Snuffles

Quick Draw McGraw cartoons are fun for a bunch of reasons, including the concept that a dog gets so ecstatic over dog biscuits, he sproings into the air and floats down in satisfaction.

Snuffles appeared in seven Quick Draw cartoons, three in the first season, two in the second and two in the third (plus once in a Snagglepuss cartoon). His appearances all featured the same routine where Snuffles hugged himself before leaping up.

For fun, let’s look at the frames of the version used in both second season cartoons, drawn by Dick Lundy to the best of my knowledge. There are ten frames as he turns to his right. The drawings are shot twice. You’ll notice his movements get smaller as he gets to the end of his hug.



Now the turn the other way. It was decided not to simply turn around drawings. Lundy comes up with new ones. These are shot on twos as well.



Besides kids who watched Quick Draw, someone else liked Snuffles. Joe Barbera told TV columnist Charles Witbeck in 1960: “Well, the sponsors like Snuffles. He’ll decorate their packages and help sell their product. So we have to write three new Snuffles stories. Our character actors have become leading men.”

As you can see to the right, Snuffles was well-enough known to have Paul Parnes write a song about him for Golden Records. Just about anyone who showed up with any regularity on a Hanna-Barbera cartoon by 1960 got his own Golden record including Ubble Ubble of Ruff and Reddy and Iddy Biddy Buddy, the duck on Yogi Bear cartoons who was modified into Yakky Doodle. A whole bunch of them were posted years ago but Snuffles wasn’t. However, you can find the darndest things on the internet, and someone has posted the Snuffles song on a video site.

I must warn you the voice of Quick Draw McGraw on this record is not Daws Butler. Daws was signed to a contract with Colpix Records, the music recording arm of Columbia Pictures (which helped produce Quick Draw through its sister company, Screen Gems). Colpix was based on New York, so it got New York voice people to imitate the Hanna-Barbera characters, mainly Gil Mack and Frank Milano. Both were accomplished actors on radio. Both were, unfortunately, not great at replicating the sounds of Daws Butler’s characters. I believe Milano is Quick Draw here. You will not go into Snuffles-like ecstasy over his performance. In case at some future time the video link goes dead, an audio link has been posted as well.



Snuffles Song