The main character was a takeoff on the tried and true lawmen who inhabited popular Westerns. Acting as sheriff of a generic Old West town, gun-toting horse Quick Draw McGraw would catch the bad guys, all the while trying to uphold the various codes of behavior in the Wild West. His sidekick, Baba Looey, was a small burro who, luckily, had more common sense than his boss and often lent a hand in apprehending the criminals.
Another popular supporting character was McGraw's hound dog Snuffles. While Snuffles never spoke, he left a lasting impression on viewers. Every time he received a dog biscuit, Snuffles would float up in the air and descend, feather-like, in slow-motion ecstasy.
Sagebrush Sal played the "damsel in distress," always managing to land herself in precarious situations, although she was usually oblivious to the danger. Sal's lack of concern for her own safety and preoccupation with her makeup were characteristics often shared by other female characters of the time.
The character who stands out the most in the Quick Draw cartoons was actually a secret identity of McGraw himself. Donning a black cape and mask, the lawman would become El Kabong, so named because his weapon of choice was an acoustic guitar which would make that distinctive sound when used. While ladies adored Kabong, he usually ended up blowing it by revealing himself to be McGraw.