Joseph Barbera and Hanna worked alongside animator Tex Avery, who had created Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny for Warner Bros. and directed "Droopy" cartoons at MGM. In 1940, Hanna and Barbera jointly directed "Puss Gets the Boot", which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best (Cartoon) Short Subject. The studio wanted a diversified cartoon portfolio, so despite the success of "Puss Gets the Boot", Barbera and Hanna's supervisor, Fred Quimby, did not want to produce more cat and mouse cartoons believing that there were already enough cartoons of those in existence. Surprised by the success of "Puss Gets the Boot", Barbera
Golden age of American animation Golden age of American animation The golden age of American animation was a period in the history of U.S. animation that began with the advent of sound cartoons in 1928 and continued until around 1969, by which time theatrical animated shorts had begun losing to the newer medium of television animation. Many popular characters emerged from this period, including Bugs Bunny, Mickey Mouse, Daffy Duck, Donald Duck, Goofy, Popeye, Tom and Jerry, Porky Pig, Betty Boop, Woody Woodpecker, Droopy, Mighty Mouse, Mr. Magoo, Pink Panther, the Fox and the Crow, George and Junior, Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner,