Upsidaisium
Encyclopedia
The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show
The Rocky & Bullwinkle Show is an American animated television series that originally aired from November 19, 1959 to June 28, 1964 on the ABC and NBC television networks...
and The Bullwinkle Show
The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show
The Rocky & Bullwinkle Show is an American animated television series that originally aired from November 19, 1959 to June 28, 1964 on the ABC and NBC television networks...
animated series, in the story arc
Story arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
entitled Upsidaisium
Upsidaisium (story arc)
Upsidaisium is the first story arc from the second season of Rocky and His Friends. With 36 segments it was the second-longest of all Rocky and Bullwinkle story arcs, and concerns Rocky and Bullwinkle's efforts to reclaim Bullwinkle's Uncle's Upsidaisium mine...
. The term comes from "ups-a-daisy!", an expression often used when playfully tossing a small child into the air.
As revealed in the storyline, upsidaisium is a rare mineral that possesses antigravity properties (it is so rare because it's impossible to hold onto, and the only known source is Mt. Flatten, a floating mountain) ; as a result, it is usually shown as hovering above the ground to varying degrees, and requires heavy weights to keep it rooted to the ground for storage.
In the story, Bullwinkle
Bullwinkle J. Moose
Bullwinkle J. Moose is a fictional character in the 1959–1964 animated television series Rocky and His Friends and The Bullwinkle Show, often collectively referred to as Rocky and Bullwinkle, produced by Jay Ward and Bill Scott...
has inherited the mountain from a late uncle, and sets out with his friend Rocky the flying squirrel to claim the mountain and turn its upsidaisium over to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
government, though their efforts meet hindrance from the series' villains, Boris Badenov
Boris Badenov
Boris Badenov is a fictional character in the 1960s animated cartoons Rocky and His Friends and The Bullwinkle Show, collectively referred to as Rocky and Bullwinkle for short. He is voiced by Paul Frees....
and Natasha Fatale
Natasha Fatale
Natasha Fatale is a fictional character in the 1960s animated cartoons Rocky and His Friends and The Bullwinkle Show, collectively referred to as Rocky and Bullwinkle for short...
.
A follow-up storyline, Metal-Munching Mice
Metal-Munching Mice
Metal-Munching Mice is the second story arc from the second season of Rocky and His Friends. It was broadcast on ABC during the 1960/61 television season on Thursdays, concurrently with Upsidaisium on Sundays.-Synopsis:...
, shows that upsidaisium in small amounts is capable of escaping Earth's gravitation
Gravitation
Gravitation, or gravity, is a natural phenomenon by which physical bodies attract with a force proportional to their mass. Gravitation is most familiar as the agent that gives weight to objects with mass and causes them to fall to the ground when dropped...
al pull and drifting off into outer space
Outer space
Outer space is the void that exists between celestial bodies, including the Earth. It is not completely empty, but consists of a hard vacuum containing a low density of particles: predominantly a plasma of hydrogen and helium, as well as electromagnetic radiation, magnetic fields, and neutrinos....
if left unchecked or uncontrolled.
Upsidasium was referenced in an episode of the Winnie the Pooh television series. When trying to teach Tigger
Tigger
Tigger is a fictional tiger-like character originally introduced in A. A. Milne's book The House at Pooh Corner. Like other Pooh characters, Tigger is based on one of Christopher Robin Milne's stuffed animals...
how to bounce better, Rabbit
Rabbit (Winnie the Pooh)
In the fictional world of the book series and cartoons Winnie-the-Pooh, Rabbit is a responsible rabbit who happens to be a good friend of Winnie-the-Pooh. He is always practical and keeps his friends on their toes, although they sometimes raise his ire unintentionally.-Role in the books:The first...
says that his uncle was from 'Upsidaisia' and his shoes had the ability to jump to enormous heights.
In The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
episode "Never Again
Never Again (The X-Files)
"Never Again" is the thirteenth episode of the fourth season of the television series The X-Files.-Plot:In Philadelphia, Ed Jerse loses a divorce settlement to his ex-wife, who has sole custody of his child. After getting drunk at a local bar, Ed wanders into a tattoo parlor and impulsively...
," Scully notices a parallel between a would-be informant's tale and this Bullwinkle serial.
See also
- CavoriteThe First Men in the MoonThe First Men in the Moon is a 1901 scientific romance novel by the English author H. G. Wells. The novel tells the story of a journey to the moon undertaken by the two protagonists, the impoverished businessman Mr Bedford and the brilliant but eccentric scientist Dr. Cavor...
- InertronInertronInertron is a fictional metallic chemical substance found in the DC Comics Legion of Super-Heroes universe. It is the hardest, densest substance in the DC universe, and is often used by the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th century...
- FlubberFlubberFlubber is a 1997 comedy film and is a remake of The Absent-Minded Professor . The film was produced by Walt Disney Pictures starring Robin Williams...
- KryptoniteKryptoniteKryptonite is a fictional material from the Superman mythos —the ore form of a radioactive element from Superman's home planet of Krypton. It is famous for being the ultimate physical weakness of Superman, and the word kryptonite has since become synonymous with an Achilles' heel —the one weakness...
- Nth MetalNth metalNth metal is a fictional metal in the .-Fictional history:It is native to Thanagar, the home planet of Katar Hol and Shayera Thal, the Silver Age Hawkman and Hawkwoman. Among the unusual properties of Nth metal is the ability to negate gravity, allowing a person wearing an object made of Nth...
- UnobtainiumUnobtainiumIn engineering, fiction, and thought experiments, unobtainium is any extremely rare, costly, or impossible material, or device needed to fulfill a given design for a given application. The properties of any particular unobtainium depend on the intended use...