Ricochet Rabbit and Droop-a-Long 1-Disc Box Set DVD

Ricochet Rabbit and Droop-a-Long Coyote is one of the more underrated entries in Hanna-Barbera's 1960s production line. Running on NBC and in syndication starting in 1964, the series follows the lightning-fast Sheriff Ricochet Rabbit and his slow-moving deputy through the chaotic frontier town of Hoop and Holler. Ricochet zips across the screen with his trademark "ping ping ping" while Droop-a-Long ambles behind, and the gag of speed against laziness drives every episode. The Hanna-Barbera house style of the era keeps the animation tight, the dialogue snappy, and the gunplay strictly cartoon.

What makes the series distinct is its commitment to western comedy. Episodes feature cartoon shootouts, jailbreaks, and the recurring presence of bandits, ghouls, and outlaws that give the show a slight pulp edge most of the studio's other 1960s output skipped. "Itchy-Finger Gun Slinger" leans into the gunfighter tropes with affectionate parody. "Mostly Ghostly" takes a turn into supernatural territory. "El Loco, Loco, Loco, Loco, Diablo" plays its title villain for laughs. The series carries the kind of comic energy that helped Hanna-Barbera fill its late-decade lineup with character properties built on tight budgets.

For its era, the show represents a particular slice of 1960s cartoon production. Hanna-Barbera was building durable, easily-merchandised character properties, and Ricochet's distinctive catchphrase entered the broader studio vocabulary alongside Yogi's. By the time the syndicated reruns kicked in through the late 1960s and 1970s, Ricochet Rabbit had become a familiar face for anyone watching morning cartoons across most American markets.

The warmth comes from how earnestly the partnership between sheriff and deputy plays out. "Atchison, Topeka, & Sam Jose" introduces the mismatched duo with affectionate detail. "School Daze" finds Droop-a-Long heading back to class. "Annie Hoaxley" works as a fast-paced gender-swap riff on western tropes. "Red Riding Ricochet" gives the series a fairy-tale crossover that captures the Hanna-Barbera house style at its most playful. The complete 23 episodes on 1 DVD collect every Hoop and Holler escapade, every "ping ping ping," in one box.