Parade

A Real Adventures of Jonny Quest float appeared in the January 1, 1997 Tournament of Roses parade in Pasadena, featuring a recreation of the scene to the right. J.D. Roth and an actor in a large Jonny Quest head waved to the crowd. The float was part of a safety contest on TBS encouraging kids to write essays; the winner won a spot in the Quest jeep on the float. For more information on the contest, see Safety Contest with Parade Prize. Two accounts of the parade from a JQMLer are presented below. If you have any pictures of the parade, don't hesitate to send them in to questfanmail@gmail.com!

This is from soooo old, but I have to post this!

here in cali, we have the annual Pasadena Turnament of Roses Parade. I remember back in '96 (or was it '97?) that they had a JQ float made by Cartoon network, and that they had it so that it was like from 'Ndovu's last journey' they had a elephant chasing Jonny in a jeep. and there was this wacky guy with a giant character head of Jonny in a action expression. This was back when I had hated JQ, (I dunno why, but less than 6 months after seeing that float, I fell in love with JQ, odd, huh?)

It was toally cool though, I forget, but either J.D.Roth or Quintin Flyn (sp?) was on that float sitting next to the bad looking disney-character esque Jonny in that jeep. the cool thing was that the whole float was covered in organic materals. I got to voulenteer last year to decorate one of the floats for last year. Too bad it wasen't the dino float by 76 UNICAL.

Well, gatta go, I hope I can decorate the floats this year!!!! (no more silver leaves though!)

Okay, I blabbered enough today.

TOMARROW IS THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL BEFORE THE BREAK! and I'm going to Texas this weekend! comming back the 23rd!

LATER!

-Questina the Water Elf

Ahh yes, another year, another year... um... that means? Oh forget it!

Every time I bring this up, no one seems to care. No one cares that Jonny Quest himself got his very own Rose Parade float in the annual Touranment of Roses Parade?

Yes. Jonny had a parade float. Covered in tons of flowers too. I remember when I saw that, it was before I acutally fell in love with JQTRA, but I still remember that float.

Okay, who's seen the cover for that one JQ book, um... #6, "Monsters Beyond Time"? Well, thats the basic structure how the float looked. A giant angry Elephant chasing a jeep containing a wonky-acting weirdo wearing a giant head thingy to make him look like Jonny Quest, (and he was bouncing all over the float, waving like a maniac too) and right next to him in the jeep thing was J.D. Roth.

Too bad I wasn't infatuated with JQTRA back then, because at that time, I remember myself saying "ewww, Jonny Quest! Ewww! I bet its just as dumb as Power Rangers" boy was I totally wrong!

I guess no one cares that JQ was honored by having his very own rose parade float, eh? I mean, people would work hours to put on all the flowers, seeds, and any other type of plant needed for that float! I remember the parade annoncer peoples mentioning how there was a nicely done detail in the rear vew mirror where you could actually see the mad elephant's red eyes.

I'm gonna go now, and lurk... and such...

whispers* Season 4 of Reboot rocked!! I want a Season 5 now!

-Questina the Water Elf

Additional research:

The float was entered into the parade by the City of Alhambra and built by Phoenix Decorating Company.

The float features Jonny in a jeep being chased by a rampaging elephant. It is styled from art originally done for The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest and included in the series' style guide.

Description from the 1997 Tournament of Roses Parade program:

The City of Alhambra's 67th Rose Parade entry features Johnny Quest® on another thrilling adventure as he flees from the wrath of a stampeding elephant. Racing along in a jeep decorated with paper bark, seeds and green ti leaves, Johnny Quest finds himself in a reversal of fortune. The elephant is covered with yellow strawflowers, clover seed and sesame seed while the garden areas are adorned with roses, orchids, gerbera daisies, iris and lilies.

The winner was announced to be Stephanie Hagan of Atlanta, Georgia.

KTLA 5 had a website documenting the floats, and this was their entry on the Jonny Quest float:

KTLA 5's website for the float

Parade Line Up

54 Float

City of Alhambra, California
"Quest for Adventure"

FLOAT BUILDER:
Phoenix Decorating Company

FLOAT DESCRIPTION:
Height: 17 feet 4 inches Width: 18 feet Length: 35 feet

The City of Alhambra's 67th Rose Parade entry features Johnny Quest® on another thrilling adventure as he flees from the wrath of a stampeding elephant. Racing along in a jeep decorated with paper bark, seeds and green ti leaves, Johnny Quest finds himself in a reversal of fortune.

FLOWERING:
Elephant: yellow strawflowers, clover seed, sesame seed. Jeep: paper bark, seeds and green ti leaves. Trees: cotton seed, ming moss and roses.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
1996 Tournament of Roses Volunteers' Trophy recipient

FLOAT RIDERS:
Johnny Quest (character)

Around Alhambra had an article about the float in its December 1996 issue:

Around Alhambra Dec 1996

1996 ROSE PARADE
'QUEST FOR ADVENTURE'

The City of Alhambra will be sponsoring its 67th entry in the world famous Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade on January 1, 1997. In keeping with this year's parade theme "Life's Shining Moment," the City's float will be titled "Quest for Adventure" and will feature the popular cable cartoon character "Johnny Quest" being chased by a 17-foot-tall elephant.

This will be the 108th Rose Parade and will be viewed by an estimated 425 million people in more than 100 countries. The Alhambra Chamber of Commerce will again be cooperating with the Safe America Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes child transportation safety, and Hanna-Barbera which produces the Johnny Quest cartoon show. Over the past several months, viewers of the show have been sending essays on child safety. The winner of the contest will be riding on the float.

The float was designed by Phoenix Decorating, the same company who designed Alhambra's spectacular entry and winner of the -- "1996 Volunteers Trophy." The float's framework was completed in August and the flower petals and other natural materials will be added to the float by more than 400 volunteers between now and Dec. 31.

The float was again documented by Around Alhambra in its January 1997 issue:

Around Alhambra Jan 1997

'Quest' Preview Was an Adventure

The Alhambra Tournament of Roses Association and the Alhambra Chamber of Commerce hosted a preview of the City's 1997 entry, "Quest for Adventure," Dec. 27.

Nearly 150 volunteers and friends braced the rain and were treated to an interesting and entertaining evening at the Phoenix Decorating Company in Pasadena. In addition to the personal-guided tours of the more than a dozen floats under construction, everyone enjoyed the appearance of the Hanna-Barbera cartoon characters Jonny Quest and George Jetson and his friendly dog Astro.

Councilman Mark Paulson, who is also the association's president, and Safe America Foundation president, Len Pagano, announced the winner of the national child safety essay contest -- Stephanie Hagan of Atlanta, Georgia.

The Safe America Foundation, a national non-profit organization that promotes child transportation safety received 1,300 application essays from children in 20 states, all vying for the opportunity to ride on the Alhambra float on New Year's Day.

A special aware was also presented to Joe Barbera, co-founder of Hanna-Barbera, creators of Jonny Quest, The Jetsons, The Flintstones, and other familiar cartoon characters. Hanna-Barbera, which now operates under the Warner Bros. corporate banner, together with Holiday Inn Pasadena helped promote this year's child safety contest.

The float was the 54th in march order in the parade.

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