Jay Ward and friends
Jay Ward (born Joseph Ward Cohen Jr.; September 20, 1920 – October 12, 1989) was the producer of classic cartoons such as Rocky and Bullwinkle, George of the Jungle and Hoppity Hooper. He and his partner, Bill Scott, also created Cap'n Crunch and other cereal mascots for Quaker Oats.
Not to be confused with the voice actor who voiced Wolf O'Donnell.
Works which Ward created and/or produced:
- Crusader Rabbit (Created with Alex Anderson)
- George of the Jungle (Created with Bill Scott)
- Hoppity Hooper (Produced)
- Rocky and Bullwinkle (Created with Alex Anderson and Bill Scott)
- Dudley Do-Right (originally a segment on Rocky and Bullwinkle, Ward produced it when it got its own show)
Tropes which appear in his works:
- Lemony Narrator
- Limited Animation: His animated shows tended to be this due to their low budgets. They made up for this with the quality of the writing.
- Mismatched Atomic Expressionism: Due to their low budgets and the era they were produced in, the animation and designs of Ward's many productions followed this aesthetic.
- Postmodernism: This was a staple of Jay Ward Productions — Rocky and Bullwinkle, George of the Jungle, Dudley Do-Right, and their associated spinoffs. Because the shows had low budgets and Limited Animation, Ward made up the difference with snappy writing rife with Lemony Narrators, characters breaking or ignoring the fourth-wall, Medium Awareness, self-deprecating humor, Genre Savvy, Animated Actors, and more.
- Thick-Line Animation: Again, one of the staples of Ward's productions.
- World of Pun: All of his work was this in spades. Rocky and Bullwinkle, George of the Jungle, all of them were just rife with puns. The narrator was especially fond of the "Tune in next time, when we hear Bullwinkle say..." variety.
