The Looney Tunes head on to their second decade. The year 1940 will be one of the most important in the history of the series, and I'd say animation in general (and that's not an exaggeration at all).

Porky's Last Stand
Directed by Robert Clampett
Porky is running a fried chicken stand. Daffy works there and has to make a hamburger for a customer. But there's a problem – the ingredients have been eaten by mice. Daffy spots a calf and starts chasing it, but he ends up angering a bull. Some good Clampett wackiness here – Daffy is funny as always, and while Porky gets slightly overshadowed by him here, he has some brilliant moments too. A lot of singing too (from chickens, Porky and Daffy), seemingly in a parody of musical cartoons. Definitely worth a watch, especially if you like Clampett (and I certainly do).
10

The Early Worm Gets the Bird
Directed by Fred Avery
A little blackbird is reading the book "The Early Bird Gets the Worm" and is inspired to get up early to do just that. However, his mother tells him not to, as he'd get eaten by a fox, and the other two little blackbirds don't think it's a good idea either. The bird tries anyway, and after meeting a little worm who wants to see what the early bird looks like, chase ensues, and the fox of course joins in a little later. This is one cartoon with clear high and low points. Despite being portrayed as anthropomorphic animals, the characters are among the more stereotypically portrayed black characters of the day, and apart from the fox, I wouldn't consider them particularly memorable. However, the end gag is a pretty entertaining one, and we get the first time a character turns into a "sucker" (a joke that would be used many times in the series). But I'd still say this is one of Avery's weaker efforts.
7.5

Africa Squeaks
Directed by Robert Clampett
Porky is on an expedition in darkest Africa, and we get to see the natives and wildlife. The running gag involves Stanley looking for Dr. Livingstone. This is a spot gag cartoon similar to the ones by Avery, so Porky is once again relegated to a bit part. As for the gags, they're quite random, thankfully with slightly less reliance on stereotypes than in the rather similar "The Isle of Pingo Pongo". Not all of them work equally well, but there's enough entertainment and surprises.
8

Mighty Hunters
Directed by Charles Jones
The first Merrie Melodies cartoon based on an outside property – James Swinnerton's comic strip "Canyon Kiddies", published in the Good Housekeeping Magazine. In the short, we follow the kids in a Native American tribe. One of them is trying to ride a donkey to no avail, two others go squirrel hunting, while a fourth kid (who is carrying his baby brother with him) gets chased by a bear. The visuals are my favorite thing about this cartoon – the designs of the main characters are cute, and the background paintings by Swinnerton are nice to look at. But plotwise, this isn't a particularly memorable cartoon. This was supposed to be the first of a series of Canyon Kiddies cartoons, but no others were ever released. Maybe it didn't indeed reach the success WB had expected.
7

Busy Bakers
Directed by Ben Hardaway & Cal Dalton
Swenson's bakery isn't doing any business. After a poor hungry old man shows up and the baker gives him a donut, the man promises to reward him for his kindness. He then gets a group of funny baker men to bake pies and cakes while the baker's asleep. This is more the type of cartoon you'd have expected to see a few years earlier – it has a Disney feel to it, a musical approach, and the fairytale-esque story is mostly played straight here. It's a nice representative of its style, though the studio has had a lot better. The last cartoon directed by Hardaway and Dalton – they were demoted to their old roles of storyman and animator, respectively, to make room for a returning director...
8

Ali-Baba Bound
Directed by Robert Clampett
Legionaire Porky and his camel Baby Dumpling have to defend the Desert Fort from Ali Baba (the Mad Dog of the Desert) and his Dirty Sleeves, as the rest of the legion is away. A lot of fun, fast-paced gags here, with many amusing characters (Mel Blanc really gets to shine here with his voice acting). The basic plot was used before in "Little Beau Porky", but this short is definitely an improvement over that one.
9.5

