Private Snafu: Coming Snafu (1943) “A wartime animated misadventure from the goofiest private in the U.S. Army!” Director: Friz Freleng Writer: Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel) Animation Studio: Warner Bros. / U.S. War Department Runtime: ~5 minutes Country: United States Language: English Genres: Wartime Animation, Military Propaganda, Comedy, Educational --- 🧾 Synopsis This short follows Private Snafu, a bumbling soldier in the U.S. Army who exists to show soldiers what not to do. In “Coming Snafu,” he receives word from his brother Tarfu that he’s going to be sent overseas. The cartoon uses exaggerated humor and musical gags to illustrate the challenges of troop movements and logistics, all while reinforcing the message: Be prepared and follow orders. --- Key Themes & Highlights Produced by the U.S. War Department to educate American troops during World War II in an entertaining and memorable way. Written by none other than Dr. Seuss, with character designs and animation by Chuck Jones and Friz Freleng. Combines slapstick comedy with subtle instruction—“edutainment” before the term existed. The “Snafu” acronym stands for “Situation Normal: All Fouled Up”—a nod to the chaos of war. This episode pokes fun at bureaucratic military delays, deployment confusion, and administrative backlog. --- 🧠 Trivia Though completed in 1946, “Coming Snafu” was never officially released and remained unreleased for years, possibly due to its post-war tone. Part of a series of 26 Private Snafu shorts, many of which were shown only to military personnel. The Snafu shorts were top-secret during their production—viewing was restricted to military audiences only. Features many inside jokes and visual gags tailored to enlisted men, including references to camp life, army red tape, and pin-up girls. Mel Blanc (voice of Bugs Bunny) voices Snafu with his signature manic energy. --- #Hashtags #PrivateSnafu #ComingSnafu #WWIIAnimation #DrSeussGoesToWar #MilitaryCartoons #FrizFreleng #ChuckJonesAnimation #MelBlanc #ArmyEdutainment #WartimePropaganda #ClassicCartoon #LostAnimation #WarDepartmentFilm #1940sAnimation #SituationNormal #VintageMilitaryMedia