Looks like Gerry Chiniquy to me.

I’m thinking Hawley Pratt.

Jack Tatay scanned that for a few of us years ago. It’s definitely by someone in the Freleng unit. Beautiful artwork!

Some of the poses look like that of Virgil Ross.

Just wondering — doesn’t a year and a half seem like a long time between storyboard and release for “A Hare…” (Dec. ‘45 - May ‘47)? (Plus you have to figure a couple of months’ lead time for Coronet magazine.) Is it possible that the idea for a magazine feature came first, and *then* it was turned into a Merrie Melody? On the other hand, perhaps it was common to have storyboards stockpiled, awaiting production. Or perhaps the cartoon was produced earlier, then held for release. Can anyone shed further light on this?

Without question it’s from Friz’s unit both in style & the fact it’s based on his short. Friz usually gave special assignments to Virgil Ross & it looks like his work to me.

Jack Bradbury?

I vote Ross.

i’m with norton on this. looks like jack bradbury to me.

I now defer to Finn. : )

According to the IMDb Jack Bradbury only worked briefly in the Freleng unit from 1943-44 & this issue is from Dec. 1945. I still think the pin-up poses are by Ross, though some of the other art like ‘The Great Presto’ looks as if it was done by a background artist–Paul Julian?

The pencils look like Gerry Chiniquy to me (especially Bugs in the straw hat and the “Knights Must Fall” pose). Don’t know who did the final paintings, but it’s probably someone from Friz’s BG department.

Incidentally, am I the only one who thinks that “The Great Presto” looks like a caricature of Tedd Pierce (who may have written the text)?

yeah, Bugs at the train depot (Pasadena?) looks like Paul Julian’s work. Thinking of some of the landscapes in “Rackeeteer Rabbit” or “Unruly Hare” (wait, did he do that one?). Check out Julian’s mural in the Fullerton, Calif. post office sometime.

I love the archive. I hope it can go nationwide through libraries and schools.

Was it a young Richard Williams who did the art?

Ok. I was at work when I thought I had seen those Bugs Bunny pictures before. In Canemaker’s Raggedy Ann book in the Chapter on Young Williams he has an article from an old Toronto paper about the boy. In the background you see the picture of the Bulldog and Bugs. He appears to be drawing the magician drawing. That picture coupled with the illustration of his commercial work at a young age in his SUrvival Kit Book makes me believe it is young Williams. But why the article would chose to profile him painting a pool instead of being a pro I can’t guess.
Here’s a scan from the book of the article.
http://www3.telus.net/drard/dickwms.jpg

…And hey! Bugs pose looks similar to this guy.