Elmer's Candid Camera
Directed by Charles Jones
Elmer goes to photograph wildlife, but a rabbit (the Bugs Bunny prototype) keeps bothering him and ruining his attempts. WB cartoon history is made here – Elmer Fudd appears for the first time with his final design (although still wearing the clothes of the prototype version), and Arthur Q. Bryan gives him his familiar voice. It's also the first cartoon to have him rather than Porky or John Sourpuss against a rabbit, meaning we're getting closer to the eventual Bugs cartoons... Besides being a significant cartoon for the series, it's a fun one – the pace is a bit slower at times (though that's quite fitting for the theme), but Elmer is a great character and is already very close to his famous version in personality. The scene with him going crazy has the wildest animation and the most personality we've seen in Jones' cartoons so far. Surprisingly, the rabbit (now slightly redesigned with white instead of yellow gloves and partially black ears – the former becoming permanent) might be the weakest part in this cartoon – the way he annoys Elmer feels less justified here than in the earlier and later rabbit hunting cartoons, as the photographer isn't really trying to cause any harm to him, and when he thinks he has, he's showing regret as he would later on. But even with these slight teething troubles, it's a very good and influential entry, and a contender for the director's best so far.
9.5

Pilgrim Porky
Directed by Robert Clampett
In 1620, Captain Porky and other pilgrims sail to America on the Mayflower. On the way, we see many spot gags related to the weather and the ocean among other things. This is another humorous cartoon – some of the gags are familiar from earlier cartoons (such as "Porky the Gob" and "Fresh Fish"), but there's enough new material and nice animation to make this one worth a watch, even if the titular pig doesn't show up much.
8.5

Cross Country Detours
Directed by Fred Avery
A spot gag cartoon showing wildlife in various U.S. states, with the usual corny puns. The running gag involves an Eskimo dog from Alaska trying to get to California (it'll all make sense in the end). Many entertaining gags here, including jokes about censorship. Besides being funny, it's a beautiful cartoon – the painted backgrounds here are the most impressive I've seen yet, with some great multiplane camera pans. A good candidate for the best cartoon of its kind.
9

Confederate Honey
Directed by I. Freleng
After a couple of years at MGM, Friz is back! His first cartoon after returning is a "Gone with the Wind" parody, taking place in Kentucky in 1861 BC (before Seabiscuit). Tobacco plantation owner Colonel O'Hairoil's daughter Crimson is courted by lots of men, but she has set her eyes on Ned Cutler (portrayed by Elmer, making his second appearance with his final voice and design). But just as it seems he's about to propose to the lady, the Civil War starts and he joins the army. The Avery influences are pretty strong here with the various visual puns and randomness. There are some badly dated parts in the cartoon, but I generally found it an entertaining one, and it shows Freleng already starting to move towards the comedic approach of the newer WB cartoons. Elmer is always great to see, and the female lead has some funny moments too. My relative unfamiliarity with the movie it's parodying didn't hamper my enjoyment much either.
8

Slap Happy Pappy
Directed by Robert Clampett
On Porky's farm, Eddie Cackler and his wife Ida are expecting chicks. But despite Eddie's wishes, he can't seem to get a son, just daughters. For fellow singing rooster Bing, it's the other way around – all of his hatchlings are boys. Can he give Eddie some useful advice? Of all the Porky cartoons so far, this features him the least. But it's a fun one with all the celebrity parodies (besides Cantor and Crosby, we see Jack Benny among others), and naturally, quite a bit of humorous singing. For some reason, Crosby was portrayed as a rooster a lot in these cartoons.
8.5

The Bear's Tale
Directed by Fred Avery
Another one of Avery's fairytale parodies – this time spoofing Goldilocks and the Three Bears. As Goldilocks accidentally goes to grandma's house instead, the wolf and eventually Little Red Riding Hood herself get caught up in the story too! Avery has been brilliant at this type of cartoon, and this one is no exception – a lot of jokes, and the characters here are very funny, especially the dopey Papa Bear voiced by the director himself. It gets more and more random as the story goes on, with some of the conflict not even getting resolved (which doesn't bother much in this type of short). Definitely one of the best cartoons of its time.
10

Porky's Poor Fish
Directed by Robert Clampett
Porky owns a pet fish shop and performs a cute song along with the fish. When he goes out to lunch, a cat enters the store and tries to eat one of the fish. The other fish in the shop unite to save her and fight the cat. A fun cartoon with puns and visual gags involving the various fish, in addition to some typical fast-paced scenes.
8.5

The Hardship of Miles Standish
Directed by I. Freleng
After hearing a radio play about the Courtship of Miles Standish, an old man tells the story of how it really happened. Miles wants to propose to Priscilla, but he's shy, so he sends John Alden (portrayed by Elmer Fudd) to do it via a singing telegram. Soon after this, Indians (including the Cleveland Indians!) attack. At the time, Freleng seems to have had the idea of using Elmer in various stories, portraying historical or literary figures (as he had done before in "Confederate Honey"). This is a humorous cartoon, Elmer being the obvious star – we even hear him singing "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby", which makes quite an impression on Priscilla (and indeed, he has a surprisingly nice singing voice)! There are several entertaining jokes, including one scene with mouthed swearing!  
8.5

