Crusader Rabbit
About Crusader Rabbit
A milestone in TV history, Crusader Rabbit was the first made-for-television animated series. Conceived by animator Alex Anderson and financier Jay Ward, the series was sold to NBC in 1948. The network decided not telecast Crusader Rabbit on their network, allowing the producers to sell the series in national syndication, with many NBC affiliates (including New York and Los Angeles) picking it up for local showings.
Skeptics thought a weekly animated series would be too costly to turn a profit, but Ward came up with a way to buck the system: limited animation. Most classically animated theatrical cartoons had 40 cels (individual drawings) per foot of film, but Ward's new style would utilize only 4 cels per foot. As a result, the 19.5-minute shows came in at approximately $2,500 per episode.
Episode guide
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Crusader Vs. The Pirates
Crusader and Rags arrive on Dunkin Island, which bobs above and below water level, and which has caused the natives to evolve into "merbunnies." Our hero foils a plot by Black Bilge and his…
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Crusader And The Rajah Of Rinsewater
The Rajah of Rinsewater is trapping India's tigers to steal their stripes for India ink. Crusader and Rags discover that Dudley Nightshade has replaced Prime Minister Ali Oxenfree, in order…
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Crusader And The Schmohawk Indians
The diminished Schmohawk Indian Tribe is helped by Crusader, who suggests they fake going on the warpath for publicity. But the timid tribe flees when General Horsewhip and the U.S. Army ar…
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Crusader And The Great Horse Mystery
Crusader's old pal Andiron the Fire Horse needs help. The steeds of Oatville, Kentucky, are vanishing. Crusader learns that Gaston Glub (of Glub's Glue fame) is making a new superglue from…
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Crusader And The Circus
Rag's childhood home- Colonel E. Pluribus Truepenny's traveling circus- is in trouble: the Colonel is missing, and his will states the circus will go to evil ringmaster Whetstone Whiplash a…
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Crusader In The Tenth Century
Blackheart, Brimstone and Bigot (the nasty Blaggard brothers) terrorize Merrie Olde England. When they ask Sir Chester Chillblain for his daughter Mary Anne's hand in marriage, the court ma…
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Crusader And The Mad Hollywood Scientist
Vengeful Professor Belfry Q. Batts- a frustrated actor- invents gloom juice, to make all Hollywood actors ugly. When Crusader investigates, Rags is connected to a brain-switching machine al…
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Crusader And The Leprechauns
Crusader, Rags and Garfield Groundhog travel to Ireland with leprechaun chief Pat Finnegan to find Finn McCool XIII, a greedy giant who has driven the leprechauns from their homeland. Crusa…
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Crusader And The Showboat
Captain Huckleberry, owner of the Mississippi showboat Levee Belle, thinks he's being jinxed by the headless Oarsman, a river ghost. But Crusader, Rags and Garfield discover the real villai…
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Crusader Vs. The State Of Texas
The people of Texas begin deporting their jackrabbits to the North Pole. Crusader Rabbit is informed by Frank Sawbuck (famed rabbit and hare removalist) that the jackrabbits are eating all…
