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 $20,000.00 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 37th 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 70th anniversary in 1996, however leaks from the balloon’s many years of wear and tear meant it was unable to be flown again.