Quick Draw McGraw is a
fiction
Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places that are imaginary, or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent with history, fact, or plausibility. In a traditi ...
al
anthropomorphic
Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology.
Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...
horse and the
protagonist
A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...
and
title character of ''
The Quick Draw McGraw Show''.
He is a white horse, wearing a red
Stetson
Stetson is a brand of hat manufactured by the John B. Stetson Company. "Stetson" is also used as a generic trademark to refer to any campaign hat, in particular, in Scouting.
John B. Stetson gained inspiration for his most famous hats when he ...
cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the '' vaquer ...
hat, a red holster belt, a light blue bandana, and occasionally spurs. He was voiced by
Daws Butler. All 45 of his cartoons that originally aired between 1959 and 1961 were written by
Michael Maltese
Michael Maltese (February 6, 1908 – February 22, 1981) was an American story man for classic animated cartoon shorts. He is best known for working in the 1950s on a series of ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoons with director Chuck Jones, notably "Wha ...
, known best for his work at the
Warner Bros. cartoon studio. The cartoon was nominated for an
Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
in 1960.
Character description
Quick Draw was usually depicted as a
sheriff
A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...
in
a series of
short films set in the
Old West. Quick Draw was often accompanied by his
deputy, a
Mexican
Mexican may refer to:
Mexico and its culture
*Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America
** People
*** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants
*** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...
burro called
Baba Looey (also voiced by Daws Butler), who spoke
English with a Mexican
accent Accent may refer to:
Speech and language
* Accent (sociolinguistics), way of pronunciation particular to a speaker or group of speakers
* Accent (phonetics), prominence given to a particular syllable in a word, or a word in a phrase
** Pitch ac ...
and called his partner "Queeks Draw". In the
Spanish American version, Quick Draw (Tiro Loco McGraw) speaks in a very English-influenced accent, and Baba Looey (Pepe Trueno, or Pepe Luis in some episodes) speaks in a very Mexican accent, so it was clear that Quick Draw was the alien, and there was no need to adapt any feature of the story. In the
Brazilian version, Quick Draw speaks in a
drawling
Portuguese which along with his
hispanized name (Pepe Legal) would suggest he was either a
Texan-American or Mexican cowboy.
Quick Draw satirized the
westerns that were popular among the American public at the time. His character was well-intentioned, but somewhat
dim. His main catchphrases were "Now hold on there!" and "I'll do the thin'in' around here and don't you forget it!" Also if he got hurt he would often say "Ooooh that smarts!" One of the main running gags in the shorts was him accidentally shooting himself with his own six-shooter.
Another featured character was
Snuffles, the bloodhound dog that would point to his mouth and "ah-ah-ah-" when he wanted a biscuit, then hug himself, leap up in the air, and float back down after having eaten one.
Personality
Quick Draw was himself a horse caricature that walked on two legs like a human (as did Baba Looey), and had "hands" that were hooves with thumbs and could hold objects such as
guns. This did not stop the show's producers from depicting him riding into town on a realistic horse, or as seen in the show's opening credits, driving a
stagecoach
A stagecoach is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by four horses although some versions are draw ...
pulled by a whole team of realistic horses. This aspect was made light of in the 1980s made-for-television film ''
The Good, the Bad, and Huckleberry Hound'', which featured Quick Draw.
El Kabong
In certain cases, Quick Draw would also assume the identity of the Spanish masked
vigilante El Kabong (a spoof of
Zorro).
His introduction went as follows – "Of all the heroes in legend and song, there's none as brave as El Kabong". As El Kabong, Quick Draw would attack his foes by swooping down on a rope with the war cry "OLÉ!" and hitting them on the head with an
acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...
(after shouting "KABOOOOOONG!"), which is always referred to as a "kabonger", producing a distinctive kabong sound and usually destroying the guitar in the process. The "guitar" was usually drawn as a four strung
cuatro. On the cartoon's soundtrack, the "kabong" sound effect was produced by a
foley artist
In filmmaking, Foley is the reproduction of everyday sound effects that are added to films, videos, and other media in post-production to enhance audio quality. These reproduced sounds, named after sound-effects artist Jack Foley, can be anyt ...
striking the detuned open strings of a cheap acoustic guitar. Comedian Kenny Moore received the nickname of "El Kabong" on some websites due to his infamous assault of a heckler with the guitar he played as part of his act.
