Random Nancy Panel

Ernie Bushmiller's Nancy didn't change much over the decades once he hit his stride; strips from the 1950s look exactly like ones from the 1970s. He didn't include topical references very often, but something about hippies struck a nerve, and he did a lot of gags about them in the late 60s. Note, however, that February, 1968 is kinda early for a mainstream newspaper kid's strip to mention the shaggy counterculture. Basically, Nancy will do anything to avoid bathing.

UPDATE: On a formalist note, please appreciate, again, the Mondrian-like perfection of Bushmiller's composition. What, for instance, is the window, a detail totally inconsequential to the gag, doing there? It's there for balance. Without it, the panel would be lopsided towards the lower left. Sublime.

Happy Friday!

Random Nancy Panel

This panel shows an aspect of Ernie Bushmiller's genius: his mastery of black/white balance. He usually sticks to a strict black and white approach, using Zip-a-Tone™ very sparingly for grays. Notice here, though, that if he had used black for the sleeves in the picture, it would have overbalanced the characters. Instead, he used the screen dots for gray, balancing it with Rollo's slacks. Nancy and Sluggo really is like architecture.

Random Nancy Panel

It's instructive to contemplate isolated Nancy panels removed from context and meaning, because again we can appreciate Bushmiller as a sublime modernist composer. The drawing above is a perfect example, a complex interplay of repeated and contrasting diagonals punctuated with a checkmark-shaped bounce of round objects. I love how every single object is fulfilling a formal purpose: observe how the almost architecturally-placed brush and comb serve to balance the opposing diagonals and to reinforce the simple but exact perspective of the scene. Note, too, how Aunt Fritzi's sweat drops act like a set of parentheses with the lines on the mirror. Finally, the open drawer is almost completely illogical, but works on its own terms and seems "right," even though it isn't. Everything in this panel is tightly locked in place, as tight as a Lichtenstein or a Mondrian.

Random Nancy Panel

Ah, c'mon, Nancy! Pull up to the bumper!

Random Nancy Panel

Cute touch: "E.B." and "A.B." for Ernie and Abby Bushmiller. But what's this? "F.R." can only be for Fritzi Ritz, Nancy's glamorous aunt. Hot!

Random Nancy Panel

Oh, hello! I'm really sorry, because I'm totally, like, EW about politics right now, so I haven't been posting much, and then I was all, fully, OMG, that's why I hooked up my scanner! So I'll try to get scantastic again for your enjoyment (?). Anyway! So that's Nancy's tragic liposuction overreaching for you. Tsk.

Random Nancy Panel

Random Nancy Panel

(1971)

Random Nancy Panel

Random Nancy Panel

Random Nancy Panel

Random Nancy Panel

Random Nancy Panel

Random Nancy Panel

Random Nancy Panel

Random Nancy Panel

11-27-60

Random Nancy Panel

Random Nancy Panel

Random Nancy Panel

(1970)

Random Nancy Panel

Ernie Bushmiller: the Piet Mondrian of gag cartoonists. Also, I'm obsessed with Irma's strangely-palpable sausage curls.