Deputy Dawg

Background

The Deputy Dawg television series first ran, on a weekly basis, from September 8, 1962 to May 25, 1963, with no episodes on December 8 to December 29, 1962, resuming on January 5, 1963. The British TV debut came on BBC TV on Saturday, 31 August 1963. The cartoons are between four and six minutes long, and were packaged three at a time and shown as a half-hour program. The show was produced by CBS and was the professional animation debut of Ralph Bakshi (as inbetweener) of Fritz the Cat fame. There were also six additional titles that were released theatrically, for show in cinemas and which were not part of the original TV package.

The character of Deputy Dawg (a dog) is a deputy sheriff in the State of Florida, of the United States. As the episodes progressed, the location changed to Mississippi, and later to Tennessee. The other main characters are the 'varmints' Muskie Muskrat, Moley Mole, Possible 'Possum, Ty Coon, Vincent van Gopher, Pig Newton, and Dawg's boss the Sheriff, as well as Mrs. Deputy. Deputy Dawg was voiced by Dayton Allen, a prolific Hollywood voice actor who voiced many Terrytoons characters in television and theatrical shorts in the 1950s and 1960s.

Much of the comedy is sight gag/action based with some focused around comical accents and stereotypical southern characteristics. Many of the storylines involve Deputy Dawg protecting his produce from Muskie and Vince, battling with some of the peculiar locals and trying to please the Sheriff. However, most of the crimes committed by Muskie and Vince weren't treated seriously, and Deputy Dawg was on friendly terms with them most of the time (except when he had to perform his duties as a lawman and keep them from causing trouble). Deputy Dawg would pal around with Muskie and Vince just as often as he would lock them up in the Jailhouse, and the trio would often engage in their favorite pastime, fishin' for catfish.

The central location for many of the yarns is the Jailhouse.

Musical direction is by Philip A. Scheib (born on April 14, 1894 in New York City, died April 1969), who also worked on Sidney's Family Tree (1958) and The Juggler of Our Lady (1958). The musical accompaniment often features a distinctive bass harmonica.

Deputy Dawg later appeared in episodes of the 1987 series Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures.

Deputy Dawg also appeared in the 1999 pilot Curbside.

Although many of the cartoons were issued on compilation VHS tapes in the 1980s, they have yet to be released on DVD. (2016)

TV episodes

1. The Space Varmint/The Yoke's On You - Muskie tries every trick in the book to raid the hen house.
2. Li'l Whooper/Seize You Later, Alligator/Welcome Mischa Mouse
3. Cotton Pickin' Picnic/Henhouse Hassle/Law and Disorder
4. Deputy Dawg's Nephew/Friend Fox/Rabid Rebel
5. Aig Plant/Dog-Gone Catfish/National Spoof Day - DD is the prime target for the boys' practical jokes.
6. Kin Folk/Penguin Panic/People's Choice - Deputy Dawg is up for re-election.
7. Lynx, the Jinx/The Bird Burglar - The boys' fish is snatched by a hungry eagle. Deputy Dawg has the job of catching the predator./Watermelon Watcher
8. Dragon My Foot/Star for a Day/The Two Inch Inchworm
9. Honey Tree - DD runs out of honey and visits his own private honey tree, only to find a bear has got there first.
10. Oil Tycoons
11. Beaver Battle/Ship Aha Ha/The Fragrant Vagrant
12. Noise Annoys/Peanut Pilferer/Tennessee Walkin' Horse
13. Little Red Fool House - DD has to get Muskie and Vince to go to school but they would rather go fishing./Mr. Moose/National Lazy Day - It's the annual contest to see who is the laziest and big money for the winner - except that Deputy Dawg always wins. Can the boys triumph this year?
14. Echo Park - To drum up more tourist trade the Sheriff uses DD as an 'echo'/Physical Fatness - The Deputy needs to lose a lot of weight and goes on a fitness programme.
15. Corn Cribber/Heat Wave - It's extremely hot and Muskie and Vince are desperate to get to the Sheriff's ice plant./Herman the Hermit
16. Dagnabit, Rabbit/Long Island Duckling/Tents Moments
17. Dry Spell/Orbit a Little Bit/Tourist Tirade - The top of Outlook Mountain is big tourist potential...but guess who has to build the chairlift!
18. Low Man Lawman/Safe and Insane 4th/Terrific Traffic
19. Open Wide/The Catfish Poachin' Pelican/The Milkweed from Space
20. Bad Luck Day/Royal Southern Dismounted Police/Stuck Duck
21. Champion Whopper Teller/Go Go Gor-rilla/Grandpa Law
22. Daddy Frog Legs/On the Lam with Ham/Science Friction
23. Just Ghost to Show You/Lawman to the Rescue/Mama Magnolia's Pecan Pies
24. Feud for Thought/Peach Plunkin' Kangaroo/The Never Glades
25. Diamonds in the Rough/Double Barreled Boom Boom/The Poster Caper - DD on a wanted poster? Just another of the boys' pranks...
26. Chicken Bull/Spare That Tree/The Pig Rustler
27. Catfish Crisis/Hex Marks the Spot/Something to Crow About
28. Show Biz Whiz/Pitch Hittin' for a Pigeon/Save Ol' Piney
29. Mountain Melvin Meets Hairy Harry/Mule-Itary Maneuvers/Protestin' Pilot
30. All Tuckered Out/Millionaire Deputy/The Hungry Astronut
31. Museum of the South/Scare Cure/The Great Train Robbery
32. Corn Pone Limited/Space Invitation/You're Fired and I'm Fired
33. Imperfect Crime/Obnoxious Obie/The Pink Flamingo
34. Elusive Louie/The Governor's Guide/Home Cookin'

Two extra titles also exist: 'Duped Deputy' and 'Creek Mud Monster'.

Note: these are also six shorts which received theatrical releases in 1959-72:

Credits