Sniffles Takes a Trip
Directed by Charles Jones
Sniffles goes to the countryside to have a peaceful time. But things don't go like he thought – a woodpecker prevents him from taking a nap, then he has run-ins with some other animals and is eventually creeped out by the dark. Visually, this cartoon is impressive with the detailed animation, shading and beautiful backgrounds. However, despite the adorable lead character, I don't find the short itself particularly interesting. Most of the conflict stems from Sniffles' misunderstandings of his surroundings, which I guess is cute, but I find myself missing the humor and faster pace of most other shorts of the era. I generally like the early Chuck Jones cartoons (many of which were clearly attempting to emulate the Disney style) more than many other WB cartoon fans do, but this is among his weaker attempts of the era. Slightly better than the previous Sniffles cartoon, but far behind the first two.
7

You Ought to Be in Pictures
Directed by I. Freleng
Daffy wants to become the star of the studio, so he convinces Porky to quit his job and try to make it in feature films. Leon Schlesinger agrees to this and tears up Porky's contract – "He'll be back!" Porky's attempts to reach movie stardom don't go as well as he expected. This is an unusual short with its combination of animation and live-action – something that was rare back in the day and is done very impressively here. The WB cartoon crew get to play the live-action roles, including Michael Maltese as a studio guard. But I think Leon Schlesinger does the best job here playing himself – his performance is excellent, also showing his sense of humor in process. As for the cartoon characters, both Porky and Daffy get to shine, the duo having brilliant chemistry. One of the most memorable shorts in the entire series.
10

A Gander at Mother Goose
Directed by Fred Avery
A spot gag cartoon parodying classic nursery rhymes, featuring the likes of Humpty Dumpty, Jack and Jill, and the Three Little Pigs. In a cartoon like this, it's obvious some gags will work better than others, but it's generally an entertaining watch. There's another joke about dogs and trees, for example (obviously a Termite Terrace favorite). The final gag (based on the Night Before Christmas) is my favorite, it took me completely by surprise!
9

Tom Thumb in Trouble
Directed by Charles Jones
Tom Thumb is a woodchopper's son, named for his diminutive size. When his father goes to work, Tom is doing the dishes and almost drowns, getting saved by a bird. The father thinks the bird caused the dangerous situation, and Tom goes looking for his new friend in the cold weather. This cartoon probably takes Jones' attempts to emulate Disney to an extreme – very little in it feels like the typical WB cartoon. Tom and the bird have very cute designs, while detailed, realistic animation is used for the father. I know this is not an especially popular cartoon, but it does have its appeal, including some emotional scenes with Tom's father. Out of Jones' cute cartoons, I think this is a much more successful one than the last couple with Sniffles – despite some slow pacing and little comedy, there's more to it than just cutesy characters and good visuals.
8.5

The Chewin' Bruin
Directed by Robert Clampett
A hunter tells Porky the story behind his mounted bear head – how he and his dog came across a bear with a liking for chewing tobacco. I found this a surprisingly tame entry by Clampett's standards, though there are still some fun puns and visual gags in this one. The "Starring Porky" card is pretty much a lie, as he appears for less than a minute and the least of all four characters. The characters we get to see are entertaining enough to make this an enjoyable short, even if it's not an absolute must-see.
8.5

Circus Today
Directed by Fred Avery
Spot gag cartoon featuring various acts at the Jingling Bros. Circus. We get in-joke references to the crew (like Captain Clampett and Hotfoot Hogan), a couple of acts that end tragically, and amusing animals among others. Harman and Ising did a cartoon full of similarly themed gags back in 1932, but this one is definitely funnier than the earlier attempt. Some jokes are recycled from earlier Avery spot gag cartoons but with slight variations, and the new ones are entertaining.
8.5

Little Blabbermouse
Directed by I. Freleng
Mice go on a cable car ride in a drug store, and the W.C. Fields-esque host shows the various products to them. Combining the earlier "things come to life" cartoons and the recent spot gag entries, we see many humorous puns like a bottle of cough medicine that actually coughs. We get some musical numbers featuring earlier Merrie Melodies songs (such as "Shake Your Powder Puff" and the ubiquitous "We're in the Money"). An extremely talkative kid mouse keeps bothering the host, and eventually the mice end up in a dangerous situation! The characters in this one were amusing (especially Blabbermouse himself), and while some parts of it felt like a cartoon from a years earlier, I found this one of the best of its kind. Definitely worth a watch for its humorous parts (we also see the first use of the alum gag that I always enjoyed).
9