Guest appearances in other media
* Quick Draw McGraw occasionally appeared in other
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ) was an American animation studio and production company which was active from 1957 to 2001. It was founded on July 7, 1957, by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera following the decision of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to c ...
productions, including 1973's ''
Yogi's Gang'', 1977–1978's ''
Laff-A-Lympics'', a celebrity roast honoring
Fred Flintstone on the TV special ''
Hanna-Barbera's All-Star Comedy Ice Revue
''Hanna-Barbera's All-Star Comedy Ice Revue'' (onscreen title: ''Hanna-Barbera's All-Star Comedy Ice Review'') is a 1978 American live-action/animated television special produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions (in association with deFaria Productio ...
'' (1978) and the 1979 TV special ''
Casper's First Christmas'', and in an episode from the short-lived 1978 series ''
Yogi's Space Race''.
* Quick Draw McGraw and Baba Looey appeared in ''
The Yogi Bear Show'' episode "Yogi's Birthday Party".
* He was a main character in ''
Yogi's Treasure Hunt''.
* In the "Fender Bender 500" segment of the 1990s ''
Wake, Rattle, and Roll'', Quick Draw McGraw and Baba Looey are the featured racers where they drive a padded wagon-modeled monster truck called the Texas Twister. Quick Draw McGraw was voiced by
Greg Burson, while Baba Looey was voiced by
Neil Ross.
* In ''
Yo Yogi!
''Yo Yogi!'' is an American animated television series and the seventh entry in the ''Yogi Bear'' franchise produced by Hanna-Barbera that aired from September 14 to December 7, 1991 on NBC for 13 episodes. This would be one of the last Yogi Bear ...
'', Quick Draw McGraw (again voiced by Greg Burson) and Baba Looey (voiced by
Henry Polic II) are seen as Wild West entertainers.
* Greg Burson reprises his role of Quick Draw McGraw when he and Baba Looey appeared in the 39th episode of ''
Samurai Jack'' titled "Couple on a Train" or "The Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful". They were seen on the train on which Samurai Jack was riding.
* Quick Draw McGraw appeared in the ''
Robot Chicken
''Robot Chicken'' is an American adult animated stop motion sketch comedy television series, created and executive produced for Adult Swim by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich along with co-head writers Douglas Goldstein and Tom Root. The writers, ...
'' episode "Ban on the Fun" in a sketch titled "Laff-A-Munich", voiced by
Seth Green
Seth Benjamin Green ( ''né'' Gesshel-Green; born February 8, 1974) is an American actor, producer, and writer. Green's film debut came with a role in the comedy-drama film ''The Hotel New Hampshire'' (1984), and he went on to have supporting ...
. He dressed up as El Kabong trying to save the Yogi Yahooeys from the Really Rottens only to be killed by Dread Baron.
* Quick Draw McGraw appeared in an episode of ''
The Simpsons'' titled "
Million Dollar Abie
"Million Dollar Abie" is the sixteenth episode of the seventeenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 2, 2006. This is the first episode to have ...
" as El Kabong during the song "Springfield Blows" with celebrity look-alikes.
* Quick Draw appeared as an elderly man in the ''
I Am Weasel'' episode "I Am My Lifetime".
* Quick Draw appeared in the ''
Class of 3000
''Class of 3000'' is an American animated musical television series created by André 3000 (best known as a member of the hip hop duo Outkast) for Cartoon Network. The series follows superstar and music teacher Sunny Bridges (voiced by 3000), ...
'' episode "Home", voiced by
Tom Kenny.
* Quick Draw McGraw and Baba Looey appeared in the ''
South Park
''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boys Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand th ...
'' episode "
Imaginationland Episode III
"Imaginationland Episode III" is the twelfth episode in the eleventh season of Comedy Central's animated television series ''South Park''. It originally aired on October 31, 2007. The episode was rated TV-MA LV in the United States. It is the thi ...
". They join the good imaginary characters fighting the evil characters in the final battle.
* Quick Draw also appeared as a minor antagonist in ''
Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law'' and the main antagonist of his only appearance "Guitar Control", voiced by
Maurice LaMarche impersonating
Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923April 5, 2008) was an American actor and political activist.
As a Hollywood star, he appeared in almost 100 films over the course of 60 years. He played Moses in the epic film ''The Ten C ...
. He appears as a defendant for being charged with carrying a concealed weapon (his guitar) when he was about to use it on some criminals as El Kabong.
* Quick Draw's dog Snuffles made a special guest appearance on an episode of ''
Johnny Bravo'' in which Johnny follows a woman whom he mistakes for his mother. In the episode, Snuffles is assigned by the police to help find Johnny – provided, of course, he is given doggy snacks along the way.
* Quick Draw appeared in the final issue of ''
Exit, Stage Left!: The Snagglepuss Chronicles''. In the same issue, he was also portrayed as
Huckleberry Hound's lover.
