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Huckleberry Hound and Quick Draw McGraw: Remembering the cartoons of yesteryear

By Don Canney - Telegraph Columnist | Oct 10, 2020

Don Canney

Although they were much less high tech than today’s animation (some were nearly stick people), the cartoons of the 50’s and 60’s deserve a present-day mention, if for nothing else than nostalgia’s sake.

Does anyone remember Tom Terrific (no, not the former Patriot’s QB) and his faithful dog Manfred? What about Huckleberry Hound (with Ding-a-ling at his side), Yogi Bear (and Boo-boo), or Tennessee Tuxedo (and his sidekick Chumley). Then there was Wally Gator, Quick Draw McGraw (and sidekick Baba Looey), and of course Popeye the Sailor. These are just a few of the many 50’s and 60’s characters we enjoyed as boomer kids.

I can remember watching the beloved Captain Kangaroo, who, in the late 1950’s, introduced us boomer kids to his show’s animated feature, Tom Terrific. Tom was about as close to a stick figure character as one could imagine. His hat was more like a funnel, but that hat could turn into just about anything that could help he and Manfred tackle any situation they encountered. Of course, it was all in black and white, which didn’t matter, because color would have added nothing to the characters or plot line. It was simple, basic animation.

One of my all-time favorites, Huckleberry Hound (1958-61) was a laid back southern voiced dog sporting a small straw hat, who was always looking for the easy way out and would use any excuse to take a nap. Never overly ambitious, Huck was often placed in every type of job imaginable, but not doing any of them too well.

Yogi Bear (starting in 1958) was infamous for constantly seeking the all elusive pic-a-nic basket and forever dodging the grasp of Ranger Smith. He and his sidekick, Boo-boo, were the ranger’s worst nightmare, and always engaged in some type of shenanigans that caused him to be on the lookout.

Tennessee Tuxedo (circa 1963) was a zoo dwelling penguin voiced by none other than Don Adams of Get Smart fame. Old Tennessee was always looking for a new way to success, typically failing in his attempt. His dim-witted sidekick, Chumley, (yes, the inspiration for the person of the same name on Pawn Stars) was quick to point out the pending dangers. Phineas J. Whoopee (voiced by Larry Storch of F Troop fame) would offer sage advice to the ever-failing penguin.

Wally Gator (1962-1963) was another zoo dwelling creature. He was sans sidekick but donned a pork pie hat and collar. His theme song pointed to him as a “swingin’ navigator in the swamp,” but his life was far from that. His lot in life was to escape the zoo and see what the outside world had to offer, but Wally typically encountered the dangers of the outside world and its plans to use him for handbags and luggage.

Quick Draw McGraw (circa 1959-1961) was a well-intentioned, but not the brightest, sheriff (or sometimes his alter ego, the Zorro-like El Kabong). He would try to keep law and order with the help of his burrow sidekick Baba Looey. He would cry out, “Oooh, that smarts!” anytime he’d get hurt and reminded everyone that, “I’ll do the thin’in around here, and don’t you forget it!”

My all-time favorite was Popeye the Sailor, who started way back in 1919, but was popular in the 50’s. I can remember always rooting for him when he battled the infamous Bluto for the hand of the slender Olive Oil. Bluto later morphed into an aptly named Brutus, but looked pretty much the same. I contend that Popeye was a borderline adult cartoon, as many things he mumbled under his breath could be construed with a double entendre. We’d all hold our collective breath whenever he would encounter the clutches of Bluto as he struggled to reach for that elusive can of spinach to bring him back from the brink of death (much like a present-day WWE character).

The spinach was always his saving grace, and gave him amazing super-powers like no other.

And who could forget the hamburger gulping Wimpy, who was always chanting, “I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today!”

Alas, if only it was as simple as wolfing down a can of spinach to save us from the dangers of today. Stay safe!

Don Canney is a freelance writer and professional voice artist. He was born and raised in downtown Nashua with great interest in Nashua history circa 1950-1970. He now resides in Litchfield.

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