The Road Runner Rules...!

Nearly anyone that has ever watched a Road Runner cartoon found it to be one of the best. Nearly everyone likes it, right?

Turns out that one of the reasons is that the popular cartoon has always followed a strict set of rules with it's script. Here is how that all came to be.

The Road Runner Rules

If there’s any cartoon that you’d think wouldn’t take itself too seriously, it would be one where a roadrunner is chased by a coyote—and that’s all. From the silly Latin names describing the creatures to the blatant disregard for all the hard work of Sir Isaac Newton, the Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner cartoons seem to be sillier than focused. But there’s a reason the show worked; it followed a very strict guideline.

Chuck Jones was the genius who created Wile E. Coyote and his archnemesis, the Road Runner. Jones took his craft quite seriously and wanted to make sure that it wasn’t simply havoc that dictated the capers. Animators and scripts followed very specific rules that created an environment that made the show so successful. Some are simple; the action is contained in the American Southwest, where the animals do reside in real life.

Others are simply brilliant when you think of how the show unfolds. For one, the Road Runner never directly harms the Coyote. This is different from most cartoons of the era when either protagonist could inflict harm. The Coyote is only harmed by his own ineptitude or the failure of his elaborate traps. Another rule is that all devices must be ordered from Acme Products. Most importantly, gravity is the greatest foe of the Coyote whenever possible. When you think of the rules and how they play into the show, the restrictions cause the brilliance that has made the show endure the test of time.

What ever the reason for it's success, the ol' Road Runner and the Coyote always has been a favorite of mine. I can remember my father actually laughing out loud at those cartoons! That alone is reason enough for me to think fondly of them.

Coffee out on the patio again this morning!