The 1990s saw a renaissance in American animation on television, as the phenomenal ratings success of The Simpsons prompted network executives to introduce a host of new cartoon series for adult audiences. But the irreverent humor and satirical eye of these post-modern programs owed a great debt to one of the pioneering shows of this genre, Rocky and Bullwinkle. The animated series about a moose and a squirrel aired from 1959 to 1964 on various networks, setting the standard for sophisticated cartoon whimsy.

"Bullwinkle was a magnificent marriage of concept, writing, performing, and direction," observed June Foray in 1991. Foray would know, having served as the voice of Rocket J. Squirrel since the cartoon's inception in 1959. A one-time radio performer, Foray was hired for the long-running gig by Jay Ward, a Harvard Business School graduate who created Rocky and Bullwinkle in the late 1950s. Ward, who had...