Droop-a-Long and Ricochet on the job.
Ricochet Rabbit and Droop-A-Long Coyote was a cartoon created by Hanna-Barbera that aired as the middle segment on the Magilla Gorilla show.
The cartoons chronicled the adventures of Ricochet (Don Messick), a sheriff in The Wild West, and his deputy, a coyote named Droop-a-Long (Mel Blanc). While Ricochet could launch himself off random objects like a ping pong ball, Droop would always fail miserably trying to duplicate the feat, often breaking a window in the process. But in the end, the team usually saved the day.
As with many H-B characters, Ricochet and Droop-a-Long showed up in several of the studio's Massive Multiplayer Crossover films and series, including Yogi's Ark Lark, Yogi's Gang, Yogi's Treasure Hunt, and the Super Secret Secret Squirrel segment of 2 Stupid Dogs. Their later appearances include episodes of Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law ("X Gets the Crest", in which Ricochet was voiced by Mark Hamill) and Wacky Races (2017) ("Slow and Steady", in which Ricochet was voiced by Tom Kenny). They've also been announced to join the cast of Jellystone!.
Compare with Quick Draw McGraw, Hanna-Barbera's other Western Series starring Funny Animals.
Ping-ping-pingggg! Tropes:
- Accessory-Wearing Cartoon Animal: Droop-a-Long wears a hat, neck scarf and gun holster.
- Alliterative Name: Ricochet Rabbit.
- Amazing Technicolor Wildlife: Droop-a-Long is a coyote with purple fur.
- Artistic License – Explosives: (also Artistic License – Gun Safety) for some reason, in Richoshet's reality, bullets don't penetrate anything; instead, they explode. Every time a bullet hits anyone (for cartoon-style Amusing Injuries only), it comes to an immediate stop on contact followed by standard "exploding cloud" effect. At one point, Richochet finds a bullet that fell out of Deputy Droop-a-Long's gun lying on the ground, picks it up, says, "Why, this looks like a bullet" — and then it explodes in his hand.
- Bad to the Last Drop: A Running Gag with Deputy Droop-a-Long's coffee. In "Atchinson, Topeka and Sam Jose", he makes a batch that has to be hacked to pieces with a saw. He later comments that he's "gotta stop using that hard water". In another episode, it's so thick, it has to be cut with scissors when it's poured. Then again, his coffee's hinted to not be so good anyway.Ricochet: Is that coffee I smell, or is somebody burnin' an old boot?
- Badly Battered Babysitter: In one episode, Ricochet and Droop-a-Long try to protect a baby, but it turns out the baby was the criminal they were standing guard against the whole time.
- Book Dumb: Droop-a-Long is consistently slow-witted and stupid, though Ricochet has his (rare) occasional moments. In "School Daze", it's revealed that neither of them can do basic math.School Marm: Now, what is 2+2, Sheriff?Ricochet: Uh, let's see, uh...5? 6?Droop-a-Long: 14? 12?
- Catchphrase: The plucky bunny lawman shouts “Ping, ping, pingggg — Ricochet Rabbit!” as he goes bounding off hard surfaces.
- Clueless Deputy: Droop-a-Long, full stop. He's Ricochet's deputy and pretty much useless, even to the point of being unable to make coffee properly.Ricochet: Lucky that Droop-a-Long's so lovable, 'cause he's got nothin' else goin' for him.
- Corporal Punishment: In the beginning of "Good Little Bad Guy", Mumbleweed is shown spanking his son.
- Early-Bird Cameo: Ricochet started as an antagonist in a Touché Turtle and Dum Dum cartoon in 1962.
- Epic Fail: Most of Droop-a-Long's attempts to imitate Ricochet — or do anything in general — result in massive failure. He is unable to make coffee properly, and when he tries to bound off hard surfaces like Ricochet, he invariably inflicts Amusing Injuries on himself.
- Full-Body Disguise: In "Two Too Many," the dwarf criminal Half-Pint Pinto disguises himself in a full Ricochet Rabbit suit and mask to frame the real Ricochet and give him a bad name. To give himself ricochet power, Pinto installs coil springs on the bottom of the costume's feet, though apparently no one else notices the visible springs.
- Funny Animal: The show's protagonists are a Half-Dressed Cartoon Animal rabbit and Accessory-Wearing Cartoon Animal coyote, but they otherwise behave like humans. Among other things, they live indoors, speak intelligible English to humans, and hold down jobs.
- Half-Dressed Cartoon Animal: Ricochet Rabbit wears a hat, vest and gun holster.
- I Am Not Weasel: In "Red Riding Ricochet", Little Red Riding Hood's grandmother accidentally hits Droop-a-Long due to mistaking him for a wolf. He corrects her, informing her that he's a coyote instead.
- Lions and Tigers and Humans... Oh, My!: The stories feature a mix of Funny Animals and humans.
- Manchild: Mumbleweed's son is a grown man, but he's quite dopey and acts like a toddler at times.
- Minion with an F in Evil: Mumbleweed's son is forced to help his dad out with outlaw stuff, but isn't good at it. He even ends up putting his dad in jail.
- Name and Name: The title consists of the two characters' names with "and" in between.
- Names to Run Away from Really Fast: The episode "El Loco, Loco, Loco, Loco Diablo" features the titular mad horse that Ricochet and Droop-a-Long have to catch. It turns out that the horse they catch is named El Loco, Loco, Loco, Loco, Loco Diablo, the son of the original, who is even nuttier than his father and definitely lives up to his name. Cue Mass "Oh, Crap!".
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: Droop-a-Long's voice is modeled on that of another deputy, Festus from Gunsmoke.
- Non-Giving-Up School Guy: In "School Daze", Ricochet and Droop-a-Long act as truant officers to take Dastardly Dolton to school. (He's a suspected criminal as well but nothing has been proven.) Once they catch him, the teacher reviews the records and finds out they haven't finished school either.
- Non-Indicative Name: Despite what his name suggests, Droop-a-Long's nephew Tag-a-Long doesn't get involved in the heroes' adventures.
- Rascally Rabbit: Played with. Ricochet Rabbit was as an antagonist in his first appearance as a guest on an episode of Touché Turtle and Dum Dum, but when he got his own show, he became a force for good with trickster tendencies.
- Righteous Rabbit: Ricochet is a rabbit sheriff and the main hero.
- Ring Around the Collar: Like most Hanna-Barbera characters from this time, Droop-A-Long wears an accessory around his neck (a bandana in this case) to facilitate animation shortcuts. The top of Ricochet's vest pretty much serves the same function.
- Run for the Border: In "Sheepy Wolf" Ricochet chases El Loco Lobo to the Mexican border, where the outlaw thought he was free — until Ricochet enlisted his cousin, Ricochet Chavez, for help.
- The Sheriff: Ricochet Rabbit is a Sheriff, Droop-a-Long is his deputy.
- Species Surname: Both Ricochet and Droop-a-Long have last names that are also their species type, respectively Rabbit and Coyote.
- Those Wily Coyotes: Inverted. Droop-a-Long is the opposite of wily. He's slow and clumsy in contrast to Ricochet, as well as not very smart.
- Three Shorts: Ricochet was the middle short on the Magilla Gorilla Show.
- Wacky Sound Effect: Whenever Ricochet takes off no matter what he hits there are "pings", hence his nickname "Sheriff Ping Ping Ping!"
- White Bunny: Except for his tan muzzle, Ricochet is a rabbit whose fur is white.