Porky's Baseball Broadcast
Directed by Isadore Freleng
Porky is the commentator for a decisive World Series baseball game at the Yankem Stadium where the Giants face the Red Sox. Plenty of puns and wacky baseball action involving cartoon animals are seen, of course! Freleng (who's doing brilliantly after his return – the switch from musicals to comedy is really suiting him) would handle this theme even better a few years later, but this prototype version of sorts is very entertaining in itself. A few gags would in fact be recycled for that later entry, like the screaming ball and the literal bat boy.
9

The Egg Collector
Directed by Charles Jones
Sniffles and the Bookworm are reading an egg collecting book, and the great barn owl's egg catches their eyes. The Bookworm knows there's an owl's nest in the nearby church tower, so the two go there, unaware of the danger involved. This is a cute short, Sniffles in particular with his naivete (he reads that owls eat rodents, but thinks a rodent is "some kind of a flower or something" – there are also other small nice touches like his inability to pronounce "etc.") It's not one of the most humorous in the series, but there are some funny scenes like Sniffles insulting the owl not realizing he's listening. Charming, definitely an improvement over the last couple of cartoons with the mouse, but it doesn't quite reach the level of the similarly themed "Little Brother Rat" – that one had a little more cuteness and action yet.
8.5

A Wild Hare
Directed by Fred Avery
And now we've reached one of the most significant milestones in the series, if not number one on that list! Elmer Fudd is hunting rabbits and immediately comes across one. His attempts to catch the rabbit don't succeed, as he's too smart to fall for Elmer's traps. The rabbit is Bugs Bunny, of course, making his first appearance in his recognizable form. Elmer's final version had appeared in various roles earlier this year, but this is the first short to put him in his famous role as a hunter. For the first cartoon to pair these two new characters, it's amazing how many of the elements that would be used in later cartoons are already here. Elmer thinking he's hurt Bugs (and even more obviously, a scene where he goes crazy) is a variation on a scene from "Elmer's Candid Camera", but the character acting here is much more effective, and the more appealing personality of Bugs here in comparison to the prototype version naturally plays a part. This cartoon got an Oscar nomination as the best short cartoon of the year. But showing how clueless the Academy can sometimes be, it didn't win the award, and neither did the first Tom and Jerry cartoon "Puss Gets the Boot", for that matter. A cute but forgettable MGM short "The Milky Way" beat both of these legendary firsts – my pick for the greatest awards injustice ever. But today, "A Wild Hare" is deservedly recognized as the masterpiece it is, in addition to being the template for most Bugs cartoons we'd see later on.
10

Ghost Wanted
Directed by Charles Jones
A little ghost is learning how to scare people when he sees a newspaper ad looking for a ghost to haunt a house. When he arrives there, a big ghost tells him to try to scare him. Once this fails, the big ghost scares the little one and starts chasing him around the house. Out of Jones' early cartoons, this is among the faster-paced and more gag-filled ones. The ghost characters are nice – the small ghost is cute and expressive despite having no dialogue, while Tex Avery's voice and trademark laugh contribute to the big ghost's amusing personality. There are some nice explosion effects here too.
8.5

Ceiling Hero
Directed by Fred Avery
A series of plane-related gags. We see new innovations in aviation, as well as pilots showing their skills. Obviously there's a lot of randomness along the way. Another entertaining spot gag cartoon, though not the best one.
8

Patient Porky
Directed by Robert Clampett
Porky goes to the hospital with a stomach ache. But instead of a doctor, Porky meets one of the patients (an insane cat) pretending to be Young Dr. Chilled-air. As the cat attempts to operate on Porky (with a saw), he tries to escape. A wild cartoon with some funny jokes like a bellhop reciting the diseases treated on various floors like products in a department store. Prototype Bugs also makes a guest appearance – his last one, since we've already met the real thing now. Some of the scenes with the cat are pretty obviously reused from "The Daffy Doc" (just with the cat replacing Daffy), but there's still plenty of new and crazy stuff to enjoy!
9