* Quick Draw makes an appearance in the ''
Wacky Races'' episode "Much Ado About Wacky", voiced by
Billy West.
* Quick Draw McGraw and Baba Looey make a cameo as silhouettes in the 2020 ''
Animaniacs'' revival segment "Suffragette City".
* Quick Draw McGraw appears in the series ''
Jellystone!'', voiced by Bernardo de Paula.
In the series, El Kabong has been changed to being his actual name and is Latino.
He is shown as Jellystone's residential superhero who clashes with this show's version of
The Banana Splits (who are depicted as cartoonish yet effective criminals) and wields a guitar named Susan (voiced by
Melissa Villaseñor). El Kabong is also the teacher of Jellystone's school.
In advertisements
* Quick Draw was the mascot for
Sugar Smacks in the early 1960s.
* Quick Draw made a cameo in a
MetLife
MetLife, Inc. is the holding corporation for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (MLIC), better known as MetLife, and its affiliates. MetLife is among the largest global providers of insurance, annuities, and employee benefit programs, wi ...
commercial in 2012.
Parodies
* There are references to "El Kabong" in the TV series ''
The Critic'' –
Jay Sherman
This is a list of characters in the animated television series ''The Critic''.
Overview
The Sherman family Jay Sherman
;Voiced by Jon Lovitz
"New York's third most popular early-morning cable-TV film critic", 37-year-old Jay Prescott Sherman ...
's father, Franklin Sherman, imitates El Kabong, swooping from chandeliers dressed similar to Zorro and hitting people over the head with a guitar.
* In the
professional wrestling world, the name "El Kabong" was used by then-Extreme Championship Wrestling commentator
Joey Styles to describe when a popular
ECW wrestler,
New Jack, used an acoustic guitar as a weapon during a match. The act is also used by former
World Wrestling Federation employee
The Honky Tonk Man, former enhancement talent
Quick Draw Rick McGraw, former Total Nonstop Action Wrestling Vice President and wrestler
Jeff Jarrett, and current
World Wrestling Entertainment wrestler
Elias.
* Noted radio producer
Gary Dell'Abate, who has worked for radio "shock jock"
Howard Stern since the early 1980s, has been nicknamed "Baba Booey" for many years, after a mispronunciation of Quick Draw McGraw's sidekick, Baba Looey. "Baba Booey" became a catchphrase for Howard Stern fans for decades, usually shouted out in a large crowd.
Merchandise
*
McFarlane Toys
McFarlane Toys is an American company founded by comic book creator Todd McFarlane which makes highly detailed model action figures of characters from films, comics, popular music, video games and various sporting genres. The company, a subsidiar ...
produced a figure of Quick Draw McGraw as El Kabong as part of their Hanna-Barbera toy line.
* In 1991, Hi-Tec Software published a licensed Quick Draw McGraw video game.
References in popular music
Quick Draw McGraw is referred to in
Busta Rhymes
Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after NFL and CFL wide receiver ...
' songs "
So Hardcore" and "
Everything Remains Raw". He is also referred to in
MF Doom's
Viktor Vaughn song "Modern Day Mugging".
Lil Wayne refers to Quick Draw McGraw in his songs "Fireman" and "What's Wrong With Them?" Quick Draw McGraw is also referred to in
House of Pain's song "Boom Shalock Lock Boom (
Butch Vig Mix)". The song appeared on the EP, ''Shamrocks and Shenanigans''.
The Game
The Game or The Games may refer to:
Sports and games
* The Game (dice game) (German: ''Das Spiel''), a dice game designed by Reinhold Wittig
* The Game (mind game), a mind game, the objective of which is to avoid thinking about The Game itself
* ...
's "One Blood (Remix)" refers to Quick Draw McGraw.
References
External links
Quick Draw McGrawat
Don Markstein's Toonopedia
Don Markstein's Toonopedia (subtitled A Vast Repository of Toonological Knowledge) is an online encyclopedia of print cartoons, comic strips and animation, initiated February 13, 2001. Donald D. Markstein, the sole writer and editor of Toonopedi ...
Archivedfrom the original on November 4, 2016
{{DEFAULTSORT:Quick Draw McGraw
Western (genre) peace officers
Fictional anthropomorphic characters
Fictional gunfighters
Fictional horses
Fictional sheriffs
Fictional vigilantes
Hanna-Barbera characters
Cartoon mascots
Cereal advertising characters
Male characters in animation
Male characters in advertising
Yogi Bear characters
Animated characters introduced in 1959
Television characters introduced in 1959