Parents' Guide to

Quick Draw McGraw

By KJ Dell Antonia, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 5+

Horse sheriff offers justice in classic cartoon.

TV Boomerang Kids' Animation 1959
Quick Draw McGraw Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

See all

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

QUICK DRAW MCGRAW follows a talking cartoon horse sheriff (voiced by Daws Butler) and his burro, Baba Looie (also Butler), who get involved in a series of brief Western adventures. They capture a variety of villains, sometimes with the help of dog Snuffles (Butler again), who will do anything for the dog biscuits that take him into amusing paroxysms of bliss. Quick Draw sometimes disguises himself as "El Kabong" in a parody of Zorro, using a guitar as a weapon (normally he carries a six shooter). In its current form on Boomerang, the show includes only the shorts featuring Quick Draw himself, although the original series -- like many of its time -- included cartoons starring other characters as well.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say Not yet rated
Kids say (3 ):

Quick Draw McGraw is kind of funny. It's a part of cultural and cartoon history, it serves as a good introduction to the Westerns it parodies, and it certainly won't do kids any harm (unless they're likely to be strongly influenced by some now-dated '50s stereotypes). The art is so simple that you can almost see the flipping film stills. Bottom line? It's a good early classic cartoon.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what types of media the show is poking fun at (namely, Westerns and Lone Ranger-type series that were popular at the time). Is it funny to watch this series if you haven't seen those? Can you think of any newer shows that do the same kind of thing? Do you have to "get" all of a show's jokes to enjoy it? Families can also discuss why a character like Baba Looie wouldn't be around today. Why do you think he would upset some people? Is it OK to make fun of people's accents? Why or why not?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate