The theme music for Bucky and PepitoThe Coyote Catcher, one of the few surviving episodes in this series.
Bucky and Pepito is a 1958 Western-themed animated television series produced by Sam Singer.[1][2][3]
The series is about two young boys. Bucky is an imaginative American child who wears a cowboy hat, and his Mexican friend Pepito is an inventor. Pepito's depiction has been criticized as conforming to racist stereotypes.[4]
The series is partially found. All episodes of the series have entered the public domain due to failure to renew the copyright.
Premise
The series centers around the escapades of two adventurous boys: Bucky, an imaginative American child sporting a cowboy hat, dreams of becoming a legendary cowboy, and Pepito, his clever Mexican friend and inventor, is always ready with a new gadget to help them on their quests. Each episode focuses on their slapstick-filled attempts to outsmart and get rid of the villian of the week (usually a pesky character), using Pepito's gadgets and their wild schemes, leading to different chaotic situations. The show is full of slapstick gags and adventurous mishaps as they deal with the troublemaker in their Western world.
Production took place in a tight timeframe, with animators working long hours to meet episode deadlines. The team employed limited animation techniques, reusing backgrounds and character models to save both time and resources. Sound effects and music were sourced from existing and free-use libraries, enhancing the series' supposed energetic tone without incurring additional costs.
Release
Bucky and Pepito premiered on television in 1958, launching as part of a Saturday morning cartoon lineup aimed at entertaining young audiences. From what little is known, the series struggled to find a dedicated audience and it found itself overshadowed by other animated programs that offered higher production values and more relatable characters. The network's support dwindled as ratings dropped, leading to reduced marketing efforts and less promotion. Ultimately, Bucky and Pepito was canceled after a single season due to its lackluster performance and ongoing criticism.
Reception
Two episodes appeared on a compilation DVD of the worst cartoons ever made,[6] and it was described by Harry McCracken as setting "a standard for awfulness that no contemporary TV cartoon has managed to surpass".[7]
