[Pet Health Admin]

Customer Review: Historically interesting, but...
This is interesting for two reasons. 1) This 15 part serial contains the very first episodes of the very first made-for-tv cartoon show, and 2) It's the debut of Alex Anderson and Jay Ward, the creators of Rocky and Bullwinkle. The animation here is very crude and primitive (even Alex Anderson admitted this in an interview years later). The first episodes have very little movement at all, and it gets only slightly better as the series progresses. What saves the day is that these stories are very imaginative and full of whimsy and charm. Once you have the patience to sit through the crude artwork, it kind of grows on you and draws you in. Essentially, it's the tale of how CR takes his readings of Knight stories and decides to do his part to help his fellow creatures by becoming CRUSADER RABBIT. He goes to a circus and rescues Ragland T. Tiger (aka "Rags") from his cage and in return, Rags becomes his sidekick. They go to Texas to "fight for the equal rights" of Jackrabbits (Crusader's cousins) who are being "persecuted" for eating the state's carrot supply and endagering the eyesight of human Texans. One wonders if Ward and Anderson based this story on the real violations of equal rights of Blacks and Mexicans in Texas (and other states) during that time. There is even a gag about then-President Harry Truman in the mix of things. It's interesting to compare this to Bullwinkle & Rocky. Rocky and Crusader are boylike heroes (each actually voiced by female actors, June Foray and Lucille Bliss) and Rags and Bullwinkle are their taller sidekicks with VERY similar voices (although Rags is a tad brighter than his Moose cousin). Both are crudely animated, but are acquired tastes after prolonged viewing. Both of them use current events as satire in their stories. While R&B's humor is more slap-happy, go for the gut, and fall down on the floor funny, CR makes you smile with it's charm, imagination, and whimsy. (CR's nemesis in this serial is known as the "Chief Hare Remover."). While not for all tastes, it's quite amusing if you give it a chance. You'll also get some good cartoon history as part of the bargain. Needs to be on DVD, though.


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