Malibu Beach Party
Directed by I. Freleng
Jack Bunny (a Jack Benny parody – this time a human, unlike his namesakes in shorts like "I Love to Singa" and "Slap Happy Pappy") invites various celebrities to a beach party at his home. We see comedic antics involving the guests and a few musical performances, the highlight being the host himself playing the violin. This cartoon is one where part of the joke is lost nowadays – most of the celebrities shown here have faded into obscurity. Some of the gags are funny despite this, but I think the song scenes aren't particularly humorous, apart from the one with Jack Bunny himself (mostly thanks to the audience reactions). An interesting time capsule of sorts, but there have been funnier celebrity parodies in the series, at least from a modern point of view.
7.5

Calling Dr. Porky
Directed by I. Freleng
Porky is a doctor at New Rightus Hospital. He has to treat a drunken man who's being followed around by little elephants. When Porky goes to get him some medicine, the elephants start further pestering the man, pretending to be doctors themselves. Freleng's stay at MGM has mostly been regarded as a failure, but his return to Schlesinger seems to have invigorated him – this is another brilliant cartoon. The elephants' antics are the funniest part, and the ending is also a very amusing one. One of Friz's best shorts so far.
10

Stage Fright
Directed by Charles Jones
The two Curious Puppies are fighting over a bone. They run through a stage door and end up dueling with not only each other but also a trained seal and a pigeon living inside a magic hat. The Curious Puppies cartoons are all fairly similar in execution, but I consider this my favorite so far. The puppies' foils, especially the angry pigeon (who reminds me slightly of a certain hawk who would appear a couple of years later), provide some much needed variety. Also, there's less barking now, allowing much of the cartoon to be done in proper pantomime, which works better. There's also a logical but amusing solution to the conflict at the end. Certainly a solid effort!
8.5

Prehistoric Porky
Directed by Robert Clampett
In the year one billion trillion B.C., Porky is a caveman. Inspired by the Expire magazine, Porky decides to get a new suit, so he goes bear hunting. Unfortunately, a hungry saber-toothed tiger sets his sights on him. A wacky cartoon with many sight gags (including a very long one involving Porky's pet dinosaur) and a comedic random ending. We also hear a rewritten, period-appropriate version of the 1934 classic "Those Were Wonderful Days". Good cartoon with one of Porky's best recent roles.
8.5

Holiday Highlights
Directed by Fred Avery
A look at the various holidays of the year, with a comedic vignette for each. Many of them are just as funny as they would have been back then, such as the April fool gag. And also poignant in parts, as the "most likely to succeed" on Graduation Day goes right to the bread line. Out of the Avery spot gag cartoons, this is definitely among my absolute favorites!
9.5

Good Night Elmer
Directed by Charles Jones
Elmer is trying to fall asleep, but this proves difficult. At first, he struggles to take off his coat, and then the flame of a candle refuses to go out despite various attempts from him. This is not the strongest cartoon about a character trying to fall asleep (I prefer "Porky's Badtime Story" from three years ago), but it still proves rather entertaining, especially the last minute when Elmer gets really frustrated. The short also shows Jones' continued experiments with dialogueless cartoons – Elmer, who's the only character in this cartoon (I don't think the flame really counts as one), only expresses himself visually and through simple vocal effects. A better cartoon than its reputation would suggest.
8

The Sour Puss
Directed by Robert Clampett
Porky and his cat go fishing. The first fish they see is a flying fish – a really crazy one that's very hard to catch! This could be considered a follow-up of sorts to "Porky's Duck Hunt" and "Porky's Hare Hunt", as all three feature Porky and an animal companion trying to catch their wacky prey. However, this is the wildest of the whole trio, with very expressive animation. Porky's cat gets a very significant role here, unlike the dogs in the two aforementioned shorts. Many funny gags along the way, like Porky's fish impersonation (probably his strangest moment to date in the series). We also see the debut of a Clampett favorite gag – the "Now I've seen everything" suicide joke (often censored on TV airings), this time featuring a canary. Definitely not a sour one!
10

Wacky Wild Life
Directed by Fred Avery
More spot gags about wildlife. There are many cute and funny jokes involving animals once again. There's plenty of fourth wall breaking, including a gag with a packrat that takes (intentional) repetition to a new extent – another thing Avery liked doing, with an infamous example coming up rather soon! It's inevitable that some of the jokes are similar to ones in earlier shorts (including another joke about dogs and trees, of course!), but again, the new ones are entertaining enough. As with the previous cartoons in this style, the visuals are very beautiful, especially the background paintings. The cute creatures and funny voice acting naturally add to the appeal too.
8.5

