Every time you write about one of these classic animation characters, I’m instantly transported back in time to leisurely Saturday mornings — when my sisters and I could just chill in front of the TV. Thanks for the time travel!
I always loved Huckleberry Hound's accent! I had forgotten about his signature tune, but remembered it as soon as I read this. I also loved Yogi Bear cartoons, and didn't realise his character was a spin-off of HH's. Thank you for sharing :)
The Griffith connection is more of a rumor than truth. There isn't a lot of actual evidence that he was a role model for Huck.
In actuality, he was inspired by the vocal versatility of his original voice actor, Daws Butler. Unlike most voice actors, Butler didn't do a generic "Southern" accent- he was very aware of the dialectical and tonal differences between the various accents of the Southern states. So Huck ended up being an amalgam of several of these, combined with a very obvious sense of unflappability and breeziness.
When I wrote about the show in my book "America 'Toons In", I explained it stylistically as an outgrowth of the traditional short-form comedy films of Hollywood, where the lead character was inserted into a stereotypical situation and made to make chaos around it and within it. If you look at older series of comedy films with a regular lead they work the same way. In this case, Huck's personality and the scripts by Joseph Barbera and Warren Foster made them unique and funny.
In many ways, Huck was the character that "made" Hanna-Barbera what it would become. They'd only produced one series before him, and his success made it possible for them to develop and program all of their other hits and misses. While he has tended to be under-employed since his original series ended in 1961, he is still a recognized and welcome animation presence.
"The Simpsons", when they made an episode parodying "Behind The Music", made this influential connection clear. Towards the episode's end, there was a plug for an episode with a surprising confession from Huck: "I was so gay- but I couldn't tell anybody!"
Every time you write about one of these classic animation characters, I’m instantly transported back in time to leisurely Saturday mornings — when my sisters and I could just chill in front of the TV. Thanks for the time travel!
Great article! I can’t believe he was the first character to win an Emmy award - well deserved :)
Thanks, you are so right. Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment.
Thanks Victoria. It’s great that they have that emotion woven into them and how just seeing the em can pull us back in time.
I always loved Huckleberry Hound's accent! I had forgotten about his signature tune, but remembered it as soon as I read this. I also loved Yogi Bear cartoons, and didn't realise his character was a spin-off of HH's. Thank you for sharing :)
Thanks for commenting and I am glad it brought back the theme. The HB studio at that time really was prolific.
Me too and didn’t realise he is based off of Andy Griffiths whom I used to watch all the time as a kid.
The Griffith connection is more of a rumor than truth. There isn't a lot of actual evidence that he was a role model for Huck.
In actuality, he was inspired by the vocal versatility of his original voice actor, Daws Butler. Unlike most voice actors, Butler didn't do a generic "Southern" accent- he was very aware of the dialectical and tonal differences between the various accents of the Southern states. So Huck ended up being an amalgam of several of these, combined with a very obvious sense of unflappability and breeziness.
When I wrote about the show in my book "America 'Toons In", I explained it stylistically as an outgrowth of the traditional short-form comedy films of Hollywood, where the lead character was inserted into a stereotypical situation and made to make chaos around it and within it. If you look at older series of comedy films with a regular lead they work the same way. In this case, Huck's personality and the scripts by Joseph Barbera and Warren Foster made them unique and funny.
In many ways, Huck was the character that "made" Hanna-Barbera what it would become. They'd only produced one series before him, and his success made it possible for them to develop and program all of their other hits and misses. While he has tended to be under-employed since his original series ended in 1961, he is still a recognized and welcome animation presence.
"The Simpsons", when they made an episode parodying "Behind The Music", made this influential connection clear. Towards the episode's end, there was a plug for an episode with a surprising confession from Huck: "I was so gay- but I couldn't tell anybody!"
Thanks David for taking the time for this and giving a really great insight into HB and Huck.
Fab, Jon. I love how your posts work as a time-machine taking me back to my grandparents living room!
I asked a woman out in college. I had not hid my romantic well and she smiled when I asked her to dinner, as if saying to herself (“right on cue”).
“Tell me”, she said, “why should I spend an evening having dinner with you?”
I had no idea. I replied, “I do a dead-on impression of Huckleberry Hound.”
Dinner went well, but it didn’t work out. That’s on me, not HH, who wing-man’d me as far as he could.
Now that is a great story. Her loss for sure if you can do a HH impression!
Huckleberry Hound was always a big favorite of mine! I think it's time for him to make a comeback!
I think you could be right there. Let's lobby HB :)