Blair left Disney after the 1941 Disney animator's strike, and was hired to work for Tex Avery's unit at MGM. There, he became particularly known for animating the titular female character in "Red Hot Riding Hood". "Red" later re-appeared in more Avery cartoons, including "Swing Shift Cinderella", "Little Rural Riding Hood", "Uncle Tom's Cabana" and the Droopy cartoons "The Shooting of Dan McGoo" and "Wild and Woolfy", with animation by Blair. In the late 1940s, Blair teamed with Avery animator Michael Lah to direct several "Barney Bear" cartoons.