Bedtime for Sniffles
Directed by Charles Jones
Right after Jones made a short about a character trying to fall asleep, he makes one about a character trying to stay awake. It's Christmas, and Sniffles wants to see Santa Claus. The problem is that he keeps falling asleep despite trying various things to keep himself awake (listening to the radio, drinking coffee, reading a magazine). A cute short, for sure, but not the most remarkable one. Probably more enjoyable at Christmas with its theme and atmosphere (emphasized by the Christmas songs on the soundtrack).
7.5

Porky's Hired Hand
Directed by I. Freleng
The employment agency provides Porky with a watchman for his henhouse. However, Gregory Grunt proves to be quite lazy and naive, as the fox fools him by claiming the two will become business partners and make a lot of money. But this doesn't prevent the fox from getting himself in trouble too... The sly fox is the most entertaining character here and has some funny lines (with great voice acting by Mel Blanc, of course). Another enjoyable short, but don't expect to see much of Porky himself (once again)!
9

Of Fox and Hounds
Directed by Draft No. 412
That's Tex Avery as the director – the original on-screen credits had a war-themed gag (far from the only time even the credit sequences were used for jokes). Hunters and their dogs go fox hunting – and so does Willoughby, a very dumb dog. He decides he'll catch a fox, but his stupidity proves to be his undoing, as George the fox constantly outwits him. One of the funniest of its time – the characters may not have had much longevity in the series (though Willoughby would make a couple more appearances), but they're very amusing with brilliant chemistry. This short contains another example of repetition being used in a humorous way, and it's very effective, emphasizing how naive Willoughby is. The ending in particular is a clever one, with a surprising variation on an earlier scene. Interestingly, this is the second short in a row to feature a fox in a significant role – the first time this has happened since Foxy's brief glory days in 1931.
10

The Timid Toreador
Directed by Robert Clampett & Norman McCabe
Porky is selling (extremely) hot tamales in a Mexican town. But he accidentally ends up in a bullfight! The first directorial job for McCabe who will fill in for Clampett, who was ill at the time, on a couple of cartoons. The latter's involvement is still quite obvious here with some of the wild animation and gags. There's also a repeating part with Porky advertising the tamales to the tune of "La Cucaracha" – for some reason, this was something that really stuck in my mind when I first saw this cartoon years ago, so there's some nostalgia for me here. Porky unintentionally ending up as a bullfighter wasn't admittedly an all new idea, but that doesn't hurt my enjoyment of this cartoon much.
8.5

Shop Look & Listen
Directed by I. Freleng
Blabbermouse is back and even gets a special title card at the start – goes to show how many characters were planned to become stars at some point! This is pretty similar to "Little Blabbermouse" – the W.C. Fields mouse is giving other mice a sightseeing tour in the J.T. Gimlet department store, and the talkative kid keeps bothering him. The difference is that this time the main attractions are modern machines that do everything from wrapping up packages to dealing cards. There are no dangerous situations this time, but Blabbermouse proves to be just as much of a nuisance. Slightly weaker than its predecessor, as it's quite derivative (sometimes also of non-Blabbermouse shorts like "Sweet Sioux") despite some funny scenes – still entertaining, but two was pretty much the maximum that could have been made with this concept!
8.5

Besides the cartoon shorts, the Schlesinger studio (uncredited) created an animated title sequence for a movie released by Paramount.

Love Thy Neighbor
An illustration of the two lead actors (Jack Benny, often parodied in the WB cartoons, and Fred Allen) is shown, after which their names are animated and start fighting. They then chase each other while the other on-screen credits appear. A very small footnote in the history of the Schlesinger studio, but animated names acting as characters is an interesting idea – and definitely more entertaining than the typical credit sequence of the day.

1940 was a very strong year for the cartoons. The introduction of Bugs Bunny was of course the standout moment, and a new star for the studio seems to have been long overdue, as Porky is getting upstaged increasingly often in his own cartoons. But there were many other strong entries too. Friz Freleng's return to WB brought us some gems, and Chuck Jones is slowly but surely starting to find his way. I'd go as far as to say WB had its all-time strongest director team at this point with the aforementioned two, Avery and Clampett. This line-up wouldn't last for long, though...