Jay Ward

J. Troplong "Jay" Ward (September 20, 1920–October 12, 1989) was a creator and producer of animated television cartoons. He is known for producing animated series based on characters such as Crusader Rabbit, Rocky & Bullwinkle, Dudley Do-Right, Peabody and Sherman, Hoppity Hooper, George of the Jungle, Tom Slick and Super Chicken. His company, Jay Ward Productions, also designed the trademark characters for Cap'n Crunch, Quisp, and Quake breakfast cereals and made commercials for those products, among others.

Publicity hound

Ward fought many heated battles over content with the network and sponsor, but had little fear of censorship or lawsuits. He, in fact, begged organizations to sue him, quipping, "We need the publicity."

Related Topics:
Network - Censorship

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An eccentric and proud of it, Ward was known for pulling an unusual publicity stunt that happened to coincide with a major national crisis. Jay Ward bought an island in the area near his home and dubbed it "Moosylvania," based upon the home of his most famous TV character Bullwinkle. He and publicist Howard Brandy crossed the country in a circus wagon, gathering signatures on a petition for statehood for Moosylvania. They then visited Washington, D.C. and attempted to gain an audience with President John F. Kennedy. Unfortunately, they arrived at the White House just at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis and were escorted off the grounds at gunpoint.

Related Topics:
Publicity stunt - Washington, D.C. - John F. Kennedy - White House - Cuban Missile Crisis

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