One day at school, in 1967, the teacher asked me to name my favorite cartoon character, thus revealing how little knowledge I had of animation history. Bugs Bunny was all I could think of because that's what aired on early weekday mornings, before school. 

It was joining RetroJunk in 2008 that truly opened me to animation history and a new appreciation for different characters from different animation studios emerged.

Warner Bros. has Bugs Bunny, but was quite a different place before the rabbit took charge.

J. Ward Studios has Rocky and Bullwinkle.

TerryToons has Mighty Mouse.

UPA has Mr. Magoo - but Magoo followed after the most popular character ever created by UPA, Gerald McCloy: the little boy who always spoke in sound effects, never with words.

Gerald, (Boing-Boing), was so popular that he had his own television series in the early 1950's, years before, "The Flintstones", in 1960. As a treat for long-time Gerald fans and as an introduction to a new generation, Gerald McCloy appeared as Tiny Tim in the UPA animated Holiday Special, "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol", from 1962.

The overwhelming popularity of Gerald McCloy from the UPA theatrical shorts cannot be overstated. I would never have guessed all the movies, specials and series Gerald would spawn from what seems like such a small beginning - at least to my eyes. The stuff I don't know is full of surprises.