Drafted at Warner?

[lupercal]

I just recieved a DVD of early Warner cartoons. The credits for 'Of Fox and Hounds' (one of Tex Avery's WB shorts) reads 'Animated by draft No. 6102'

This is a similar system which Australian publications featuring artwork from serving soldiers would use. Artists or writers would only be identified by their serial number. So, assuming this isn't a joke, can I assume whoever the animator was, by the time the short came out he'd been drafted?

Well, I thought that was a good theory, till I checked bcdb and, according to them, all the crew are identified by draft number, including Avery, though some have their real names as well. The one exception is Schlesinger, who is just referred to by his real name.

So what was this all about. This was 1940. The USA wasn't even in the war yet (I probably should watch the thing, but I haven't unwrapped it yet, and I havbe to go into hospital in 45 minutes)

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[starlac]

Even though the USA wasn't at war yet, animation studios weren't above putting a little commentary on it.

As far as I can find, this was merely a topical gag; as it has little bearing on the cartoons made after and before this title; all of which keep the names of the crew intact.

When the USA did go to war animation and the animators that made them were see as potentially useful makers of education and propaganda films.

Indeed it was found that many adults would learn lessions/sit through more readily if they were being taught by Bugs, Daffy, etc than by a live-action film with the same message.

Animation was hugely popular among adults in the 30's and 40's and would be until television dumbed it down in the sixties by selling it and writing it for the kids.

[lupercal]

When the USA did go to war animation and the animators that made them were see as potentially useful makers of education and propaganda films.

Interesting to compare that with what happened with SF writers. Virtually all the top creative people at Astounding stories either got drafted or joined up in 1942, and although the magazine was still very good after that, losing most of its best writers for the duration of the war put an end to the peak of what many consider the Golden Age of SF (1939-42)

This despite the fact the magazine had been writing stories about a war with Japan and/or Germany and atomic weapons since the mid 30's. I guess SF wasn't considered as good a propaganda tool.

(BTW anybody know how to sleep wearing a holter monitor? I think this is going to suck)

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