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The Best of Ernie Bushmiller's Nancy
Book by Brian Walker, Ernie Bushmiller
236 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1988
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 28, 2019
Nancy is another one of those classic strips that's easy to take for granted. It's also something of an odd case in that many of its most ardent fans readily admit that it was never that screamingly funny. What makes classic Nancy strips special is Ernie Bushmiller’s unique craftsmanship.
There's a Zen-like simplicity to the best Nancy strips. Every element is designed to lead to the punchline in the final panel. It's cartooning pared down to its absolute essence. In the time it takes you to simply focus your eyes on the strip, your brain absorbs the entire thing. You can't NOT read Nancy. Bushmiller’s famous advice--”Dumb it down.”--combined with his writing technique of beginning with the last panel and then figuring out how best to get there resulted in something that almost approaches the Platonic ideal of a comic strip.
Oddly enough, Nancy started out with a more complex drawing style. Fritzi Ritz began in 1922 in the mode of classic contemporaries like Winnie Winkle the Breadwinner and Tillie the Toiler. Fritzi was a single New York glamour girl turned movie actress. The strip was originally done by Larry Whittington. Bushmiller was brought in later to assist with the art, and eventually took over completely in 1925 when Whittington left for a rival paper--though at that point, Ernie had pretty much been doing the strip for a year on his own anyway.
Stylistically, Fritzi Ritz was similar to many other comic strips of the era: Loose continuity, sprinkled with gags. Characters could go from rags to riches and back again overnight. Suitors came and went. Nancy was initially introduced as Fritzi’s niece, but eventually took over the strip. In the late 30’s, Bushmiller introduced Sluggo and officially changed the strip’s name. The art style was still more complex though. It wasn't until the late 40’s that Bushmiller’s more mature style began to emerge.
In addition to a generous helping of Nancy strips from various eras, the book also features other goodies: a generous selection of Nancy parodies from Mad magazine, an excellent essay, “How to Read Nancy” by Mark Newgarden and Paul Karasik, a particularly Nancy-centric excerpt from Bill Griffith’s 1985 Zippy book, “Are We Having Fun Yet?”, and a look at Nancy’s influence on the Fine Arts--featuring works by Andy Warhol and Karl Wirsum among others. Oh, and the book also includes Mark Newgarden’s excellent story from Raw, “Love’s Savage Fury.”
Nancy’s appeal can be difficult to quantify, being not as obviously funny or as well-drawn as many other classic strips. Suffice to say, it has managed to capture the attention of countless fans, including many professional artists. Not everyone may get the appeal, but its place in comic strip history is indisputable. Highly recommended!
There's a Zen-like simplicity to the best Nancy strips. Every element is designed to lead to the punchline in the final panel. It's cartooning pared down to its absolute essence. In the time it takes you to simply focus your eyes on the strip, your brain absorbs the entire thing. You can't NOT read Nancy. Bushmiller’s famous advice--”Dumb it down.”--combined with his writing technique of beginning with the last panel and then figuring out how best to get there resulted in something that almost approaches the Platonic ideal of a comic strip.
Oddly enough, Nancy started out with a more complex drawing style. Fritzi Ritz began in 1922 in the mode of classic contemporaries like Winnie Winkle the Breadwinner and Tillie the Toiler. Fritzi was a single New York glamour girl turned movie actress. The strip was originally done by Larry Whittington. Bushmiller was brought in later to assist with the art, and eventually took over completely in 1925 when Whittington left for a rival paper--though at that point, Ernie had pretty much been doing the strip for a year on his own anyway.
Stylistically, Fritzi Ritz was similar to many other comic strips of the era: Loose continuity, sprinkled with gags. Characters could go from rags to riches and back again overnight. Suitors came and went. Nancy was initially introduced as Fritzi’s niece, but eventually took over the strip. In the late 30’s, Bushmiller introduced Sluggo and officially changed the strip’s name. The art style was still more complex though. It wasn't until the late 40’s that Bushmiller’s more mature style began to emerge.
In addition to a generous helping of Nancy strips from various eras, the book also features other goodies: a generous selection of Nancy parodies from Mad magazine, an excellent essay, “How to Read Nancy” by Mark Newgarden and Paul Karasik, a particularly Nancy-centric excerpt from Bill Griffith’s 1985 Zippy book, “Are We Having Fun Yet?”, and a look at Nancy’s influence on the Fine Arts--featuring works by Andy Warhol and Karl Wirsum among others. Oh, and the book also includes Mark Newgarden’s excellent story from Raw, “Love’s Savage Fury.”
Nancy’s appeal can be difficult to quantify, being not as obviously funny or as well-drawn as many other classic strips. Suffice to say, it has managed to capture the attention of countless fans, including many professional artists. Not everyone may get the appeal, but its place in comic strip history is indisputable. Highly recommended!
April 11, 2022
I LOVE this book. I read it many times when I was around middle school age. I remember my dad buying it for me at a book outlet in an old mall in Pigeon Forge.
August 28, 2017
what can i say, i love this crazy chick!!!
September 15, 2020
An excellent book to read or skim (depending on the amount of time you want to spend in the ‘Nancy’ universe). I appreciated the rich backstory and learning about Bushmiller’s past and private life (and now it applied to Fritzi and her precocious niece Nancy). I read the book mostly for the classic comics and highlights and skimmed the commentary articles (but it was still very appreciated).
December 2, 2022
This an older book, that I decided to re-read, because... well, Nancy.
A great introduction, long out of print (there are other, newer Nancy books out there) but used copies are around, and it remains a terrific introduction and overview of the comic strip.
A great introduction, long out of print (there are other, newer Nancy books out there) but used copies are around, and it remains a terrific introduction and overview of the comic strip.
October 9, 2025
Nancy reminds me of my niece. A wonderful respite from dark, depressing titles.
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June 20, 2007my cute, desk-calendar, "all i ever needed to know i learned from my ____" book, except that nancy teaches me about perception and the possible contours of the universe, while cats only teach me about how to be lazy and selfish.
May 14, 2010
Ernie Bushmiller is the king of puns.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews