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In our modern era of 3D computer wizardry, it’s easy to look back and say Rocky and Bullwinkle was more of an illustrated radio show than a cartoon. The clever, pun-based humor was the foundation of the show, and the shorter skits contained within every half-hour episode (Peabody and Sherman, Fractured Fairy Tales, and The World of Commander McBragg) were as entertaining as the main plot. Some of these skits, such as Mr. Know-It-All (featuring Bullwinkle himself) would appear in other shows with a similar format (i.e. Dudley Do-Right, Underdog, and Tennessee Tuxedo.)

The show and its main characters, the loveable Moose and squirrel duo, have been around for almost 50 years, remaining a definitive example of how brilliant writing cannot be hampered by even the choppiest, most limited animation techniques.

The 2000 movie based on the series, “The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle” (written by Kenneth Lonergan) was combination of live-action and 3D animation, produced with a $76 million budget. In spite of this, the movie didn’t perform well enough at the box office to justify the expense. Apparently, the movie was judged by the high standards of the original cartoon and failed to live up to public expectations. In light of this, the case can be made for the success of the Rocky and Bullwinkle show, and in fact the vast majority of cartoons, to be primarily dependent on the appeal of the writing, as opposed to the quality of animation.

Then again, this was the first time the characters had been reinvented for a modern audience, and the visual contrast between the old show and the new movie was immense. Something else to consider is the format of the show consisting of short stories split up into separate parts in the course of a single episode. The feature-length film adaptation took the characters out of their successful format and placed them in one where they were never seen before. Perhaps the series is too ingrained within its stylization and format to be successfully reinvented in such a radically new way.

 Bullwinkle’s Family Fun Center

Though the original show ceased production decades ago, the brand lives on in a chain of restaurant and entertainment sites called Bullwinkle’s Restaurant. Equipped with a miniature golf course, arcade games, go karts, and rides, and plenty of familiar mascots, it’s a perfect place for children’s birthday parties if you live on the west coast. Locations include Washington, in the towns of Tukwila and Edmonds, Wilsonville Oregon, and Upland California.

You can catch all the classic episodes of the show on Hulu.com