ROCKY & BULLWINKLE & FRIENDS: COMPLETE SEASON 1
© 2003 Sony Music

Mania Grade: A-
Disc Grade: B
Reviewed Format: DVD
Rated: Not Rated
Voices: Bill Scott, June Foray, Paul Frees, Hans Conried, Edward Everett Horton
Writers: various
Directors: various
Distributor: Sony Music
Original Years of Release: 1959-1960
Retail Price: $39.98
Extras: bumpers, commercials and promos; rare episode; sneak peak at Season Two

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ROCKY & BULLWINKLE & FRIENDS: COMPLETE SEASON ONE

It has long been pondered, "Were Rocky and Bullwinkle created for man or was man created for Rocky and Bullwinkle?" Well, low I.Q.ers, isn't it obvious? Man was created for Rocky and Bullwinkle, for without Rocky and Bullwinkle life is meaningless.

What is it about this simian-brained moose and his effeminate flying squirrel pal that solve all of life's problems? Could it be that crude, but aesthetically pleasing, animation - compliments of Mexico? Perhaps it's that smarmy Ivy League humor that's as subtle as a fart in diving sphere. Some have suggested it's the accompanying joint, necessary for a 30-something male TV critic to feel emotionally secure when he's spending over 520 minutes with a children's television show rather than taking advantage of all those hot dates just waiting at the other end of the 1-900 call. What about those other characters like Mr. Peabody (a dog in desperate need of euthanasia), Dudley Do-Right (who manages to be oblivious to his main girl's bestiality cravings), Sherman (a boy so insecure he believes he is owned by his dog), Aesop and Son (whose infrequent appearances could only be improved by greater infrequency), and of course Boris Badenov (whose last name sounds suspiciously like Bad Enough, but no self respecting television writer would ever spring a pun that bad on the youth market)?

Who knows what it is for sure, but what we do know is that whenever you need to talk a person out of jumping out a ten story window, all you need do is mention Bullwinkle J. Moose and - BOOM - life suddenly has meaning. (Plan B is to tell them that the 10^th floor windows don't open and that they may want to try the ones on 12.)

With a show so monumentally important to the psyche of the normal human (people who claim not to be affected by Rocky and Bullwinkle are abnormal and should not be trusted, particularly when around knives), why has it taken so damn long to put together a proper chronological DVD set of this masterpiece? I blame monetary reasons.

Fortunately the time has come for us anal retentive collectors to reach up to the heavens and thank God once again (I've heard that heaven is stuffed to the gills with DVD related thanks) that finally there is a profitable market for our needs, and as a result we have ROCKY & BULLWINKLE & FRIENDS: COMPLETE SEASON ONE (and SAVED BY THE BELL and GOOD TIMES indeed). Then you can promptly get pissed that Season One, which was originally called ROCKY AND HIS FRIENDS, has had a name change with segments from later seasons used as the inter-titles, plus there's a stupid R&B graphic that pops up on the bottom right hand corner of the screen from time to time. Why, you can tear your hair out about it! Go ahead, this article will still be here.

So with this amazing, unbelievable, life-affirming compilation of cartoons finally here, what can we expect? Well for one, you can enjoy those cute Rocky and Bullwinkle serials in proper order in one very, very, very long sitting. And let me tell you they make just as much sense in proper sequence as they do out of order! Then you can relax to the unbelievably almost-hysterical "Fractured Fairy Tales" bits and wonder if the voice talents have anything up their sleeves besides third rate Jerry Lewis and Phil Silvers impressions! Of course there's a plethora of "Mr. Peabody's Improbable History" in which that smug dog is just begging for a punch in the face... make that two punches. Then there's the other stuff like "Dudley Do-Right," which was made into a move that grossed 3 dollars, and, ugh, "Aesop and Son."

Now fans of the series may wonder why I haven't mentioned the show's creators Jay Ward and Bill Scott and how they transformed what should have been a simple children's cartoon into a rambunctious, satirical wonder that adults who watch children's cartoons could enjoy and discuss in chat rooms, at comic conventions, at "House of Donuts," at the local porn theater, and of course at the flea market. Then again those people may just want me to shut up.

The disc released by Sony contains 26 episodes of ROCKY & BULLWINKLE & FRIENDS. Which is a quite a lot, believe me. The picture quality is good and the sound is there, so I'm happy. The extras include a segment called "Dear Bullwinkle" - originally planned as bumpers for the show, these bits use a puppet Bullwinkle to cut costs and frighten children. There are some commercials for the show, always a nice touch. Then there's this rare episode, "Rocky & Bullwinkle Saving Stamp Club," where Rocky, Bullwinkle, Sherman and Peabody team up to kick some booty. After all that craziness you'd hardly expect a dull clip show featuring Boris Badenov, but you'll get it!!! Wrapping it all up is two Rocky & Bullwinkle episodes from season two.

Now go forth and purchase!