Pendragons Princess

“Bullwinkle, do you know what an A-bomb is?”

“Sure, a bomb is what some people call our show.”

The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show was anything but a bomb in the early 1960’s when this cartoon was popular on television. Created by Jay Ward and Bill Scott, the cartoon centered on a number of comic situations between the now famous squirrel and moose as well as other visiting characters to the show. Boris Badenov, Natasha Fatale, Mr. Peabody and Sherman were the show’s other guests. But did you know that at least two of the voice actors on the cartoon were childfree?

June Foray, the voice of Rocky Natasha, and Nell Fenwick, was married to Hobart Donavan, a television screenwriter until his death in 1976. June, howver, is still with us, pushing 91 years of age. June hardly needs any introduction to those who grew up in the 1960’s watching cartoons considering her highly prolific career as a voice over actress. She is in fact childfree but has owned fur children during her life and it makes sense, too - who would be able to maximize their talents the way June did and be mother to a bunch of kids at the same time. Having long admired June, I feel she is worthy of mention here for her childfree status.

Walter Tetley, the voice of Sherman, the boy owned by the dog Mr. Peabody, was another childfree actor. Sadly, Walter died in 1975 at the age of sixty but he will be remembered for Sherman as well as Andy Panda in the Walter Lantz cartoons.

These two actors show that even if one is childfree, it is still possible to be actively involved in children’s entertainment.