Bullwinkle J. Moose

Bullwinkle Moose
Turn the moose loose! Bullwinkle flies along Central Park West in 1963. (Photo: The Bill Smith Collection)
Years active	1961-1983
Sponsor	The Kalmus Company (1961-1965) Macy's (1966-1983)
Type	Giant Balloon
Designers	William R. Ludwick John Grisak
Manufacturer	Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
Height	65 feet
Width	35 feet
Weight	317 lbs.
Helium Volume	8,200 cubic ft.
Handling Lines	30
Handlers	30
NBC Underscore	"U. of Moosylvania Fight" (1964) Generic Milton delugg music (1976, 1981, 1983)

Jay Ward's Rocky & Bullwinkle
The lovable lug and his best pal Rocky soar down the route in 1996. (Photo: Macy's, Inc.)
Years active	1996, 1999-2000
Sponsor	Universal Studios Consumer Products Group
Type	Giant Balloon
Designer	Manfred Bass
Manufacturer	Raven Aerostar
Height	41 feet
Length	68 feet
Width	32 feet
Weight	475 lbs.
Helium Volume	9,000 cubic ft.
Handling Lines	50
Handlers	50
NBC Underscore	"The Bullwinkle Show" theme remix, composed by Milton Delugg

Bullwinkle J. Moose is a fictional character and one of two main protagonists of the animated television series The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. Created by Jay Ward and Alex Anderson, Bullwinkle is a dim-witted, but good-hearted moose who is best friends with Rocky the Flying Squirrel. Bullwinkle lives with his plucky flying-squirrel friend in the small town of Frostbite Falls, Minnesota and is an alumni of Wossamotta U, which he attended on a football scholarship. He often goes on adventures with Rocky to confront the duo's Russian-like spy adversaries, Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale.

Bullwinkle is most famous for his appearances in The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, which ran from 1959 to 1961 on ABC, and later from 1961 through 1964 on NBC. The show ran on repeats on ABC following its culmination, and has been in syndication ever since. In 1996, Bullwinkle was ranked #32 on TV Guide’s 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time.

History with the Macy's Parade

Bullwinkle Moose (1961-1983)

Bullwinkle J. Moose made his Parade debut as a giant helium balloon in the 1961 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, promoting new episodes of The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show on NBC. The balloon was born on the drawing boards of Goodyear development engineer William R. Ludwick and John Grisak in the summer of 1961, based on illustrations provided by Jay Ward.

When designing the Bullwinkle balloon, Ludwick discovered that the character’s top-heavy shape would guarantee an upside-down flight. To mitigate this, he fattened the upper torso, broadened the shoulders, and added a turn-of-the-century bathing suit (inspired by the character’s appearance in a Cheerios commercial) to ensure the balloon would float upright.

The Bullwinkle balloon was constructed by Goodyear’s Industrial Products division at their plant in Litchfield Park, Arizona. Building the balloon required more than 500 yards of neoprene-coated nylon, 50 gallons of specialized paint, and more than 1,000 man hours of work, ultimately costing General Mills’ publicity team—the Kalmus Company—a reported $20,000. Once the three months of design and construction work were completed, the balloon measured 65 feet tall with an antler spread of 35 feet. Helping Bullwinkle do a backstroke down Broadway were 30 handlers and 8,200 cubic feet of helium that filled the balloon’s 20 separate compartments.

In fall 1961, the newly-made Bullwinkle balloon was trucked to Akron, Ohio for its inaugural flight at the Wingfoot Lake Blimp Hangar. Later that year, Bullwinkle officially made his New York debut alongside five other Goodyear-made balloons.

Bullwinkle instantly became a parade staple, continuing to appear in the line of march even after the animated series ceased production in 1964. In 1966, sponsorship of the balloon was transferred to Macy’s.

In 1971, the Bullwinkle balloon (and all of its contemporaries) were grounded due to gusty winds and torrential rain that prevented Goodyear crews from inflating and flying the balloons. In place of the balloon’s planned live appearance on the NBC broadcast, archival footage from its 1970 Parade appearance was shown.

The Bullwinkle balloon’s first major abrasion came in 1973, when its left foot was deflated. Despite attempts by inflation crews to supply the balloon with an air supply, Bullwinkle had to travel with his injury. The next year, a flag displaying the moose’s mug was hung outside of Macy’s Herald Square for the Parade’s festivities.

Gusty winds affected the 1982 Parade, and as a result caused problems with many of the balloons. Ever his clumsy self, Bullwinkle, the first balloon in the lineup, collided with trees along Central Park West. The balloon continued its march down Broadway with a deflated nose, but was eventually pulled at 37^th Street, just a few blocks shy of the finish line.

When the Bullwinkle balloon returned the following year, it kicked off the lineup as the lead balloon once more. Though the balloon was buffeted by high winds, it was able to complete its march without any punctures. Following this appearance, the balloon was permanently retired from the lineup.

