One of the most versatile and talented actors in cartoons, Daws was best known for providing the voice for Yogi Bear. He had an arsenal of character voices and was the main supplier of voices for Hanna-Barbera cartoons.

Daws was the southern talking dawg, Huckleberry Hound, the first cartoon to ever win an Emmy award. He was the fastest gun in the west, Quick Draw McGraw. He also served as Baba Looey, Reddy, Snagglepuss, Augie Doggie, Dixie, Peter Potamus, Hokey Wolf, Mr. Jinks, Wally Gator, and Elroy Jetson. He voiced the sea captain who has a cereal named after him, Cap’n Crunch, for Jay Ward Productions. Daws contributed his talents to other cartoon studios, including Warner Bros., MGM, and Walter Lantz.

Before becoming a cartoon voice extraordinaire, Daws entertained audiences by partnering with Stan Freberg as puppeteers and voices in Bob Clampett’s Time for Beany. Although Daws had a gift of creating original characters, he was also a very talented impressionist. Daws served as a mentor to many aspiring voice actors and was regarded as one of the most beloved individuals in cartoons. Daws Butler, the “Voice Magician”, died in 1988.

Photo used from B.B. Hudspeth’s personal collection.

Mentors

Next Mentor:

Don Messick