Ugly princes, fibbing fairy godmothers, and knights who prefer clown suits to suits of armor—these clearly aren’t your ordinary fairy tales. They are, in fact, Jay Ward’s infamous Fractured Fairy Tales, originally introduced within Ward’s brilliant Rocky & Bullwinkle Show on television in the 1960s.

From princesses who take destiny into their own capable hands, to inept witches with broomstick envy, to beauties who happily discover their inner beasts, these tales contain surprisingly modern messages of female empowerment. Likely to thumb their noses at tradition and find their own versions of happily ever after, these quirky characters bring fresh and irreverent humor to sixteen twisted tales filled with silly, witty fun.

Jay Ward was the visionary who developed Crusader Rabbit, the first-ever cartoon for television. He became the master of animated television, developing such shows as The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends, and George of the Jungle. His cartoons continue to delight generations and are still aired daily around the world.