Rocky the Flying Squirrel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rocky the Flying Squirrel |
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| Rocky and His Friends character | |
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| First appearance | Jet Fuel Formula (1959) |
| Created by | Alex Anderson Jay Ward |
| Voiced by | June Foray (1959–2017) Dickie Goodman (1963) Seth Green (2013, 2019; Robot Chicken) Lauri Fraser (GEICO commercial) Tara Strong (2018–present) |
| Information | |
| Species | Flying squirrel |
| Gender | Male |
Rocket "Rocky" J. Squirrel, often called Rocky the Flying Squirrel, is a brave and clever flying squirrel. He is one of the two main characters in the classic cartoon shows Rocky and His Friends and The Bullwinkle Show, which aired from 1959 to 1964. These shows are now often known as The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.
Rocky is the best friend and partner of Bullwinkle, a big western moose. Both Rocky and Bullwinkle have the middle initial "J" as a fun nod to their creator, Jay Ward.
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How Rocky Was Created
Rocky was first thought up by Jay Ward and his partner Alex Anderson. They planned a show called The Frostbite Falls Review, but it never got made. Instead, Rocky became the star of his own show, Rocky and His Friends.
Later, the show moved from the ABC network to NBC. Its name changed to The Bullwinkle Show. Bullwinkle became the main character because he was more popular than Rocky at the time.
Rocky's Adventures and Home
Rocky and Bullwinkle lived together in a made-up town called Frostbite Falls, Minnesota. This town was a funny copy of a real town called International Falls, Minnesota.
In their adventures, Rocky and Bullwinkle often had to stop the bad guys. Their main enemies were Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale. Sometimes, they also faced Boris and Natasha's boss, Fearless Leader.
Rocky's most famous saying was "Hokey smoke!"
Rocky's Personality
Rocky was designed to be a good-hearted and slightly innocent American kid. He was the smart one of the "moose and squirrel" team. Rocky often came up with clever ideas to solve problems during their adventures.
However, he could be easily tricked by Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale when they wore disguises. The best he could usually do was say, "Those two look familiar!" or "That voice, where have I heard it before?"
Rocky's Special Abilities
Rocky often used his amazing ability to fly. When he flew, you would hear a cool jet engine sound effect, just like his full name, Rocket J. Squirrel! The first opening of Rocky and His Friends even showed him as a "Jet Age aerial ace," doing an air show for a crowd.
His flying skills were shown a bit differently in various episodes. Sometimes, he could only glide, like a real flying squirrel. Other times, he could fly like Superman, hovering and carrying things. For example, in one story, he flew all the way from Minnesota to Washington, D.C. by himself!
Sometimes, Rocky would get an extra boost from Bullwinkle's strength. Bullwinkle would help him with an acrobatic move to make him fly even faster. The show said Rocky learned his flying skills at the Cedar Yorpantz Flying School. This name is a funny way of saying "seat of your pants," which means learning by doing.
Who Voiced Rocky?
The talented voice actress June Foray was the original voice of Rocky. She also voiced Natasha Fatale and many other characters. June Foray continued to voice Rocky in newer Rocky and Bullwinkle projects, including the movie in 2000, until she passed away in 2017.
In a GEICO commercial, Rocky was voiced by Lauri Fraser.
For the 2018 Amazon Video series The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, Tara Strong took over as Rocky's voice.
Other Places Rocky Has Appeared
Rocky has popped up in many other places!
- The famous cartoonist Gary Larson once drew Rocky in his comic strip The Far Side. Larson joked that Rocky was very hard to draw!
- In 2014, Rocky and Bullwinkle were in a GEICO TV commercial. They were looking at the Rocky Mountains with the GEICO Gecko, who tried to explain how the mountains got their name.
- During a baseball game in the late 1990s, a real squirrel ran onto the field. The TV showed the squirrel with a funny graphic calling him "Rocket J. Squirrel" and saying his position was "Shortstop."
Rocky in Comics
Rocky and Bullwinkle have appeared in many comic books over the years:
- Rocky and his Friends (1960) (Dell)
- Bullwinkle (1962) (Gold Key)
- Rocky and His Fiendish Friends (1962) (Gold Key)
- Bullwinkle Mother Moose Nursery Pomes (1962) (Dell)
- Bullwinkle and Rocky (1970) (Charlton)
- Bullwinkle and Rocky (1987) (Star Comics)
- Bullwinkle and Rocky Marvel Moosterworks (1992) (Marvel)
- Rocky and Bullwinkle (2014) (IDW)
Rocky in Video Games
You can also find Rocky in video games:
- The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends (1992)
- Rocky and Bullwinkle (2008)
