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
Daffy Duck Hunt Porky and the dog start singing along with Daffy, until Porky sees that the current month is April on the calendar. As the dog looks in horror and runs behind the freezer, Porky angrily knocks Daffy down onto the floor and is ready to use the axe to finish Daffy off once and for all until he sees a stamp on his belly: "Do not open 'till Xmas." Daffy smiles at the camera and says to the audience, "Christmas—by that time, I'll figure a way "out" of this mess!". The cartoon ends with an iris out around his left eye