Events in 1943 in animation.
Events
January January 1: Jack Kinney's war-time propaganda Donald Duck cartoon Der Fuehrer's Face, produced by the Walt Disney Company, is first released. January 4: Bill Justice and Bill Roberts' war-time propaganda cartoon The Grain That Built a Hemisphere premieres, produced by Walt Disney Animation. January 7: Jack King's war-time propaganda cartoon The Spirit of '43 premieres, produced by the Walt Disney Animation Studios, in which Donald Duck promotes paying income taxes to help the war effort. January 15: Clyde Geronimi's war-time propaganda cartoon Education for Death, produced by the Walt Disney Company, premieres. January 16: Bob Clampett's Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, is first released. Hanna-Barbera's Tom & Jerry cartoon Sufferin' Cats! premieres, produced by MGM, in which the alley cat Meathead debuts. January 22: The war-time propaganda Popeye cartoon Spinach Fer Britain, directed by Isadore Sparber, produced by Famous Studios, premieres, in which Popeye fights Nazi marines. January 23: Norman McCabe's Porky Pig cartoon Confusions of a Nutzy Spy, a war-time propaganda cartoon produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, is first released. January 29: Dick Lundy's Donald Duck short Donald's Tire Trouble premieres, produced by Walt Disney Animation. While not directly referencing World War II it does mention rationing.
February February 2: Friz Freleng's Pigs in a Polka, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, is first seen in theaters. February 19: The war-time propaganda Popeye cartoon Seein' Red, White 'N' Blue, directed by Dan Gordon, produced by Famous Studios, premieres, in which Popeye and Bluto fight Japanese spies. Hirohito, Adolf Hitler and Hermann Göring have cameos too. February 20: Bob Clampett's Bugs Bunny cartoon Tortoise Wins by a Hare, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, is first released.
March March 4: 15th Academy Awards: Der Fuehrer's Face, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, wins the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. March 6: Friz Freleng's The Fifth-Column Mouse is first released, a war-time propaganda cartoon produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions. Chuck Jones' To Duck or Not to Duck premieres, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions which stars Elmer Fudd and Daffy Duck eventually fighting it out in a boxing ring. March 12: Dick Lundy's Donald Duck cartoon The Flying Jalopy premieres, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios.Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 74–75. . Retrieved June 6, 2020. March 20: Tex Avery's Dumb-Hounded is first released, produced by MGM, marking the debut of Droopy. March 25: The Japanese war-time propaganda short Momotarō no Umiwashi is first released. March 26: The Superman war-time propaganda short, Jungle Drums, produced by Famous Studios, has Superman fighting Nazis, with a caricature of Adolf Hitler appearing at the end.
April April 2: Clyde Geronimi's Pluto cartoon Private Pluto, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, premieres. It marks the debut of Chip 'n' Dale. April 3: Chuck Jones' Bugs Bunny cartoon Super-Rabbit premieres, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions. April 15: Kenzo Masaoka's Kumo to Tulip is first released. April 23: Jack King's war-time propaganda Donald Duck cartoon Fall Out Fall In, produced by the Walt Disney Animation Studios, premieres.
May May 1: Bob Clampett's Daffy Duck short The Wise Quacking Duck premieres, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions. May 8: Tex Avery's Red Hot Riding Hood premieres, produced by MGM, in which his recurring Wolf and Red debut. May 15: Norman McCabe's war-time propaganda cartoon Tokio Jokio premieres, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions. It is his last picture for the studio before his enlistment in the Army. May 22: William Hanna and Joseph Barbera's Tom & Jerry cartoon The Lonesome Mouse, produced by MGM, premieres. It features a moment where Jerry draws Adolf Hitler's hair and moustache on a picture of Tom.
June June 5: Friz Freleng's Daffy Duck and Porky Pig cartoon Yankee Doodle Daffy, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions is first released. June 12: Friz Freleng's Bugs Bunny cartoon Jack-Wabbit and the Beanstalk premieres, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions. June 19: Tex Avery's Who Killed Who? premieres, produced by MGM. Chuck Jones' cartoon The Aristo-Cat produced by produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions. This short marks the debut of the characters Claude Cat & Hubie and Bertie.Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pg. 94. . Retrieved June 6, 2020. June 26: Hanna-Barbera's Tom & Jerry cartoon The Yankee Doodle Mouse premieres, produced by MGM. While not directly referencing World War II, much of their fight mirrors a military battle, making it a war-time propaganda short. The was the first cartoon in the series to win an Academy Award for Best animated short film. June 28: Leon Schlesinger Productions starts producing the Private Snafu wartime propaganda military instruction cartoons, of which the first entry in the series is Coming!! Snafu.
July July 3: Chuck Jones' Bugs Bunny cartoon Wackiki Wabbit, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, is first released. July 17: Frank Tashlin's Daffy Duck and Porky Pig cartoon Porky Pig's Feat, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, is first released, It's the first cartoon in the Looney Tunes series to use "Powerhouse", and the first time Bugs Bunny appears onscreen with Daffy. Bob Clampett's Tin Pan Alley Cats, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, is first released. H.C. Potter's live-action war-time propaganda film Victory Through Air Power, which features animated scenes directed by James Algar, Clyde Geronimi and Jack Kinney, produced by the Walt Disney Company, is first released. It also marks more focus by Disney on producing educational animated films.
August August 21: Frank Tashlin's war-time propaganda Daffy Duck cartoon Scrap Happy Daffy premieres, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions. August 28: Bill Roberts' war-time propaganda short Reason and Emotion, produced by the Walt Disney Company, premieres.
September September 25: Bob Clampett's cartoon A Corny Concerto, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, is first released. It stars Elmer Fudd, Porky Pig, Bugs Bunny, and Daffy Duck (as a duckling). It's also notable for being a parody of Disney's Fantasia.
October October 9: Hanna-Barbera's war-time propaganda short War Dogs, produced by MGM, premieres. October 30: Bob Clampett's Bugs Bunny cartoon Falling Hare premieres, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, in which Bugs fights a Gremlin.
November November 5: Jack King's war-time propaganda Donald Duck cartoon The Old Army Game premieres, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. Also starring Pete. November 20: Friz Freleng's war-time propaganda cartoon Daffy - The Commando is first released, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions. In the cartoon Daffy Duck outsmarts a Nazi officer and memorably hits Adolf Hitler on the head with a mallet. November 27: Tex Avery's What's Buzzin' Buzzard premieres, produced by MGM.
December December 18: Clyde Geronimi's Chicken Little, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios is first released. December 25: Hanna-Barbera's Tom and Jerry cartoon Baby Puss premieres, produced by MGM's Cartoon Studio in which Butch and Topsy debut. December 28: The Donald Duck war-time propaganda short Home Defense, directed by Jack King and produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, premieres. Also starring Huey, Dewey, and Louie.
Films released
July 17 - Victory Through Air Power (United States)
Births January January 1: Don Novello, American actor, comedian, singer, writer, film director and producer (voice of Leonardo da Vinci in Histeria!, Vinny Santorini in Atlantis: The Lost Empire and Atlantis: Milo's Return, Inmate in the Clone High episode "Litter Kills: Litterally"). January 3: Van Dyke Parks, American musician, songwriter, arranger, record producer and composer (The Brave Little Toaster, Harold and the Purple Crayon, Stuart Little). January 13: Richard Moll, American actor (voice of Two-Face in the DC Animated Universe and the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "Chill of the Night!", Norman in Mighty Max, Abomination in The Incredible Hulk, Scorpion in Spider-Man, Vorn the Unspeakable in the Freakazoid! episode "Statuesque", Org's Dad in The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald episode "The Visitors from Outer Space", Rodin Krick in The Zeta Project episode "Lost and Found", Dinky in the Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child episode "The Pied Piper", Emperor Spooj in the Superman: The Animated Series episode "The Main Man"), (d. 2023). January 14: Holland Taylor, American actress (voice of Prudence in the Cinderella franchise, Mrs. Cornwall in the Fillmore! episode "A Cold Day at X", Mrs. Dawson in the American Dad! episode "Big Trouble in Little Langley", Madame Gummery in the Spirit Riding Free episode "Lucky and the New Frontier", Goldie in The Great North episode "As Goldie as It Gets Adventure"). January 18: Peter Angelis, English actor (voice of George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and the Chief Blue Meanie in Yellow Submarine), (d. 2009). January 23: Gil Gerard, American actor (voice of Megatronus/The Fallen in Transformers: Robots in Disguise), (d. 2025).
February February 2: Gay Autterson, American actress (voice of Betty Rubble from 1971 to 1981). February 3: Blythe Danner, American actress (voice of Madam Suliman in Howl's Moving Castle, Sylvia Jones in Ridley Jones). February 25: George Harrison, English musician, singer-songwriter and member of The Beatles (voiced himself in The Simpsons episode "Homer's Barbershop Quartet"), (d. 2001). Stanislav Holý, Czech graphic artist, caricaturist, animation designer, children's book illustrator and animator (Mr. Pip), (d. 1998). February 27: Gary Conrad, American animator (A Garfield Christmas Special, This Is America, Charlie Brown, Garfield's Babes and Bullets), storyboard artist (Bobby's World), sheet timer (The Fairly OddParents, Danny Phantom, Big City Greens), writer (The Fairly OddParents), producer (Bobby's World) and director (Bobby's World, Nickelodeon Animation Studio). February 28: Richard Romanus, American actor (voice of Weehawk in Wizards, Harry Canyon in Heavy Metal, Vinnie in Hey Good Lookin'), (d. 2023).ΣΚΙΑΘΟΣ: Έφυγε από τη ζωή ο Richard Romanus
March March 5: G.G. Santiago, American animator (Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer), (d. 2026).https://people.com/rainbow-brite-creator-gg-santiago-dead-at-82-11916301 March 12: Ed Scharlach, American television producer and writer (Duckman, The Wild Thornberrys, Invader Zim, Warner Bros. Animation, The Emperor's New School). March 28: Conchata Ferrell, American actress (voice of Roxanne in Duckman, Bob's Mom in Frankenweenie, Ma Munchapper in Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, Dr. Greer in The Zeta Project episode "The Next Gen", Miss Effluvium in the Lloyd in Space episode "Incident at Luna Vista"), (d. 2020). March 29: Eric Idle, English actor, comedian and singer (voice of Wreck-Gar in The Transformers: The Movie, Evil Martin in The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue, Devon in Quest for Camelot, Slyly in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie, Dr. Vosnocker in South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut, Merlin in Shrek the Third, Mr. Parentheses in Hercules, Pluto Angel in House of Mouse, Declan Desmond in The Simpsons, Galileo in Recess, Scrapperton in Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!, Pinky's Parents in the Pinky and the Brain episode "The Family That Poits Together, Narfs Together"). March 31: Christopher Walken, American actor (voice of Colonel Cutter in Antz, King Louie in The Jungle Book).
April