The Ten Worst Cartoon Characters of All Time - Number 9

For those of you who are just tuning in, I am counting down the Top Ten worst cartoon characters of all time.  This is in answer to a question my nephew asked me en route to a festival of world's greatest cartoons.  We are now at number nine, counting down to Numero Uno....

10. Baby Huey
Number Nine:  Squiddly Diddly

In the mid 1960's Hanna-Barbara cartoons were very much hit and miss.   After practically creating television animation with popular shows as Huckleberry Hound and Yogi Bear, they went into overdrive, creating a huge menagerie of cartoon animals in the process.  I'm sure you're familiar with many of them:  Atom Ant, Touche Turtle, Hillbilly Bears, Peter Potamus, Pumpkin Puss, Ricochet Rabbit. and other such lovable creations.  Sometimes these would be something novel or new, such as Precious Pupp or The Impossibles.  However, many of the new cartoon stars seemed to be a reconfiguration of a previous series.  After the success of Yogi Bear, Hanna Barbera decided to re-use this basic formula ad nauseum.  So, instead of Jellystone Forest and Ranger Smith, we were offered animals in various institutions such as zoos, (Wally Gator), pet stores, (Magilla Gorilla), and military bases (Breezly and Sneezly),  battling wits with an authority figure (Mr. Twiddle, Mr. Peebles, and Colonel Fuzzby, respectively).   Squiddly Diddly was just another character in this formula, and in my opinion, the worst (Wally Gator is a close second).
 
Squiddly Diddly lives in Bubbleland, a large aquatic theme park.  Squiddly is constantly trying to escape Bubbleland to enjoy the outside world, but is usually thwarted by his keeper, Mr. Winchly.  I don't understand why he is constantly trying to escape.  The few times he actually does escape, his experience with the outside world is so traumatic that the cartoon ends with him running back to Bubbleland, happy to be back in his tank.  I'm not sure why the folks behind the documentary  Blackfish didn't cover this aquatic theme park, as Squiddly was usually mistreated more than Shamu ever was.   His tank was much too small as well.

Twenty-six Squiddly Diddly cartoons were produced as part of the Atom Ant / Secret Squirrel show.  Squiddly didn't make much of an impression on the general populace.   There was very little Squiddly merchandise and he rarely made other appearances in comic books and the like.  Squiddly later appeared on the Yogi's Gang series, but after that his career was pretty much all washed up.  
Squiddly Diddly's cartoons are repetitious and unfunny.  In addition, his voice is annoying and his personality is... squid-like.  Below is a typical Squiddley Diddley cartoon.  About two minutes in, you'll want to raise all eight of your arms and scream "I Surrender!"

Squiddly Diddly 08 Squid On The Skids

 

A rare piece of Squiddly Diddly merchandise - and an album that has recently regained a cult following.  Serach Youtube and you can find the tracks to all the songs....  If you dare...