By Mark Nobes, chief editor
This Terrytoons creation was one of my favourite cartoons from my 70s childhood, and I was pretty excited to discover it again recently on Youtube.
The main character is, of course, Deputy Dawg himself who is a Deputy Sheriff - and a dog, obviously! It was set in rural Florida in the earlier cartoons, but the location actually changed to Mississippi and then Tennessee as the series progressed. Each episode lasted for around 5 to 6 minutes and originally aired in 1962 and 1963 on CBS in the U.S.
Deputy Dawg and the Space Man hardcover book (1961)
The series made it's British debut on BBC1 on 31st August 1963 which was a Saturday. However, it's the repeat runs during the 70s that I personally remember. Rather than showing them individually, several cartoons were packaged together to create a half hour show.
Other characters in the series were the varmints (pests) Muskie Muskrat, Moley Mole, Possible Possum, Ty Coon, Vincent (Vince) Van Gopher, Inchworm and Pig Newton. There was also the Sheriff and Mrs. Deputy.
The cartoon had everything that was
typical of a cartoon produced in the 60s. The rural backdrops, hillbilly
music, offbeat storylines and stereotypical Southern accents (with the
regular use of the word
"cotton-pickin" in a negative sense) wouldn't have a cat in hell's
chance of being aired today, and would be deemed as being racist and
classist.
Here is an original comic book which was published by Gold Key in 1965. Here we see Deputy Dawg playing the banjo with Ty Coon playing drums (an old, upturned paint can), Vince blowing some kind of wind instrument and Muskie dancing to their tune - not something he does very often!
My old Deputy Dawg annual from 1974
Deputy Dawg pin button badge
Deputy Dawg Picture Book 1973
