchie"
• Peabody's Improbable History: The Wright Brothers
• Three on an Island or Tell It to the Maroons

Episode 14

• Dancing on Air or The Pottsylvania Polka
• Fractured Fairy Tales: Dick Whittington's Cat
• Mr. Know-It-All: How To Train a Lion
• Peabody's Improbable History: George Armstrong Custer
• Axe Me Another or Heads You Lose!

Episode 15

• The Pen Pals or Rock Hocky Rocky
• Fractured Fairy Tales: Cinderella
• Mr. Know-It-All: How To Cook A Turkey's Goose
• Peabody's Improbable History: Alfred Nobel
• The Fright-Seeing Trip or Visit to a Small Panic

Episode 16

• Boris Burgles Again or Sinner Take All
• Fractured Fairy Tales: The Shoemaker and the Elves
• Mr. Know-It-All: Swimming Can Be Fun (and Wet)
• Dudley Do-Right: Stokey The Bear
• Dander Ahead or Watch Out for Falling Rockys

Episode 17

• Avalanche is Better Than None or Snows Your Old Man
• Aesop and Son: The Fox and the Stork
• Mr. Know-It-All: How To Sell Vacuum Cleaners (and Clean Up)
• Peabody's Improbable History: Marco Polo
• Below Zero Heroes or I Only Have Ice for You

Episode 18

• The Snowman Cometh or An Icicle Built for Two
• Fractured Fairy Tales: Tom Thumb (I)
• Mr. Know-It-All: How To Cure the Hiccups
• Dudley Do-Right: Mortgagin' The Mountie Post
• The Moonman Is Blue or The Inside Story

Episode 19

• Fuels Rush In or Star Spangled Boner
• Aesop and Son: The Sheep in Wolf's Clothing
• Mr. Know-It-All: How to Open a Jar of Pickles
• Peabody's Improbable History: Richard the Lionhearted
• The Pottsylvania Permanent or I've Grown Accustomed to the Place

Episode 20

• The Boundary Bounders or Some Like It Shot
• Fractured Fairy Tales: Sir Galahad or The Tomorrow Knight
• Mr. Know-It-All: How To Get Into the Movies (without Buying a Ticket)
• Peabody's Improbable History: Don Juan
• The Washington Whirl or Rocky off the Record

Main Ideas and Jokes

The Cold War Theme

Jet Fuel Formula often makes jokes about the Cold War. This was a time when the United States and the Soviet Union (and their allies) were in a tense competition without direct fighting. This theme became a regular part of the Rocky and Bullwinkle stories. The made-up country of Pottsylvania is like a funny version of East Germany or the Soviet Union from that time. It's a closed country ruled by the scary-sounding Fearless Leader.

On the other hand, the United States is shown as a silly place with politicians who think they're very important (like Senator Fussmussen) and government workers who aren't very good at their jobs (like Peter Peachfuzz). The story also jokes about the arms race (countries building more weapons), the Space Race (the competition to explore space), and spies.

Boris's Funny Disguises

A running joke in Jet Fuel Formula is how Boris, and sometimes Natasha, wear disguises to trick Rocky and Bullwinkle. Boris usually introduces himself by saying, "Allow me to introduce myself, I'm—". His fake name is often a pun (a play on words) based on a famous person's name. It's funny because even though he's disguised, the audience can always tell it's Boris! Rocky often says Boris's voice sounds familiar, but he and Bullwinkle always fall for the trick.

Some of Boris's disguises in Jet Fuel Formula include:

• Swami Ben Boris, a hypnotist; Natasha is his assistant.
• Sir Thomas Lippenboris, a rich yachtsman (a joke about Thomas Lipton, who started Lipton Tea); Natasha pretends to be "Lady Alice."
• Sir Hillary Pushemoff (Push Them Off), a mountain climber (a joke about Edmund Hillary); Natasha is his companion.
• A Scientist
• A Federal Plant Inspector
• Ace Rickenboris, a pilot (a joke about the famous pilot Eddie Rickenbacker); Natasha is his stewardess.
• Clarence Darronov, a lawyer (a joke about the famous lawyer Clarence Darrow).
• An Indian canoeist.
• A Pottsylvanian taxi driver; Natasha is his partner.
• Barnacle Boris Badenov, a sea captain (a joke about the song "Barnacle Bill").

Joking About TV and Breaking the Fourth Wall

Jet Fuel Formula makes fun of television, especially TV commercials. The show even jokes that commercials are so annoying they could be used as weapons! The way TV shows are made is also a source of humor.

The characters often "break the fourth wall". This means they talk directly to the audience, or act like they know they are in a TV show. You can see this in the shorter parts of the show, like Mr. Know-It-All and Bullwinkle's Corner. In these, you might see the backstage area or lights, and Rocky, Bullwinkle, and Boris play different characters. The show is an early example of metafiction, where the characters know they are characters in a story. For example, Captain Peachfuzz reads a Mr. Peabody comic book, and Natasha and Bullwinkle talk about how much time has passed in terms of "episodes." Rocky and Bullwinkle even talk back to the narrator, and Boris scolds the narrator for giving away plot details!

"Our Next Episode" Jokes

Each episode ends with a short preview for the next one, often with a funny "double title" like Bullwinkle's Ride or Goodbye, Dollink. These titles are usually jokes, sometimes with silly puns.

Simple Animation Style

Rocky and Bullwinkle is loved for its smart and funny writing. But the way it looks, with its simple animation, is also famous. Some people called it "a well-written radio program with pictures" because the animation was not very detailed. This simple style was partly because the show had a small budget.

Because of the simple animation, there were often small mistakes. For example, Boris's mustache might disappear and reappear, or buildings in the background might change their look from one scene to the next. These little "continuity errors" are part of the show's charm!

The Rocket Fuel Recipe

In Episode 12, we get a glimpse of the Moon Men's rocket fuel recipe. It's totally absurd and not something you'd ever eat!

• 1 cup frogs legs
• 2 Tbs. wolfbane
• 1 pinch mooseberry juice
• 3/4 cup light bulbs
• 1 qt. chalk
• 3 tanna leaves
• 6 stink berries

As you can see, it's a very silly recipe! It has things you can't eat, like light bulbs and chalk. Plus, wolfbane is a very poisonous plant!