Crusader Rabbit is an American animated cartoon series created by Alexander Anderson and Jay Ward, and the first of its kind to be produced specifically for television. Its main characters were Crusader Rabbit and his sidekick Ragland T. Tiger, or "Rags". The stories were four-minute-long satirical cliffhangers.

The concept was test marketed in 1948, The program was syndicated from 1950 to 1951 for 195 episodes, then was revived in 1956 for 260 color episodes.

Production history

The concept of a cartoon series made exclusively for television came from animator Alex Anderson, who worked for Terrytoons Studios founded by Anderson's uncle Paul Terry. Terrytoons turned down Anderson's proposed series, preferring to remain in theatrical film animation. Consequently, Anderson approached Jay Ward to create a partnership – Anderson being in charge of production and Ward arranging financing. Ward became business manager and producer, joining with Anderson to form "Television Arts Productions" in 1947.

They tried to sell the series, initially presented as part of a proposed series, The Comic Strips of Television, which featured an earlier incarnation of Dudley Do-Right of the Mounties – to the NBC TV network, with Jerry Fairbanks as the network's "supervising producer". Each program began with a title sequence of a mounted knight galloping across the screen. The episodes then featured a short, usually satirical, adventure in the form of a movie serial, ending with a cliffhanger.

Crusader Rabbit was syndicated from 1950 to 1952, totaling 195 episodes (divided into 10 "crusades"), and then re-aired for many years. It featured Crusader Rabbit, his companion Ragland T. Tiger ("Rags"), and their occasional nemeses – Dudley Nightshade (whose name was a play on the poisonous plant "deadly nightshade") and Whetstone Whiplash with his sidekick, Bilious Green. Some episodes featured Crusader's and Rags' friend Garfield the Groundhog. Ragland Tiger's name was a pun on the jazz tune "Tiger Rag"; his middle initial "T" stood for The (as in Rags The Tiger). As a running gag, another character would ask Rags what the "T" stood for, to which he would reply, "Larry. My father couldn't spell!"

The series was revived and 13 new "crusades" (totaling 260 color episodes) were produced in 1956 by Shull Bonsall's Capital Enterprises. Bonsall purchased Television Arts Productions and gained the rights to Crusader Rabbit during a protracted legal battle between Jay Ward, Alex Anderson, Jerry Fairbanks and the NBC network over ownership of the series. Animation was provided by Bonsall's Creston Studios, also known as TV Spots, Inc., supervised by Bob Ganon and Gerald Ray. The new series was not seen until early 1959.

The revived (2nd) series used an opening and closing theme from the British "Impress" production music library licensed by Emil Ascher publishing of New York. It was titled "Juggins", and was composed by Van Phillips, the professional name of Alexander Van Cleve Phillips.

In 2009, AudioTape, Inc. released a three-DVD set of 11 Crusader Rabbit serials; two from the black-and-white era (including "Crusader Rabbit vs. the State of Texas") and nine from the color era.

  • There were two Dell Publishing comic books featuring Crusader Rabbit and Rags.

Episodes

  • Crusader vs. the State of Texas (15 chapters)
  • Crusader vs. the Pirates (20 chapters)
  • Crusader and the Rajah of Rinsewater (20 chapters)
  • Crusader and the Schmohawk Indians (15 chapters)
  • Crusader and the Great Horse Mystery (20 chapters)
  • Crusader and the Circus (10 chapters)
  • Crusader in the Tenth Century (30 chapters)
  • Crusader and the Mad Hollywood Scientist (15 chapters)
  • Crusader and the Leprechauns (25 chapters)
  • Crusader and the Showboat (25 chapters)

Production staff

  • Executive Producer: Jerry Fairbanks
  • Producers: Jay Ward, Alex Anderson
  • Director: Alex Anderson
  • Story: Alex Anderson, Joe Curtin, Hal Goodman, Arthur North, Lloyd Turner
  • Artists: Alex Anderson, Bob Bastian, Bob Bemiller, Chuck Fusion, Randy Grochoski, Ed King, Ted Martine, Bob Mills, Lee Mishkin, Grim Natwick, Russ Sholl, Jim Scott, John Sparey, Dean Spille, Spaulding White, Volney White
  • Camera: Bob Oleson, Jack Williams
  • Music: Clarence E. Wheeler
  • Editor: Tom Stanford

Voices

  • Lucille Bliss — Crusader Rabbit