Magilla Gorilla & 9 Other Hanna-Barbera Characters You Completely Forgot About

Throughout their lifetime, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera created a cartoon empire that encompassed nearly a century. Out of it came several of the greatest and most popular animated characters ever conceived. From Yogi Bear, The Flintstones and Top Cat to Tom & Jerry, Huckleberry Hound and The Jetsons, there are many Hanna-Barbera characters to count.

With this ridiculously robust amount of characters, there are some Hanna-Barbera characters that most people mostly forgot about. So, along with Magilla Gorilla, here is a list dedicated to the unsung cartoon heroes that are overlooked but secretly awesome.

10 Ricochet Rabbit & Droop-a-Long

Ricochet Rabbit is a sheriff in the town of Hoop ‘n Holler, and Droop-a-Long Coyote is his deputy. Ricochet is more outgoing and determined, while Droop-a-Long is rather slow and lumbering. The duo would usually engage in Wild West chases with criminals on the run and Ricochet would draw bullets with their own cartoonish style.

This Wild West duo frequently appeared in segments on The Magilla Gorilla Show and The Peter Potamus Show. With segmental appearances from 1964 to 1966, they were soon overshadowed by other prominent Hanna-Barbera characters.

9 Inch High, Private Eye

As a parody of Don Adams’ Get Smart, Inch High, Private Eye is a tiny detective who got minimized to just one inch in height by a shrinking potion. He is assisted by his blond niece Lori, his brute friend Gator, and his dog Braveheart to solve mysteries and drive their car The Hushmobile.

The private eye had his titular show run from 1973 to 1974 for just one season. And unlike other Hanna-Barbera cartoons, this one did not feature any teenagers, but it was a good example of the spy parodies of the time.

8 The Hillbilly Bears

As their name implies, the Hillbilly Bears are a family of mountain-dwelling bears, composed of the mumbling father Paw Rugg, the homemaker mother Maw, the Southern belle daughter Floral, and the troublemaking son Shag. One of the frequent gags of the bears has Paw feuding with their neighbors, the Hoppers.

The bears’ titular show aired from 1965 to 1967. They were easily overshadowed by the likes of Yogi Bear and gang, though Paw Rugg will appear in the upcoming animated Hanna-Barbera series Jellystone!.

7 Lippy The Lion & Hardy Har Har

Here is another comedic pair. Lippy the Lion is a top hat-wearing lion and Hardy Har Har is a hyena with a porkpie hat and bow tie. The duo would always engage in get-rich-quick schemes that Lippy would concoct and Hardy would be the first victim of the schemes’ mishaps.

Lippy would be the optimistic one, while Hardy Har Har would be the pessimist, and they appeared frequently in several Hanna-Barbera shows. Despite their antics and humor, they were overshadowed by other mischievous Hanna-Barbera duos.

6 Yakky Doodle

Yakky Doodle is a little yellow duckling with green wings and a squeaky voice a la Donald Duck. He is always happy-go-lucky wherever he goes and he lives with his best friend Chopper the bulldog. The diminutive duck was always getting into trouble, usually from the Fibber Fox or Alfy Gator, and Chopper would willingly rescue him from peril.

This duckling appeared in many segments of The Yogi Bear Show, The Quick Draw McGraw Show, and Snagglepuss. And while he is not that memorable, he will also return in the show Jellystone!

5 Punkin’ Puss & Mushmouse

The duo Punkin’ Puss and Mushmouse are regulars in The Magilla Gorilla Show. Punkin’ Puss is a hillbilly cat who lives in a house in the South. His antics always involved the hillbilly mouse Mushmouse, who disturbed Punkin during his daily errands. In response, the cat always tried to shoot the mouse with his rifle.

This cat and mouse duo are just Tom & Jerry with dialogue and a Southern twang. They had 24 segments that ran for seven minutes each. Though they are not popular today, this duo deserves a comeback.

4 Loopy De Loop

If wolves are usually depicted as the fiercest animals out there, Loopy de Loop is there to change that stereotype. As he always implies in his introductions, he is “the good wolf.” He sports a toque knit cap and speaks with a French-Canadian accent. Loopy’s exploits typically involve helping other people, but he usually ends getting beaten up. Nonetheless, he remains kind and sympathetic.

Loopy is the first creation that William Hanna and Joseph Barbera produced after they left MGM, and while his presence has little prominence nowadays, Loopy’s kindness is always welcome.

3 Snuffles

No, this is not Morty’s dog. Snuffles is Quick Draw McGraw’s bloodhound, who is used by the cowboy to sniff out bad guys in the West. However, he has to be encouraged with a dog biscuit before doing his task. His obsession with dog biscuits had him also accept biscuits from bad guys, as well.

While he is a regular in The Quick Draw McGraw Show, he also appeared in the Snagglepuss show. Wherever he is, it is assured that he is asking for a dog biscuit.

2 Grape Ape

The colossal star of his own show, Grape Ape is a 40-foot purple gorilla with a childlike mind and a heart for adventure. His quirk is to say his name twice, like “Grape Ape, Grape Ape,” after what anyone says to him, usually when he agrees with them. With him on his adventures is his canine best friend, Beegle Beagle.

Everyone is usually afraid of Grape Ape, except for Rosie O’Lady. Even with just 16 episodes, Grape Ape is a humble presence that delights Hanna-Barbera loyalists.

1 Magilla Gorilla

Finally, there is Magilla Gorilla, the near-permanent denizen of Peebles’ Pet Shop. He usually spends his time in the front display window with Melvin Peebles, hoping to be sold to a good owner and slashing his price. Every time Magilla gets purchased, he usually causes mayhem around him. At the end of each episode, he gets returned to the pet shop.

While Magilla is a harmless troublemaker, he is a bright presence who wishes goodwill to those he meets, making his place in the Hanna-Barbera pantheon well deserved.

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