In Current Events, 1942, “Louis-Baer-Conn”, women contributing to the war efforts, nature footage, “Produced by Fairbanks and Carlisle”,

“In 1941 Tex Avery started a series of cartoons ‘Speaking of Animals’. These cartoons may not be among the best cartoons there’s ever been and those with Avery’s involvement are not among the best he’s ever done, but they are very interesting and entertaining on the most part with a unique visual style. Despite the more serious to usual subject, ‘Speaking of Animals in Current Events’ still manages to be fun. The political element, with the take on Hitler and Hirohito, is interesting historically (for the period and also seeing animals’ contributions to the war effort) and not as heavy-handed as one would think. This is thanks to being balanced out by some welcome lighter moments like with the cow. As with the series in general the story is slight, but it’s the visuals, humour and the animals that have always mattered more and ‘Speaking of Animals in Current Events’ delivers on those. Once again, ‘Speaking of Animals in Current Events’ has ingenious use of Rotoscoping, with animation being re-shot and matted into the animal footage, and its combining of live action animals and animated mouths similarly looks incredible. It’s this that is the shorts’, and for the series in general, most striking and notable asset.”