The Bullwinkle balloon sat deflated and dormant at Macy’s Parade Studio in Hoboken, New Jersey for several years after its final appearance. Organizers considered flying the balloon again for the Parade’s 70^th anniversary in 1996, however leaks from the balloon’s many years of wear-and-tear meant it was unable to be flown again.

In February 2000, a quality control test was conducted on the balloon, revealing its declining state. Several parts of the balloon including its head, antlers, arms, and legs had begun to deteriorate. The report addressed further issues with the balloon including diffusion and damage to its paint and rip panels. Ultimately, Bullwinkle was cut into swatches and was disposed of alongside several other Goodyear balloons in 2005.

Jay Ward's Rocky & Bullwinkle (1996, 1999-2000)

Bullwinkle returned to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade lineup in 1996 with an all-new giant helium balloon, celebrating the Parade’s 70^th anniversary. The return of the beloved moose was a warmly welcomed one, as Macy’s had gotten “more letters requesting to bring back Bullwinkle than just about anybody,” said parade director Jean McFaddin.

The animated propeller can be seen spinning at Balloonfest 1996. (Footage: NBC)

Flying down Broadway on an antler and a prayer, the new Bullwinkle proudly wore a red sweater from his alma mater, Wossamotta U, measuring 68 feet long, 41 feet tall, and 32 feet from antler to antler. Giving the balloon some much needed lift was Bullwinkle’s best pal, Rocky the Flying Squirrel, and 9,000 cubic feet of helium. The spinning propeller beanie cap perched between his antlers was powered by a mobile battery unit—the first of its kind to be used in a Macy’s Parade balloon.

On November 16, the new Rocky & Bullwinkle balloon took its inaugural test flight at Balloonfest in Hoboken, New Jersey alongside other classic Macy’s characters. Later that month, the balloon held the distinction of kicking off the 70^th anniversary procession. Bullwinkle was also named the 1996 Macy's Holiday Ambassador, with a special cold-air inflatable perched on the Herald Square store's memorial marquee. A special plush toy of Bullwinkle in seasonal gear was also sold.

Despite the balloon's popularity with older viewers, the decision was made to retire the new Bullwinkle balloon after only one appearance. McFaddin explained the choice in a 1998 interview, saying "We brought Bullwinkle back a couple of years ago and I thought he was a big hit, but again, it was amazing who knows Bullwinkle and who doesn't. The big kids loved him, but the little kids didn't know him, and the little kids get more of a vote."

In 1999, after a few years of absence, the Rocky & Bullwinkle balloon made its grand return to the parade lineup to promote the 50^th anniversary of The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, and the duo’s silver screen debut in The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, which was released the following year.

The balloon made one more appearance in the 2000 Parade, noticeably sans Rocky, who had sprung a leak prior to step-off. Noticing the deflated squirrel, Jim Artle and Dany Jones of the Macy’s balloonatic team climbed a forklift and stitched Rocky into something resembling a backpack; the Parade spectators were none the wiser.

Macy’s spokesperson Ronnie Taffet offered a different explanation for Rocky’s absence. “Overnight, he basically ate a large amount of nuts and just couldn’t take off the next morning. He was stuffed,” she said. “There was nothing that could have helped him feel better in time.” Taffet also added that Rocky would “definitely be back next year.” Despite her statement, Rocky nor Bullwinkle made an appearance in the 2001 Parade, and the Macy’s Parade has since been without a Bullwinkle balloon.

Trivia

• Until 1978, the blue pupils on the original Bullwinkle balloon were inconsistent with those of its animated counterpart, which were black
• Bullwinkle is the first character balloon to be wearing a bathing suit. The second one being The Pink Panther.
• Originally, a Rocky the Flying Squirrel balloon was to be made in 1961 to accompany the original Bullwinkle balloon. The idea was shelved as Goodyear feared it would be disproportionate to the six-story balloon.
• Costumed versions of Rocky and Bullwinkle accompanied the original balloon during its 1980 Parade appearance. Bullwinkle later appeared in the grandstands outside Macy's Herald Square during the 1996 broadcast.
• The original Bullwinkle and Happy Dragon balloons were the first characters to reach a record-breaking 20 appearances in 1980.
• The original Bullwinkle balloon made several appearances outside of the Parade, including at the annual Easter Egg Roll at the White House in 1982, and at the opening of a Macy’s store (alongside Woody Woodpecker) at the Aventura Mall in Miami, Florida in October 1983.
• In June 1997, the Rocky & Bullwinkle balloon was flown at the opening of a Macy’s store at the North Star Mall in San Antonio, Texas.
• Between 2003 and 2007, the Rocky & Bullwinkle balloon was air-inflated at Universal Orlando for the seasonal Balloonopolis attraction, which ran concurrently with Macy’s Holiday Parade each year.

See also

• Bullwinkle J. Moose/Gallery