Nancy Is Happy: Complete Dailies, 1943–1945

Nancy: Complete Dailies #1

by Ernie Bushmiller

A funny thing happened on the way to comic-strip immortality. For many years, Ernie Bushmiller 's Nancy, with its odd-looking, squat heroine, nearly abstract art, and often super-corny gags, was perceived as the stodgiest, squarest comic strip in the world. Popular with newspaper readers, true but definitely not a strip embraced by comic-strip connoisseurs, like Krazy Kat, Dick Tracy or Terry and the Pirates. But then those connoisseurs took a closer look, and began to realize that Bushmiller 's art approached its own kind of cartoon perfection, and those corny gags often achieved a striking zen quality. In its own way, it turned out Nancy was in fact the most iconic comic strip of all. (The American Heritage Dictionary actually uses a Nancy strip to illustrate its entry on comic strip. ) Charter members of the Nancy revival include Art Spiegelman, who published Mark Newgarden 's famous Love 's Savage Fury (featuring Nancy and Bazooka Joe) in an early issue of RAW; Fletcher Hanks anthologist Paul Karasik; Zippy the Pinhead creator Bill Griffith; underground publisher Denis Kitchen, who released several volumes of Nancy collections in the 1980s; Understanding Comics Scott McCloud, who created the Five-Card Nancy card game; Joe Brainard, who produced an entire Nancy book of paintings in 2008; and Andy Warhol, who produced a painting based on Nancy. Beginning in the Winter of 2011, fans will be dancing with joy as Fantagraphics unveils an ongoing Nancy reprint project. Each volume contain a whopping full four years of daily Nancy strips (a Sunday Nancy project looms in the future), collected in a fat, square (what else, for the squarest strip in the world?) package designed by Jacob (Popeye, Beasts , Willie and Joe) Covey. This first volume will collect every daily strip from 1943 to 1946. (Fantagraphics will eventually release Nancy 's first five years, 1938-1942, but given the scarcity of archival material for these years we are giving ourselves some extra time to collate it all.) This first Nancy volume will feature an introduction by another stellar Bushmiller fan, Daniel Clowes (from whose collection most of the strips in this volume were scanned), a biography of the artist, and much more.

Genres: Comics, Humor, Graphic Novels, Comic Strips, Comix, Art, Graphic Novels Manga

432 pages, Paperback

First published March 14, 2012

About the author

Ernest Paul "Ernie" Bushmiller, Jr. (1905 - 1982) was an American cartoonist, best known for creating the long-running daily comic strip Nancy. Bushmiller's work has been repeatedly addressed by other artists: Andy Warhol made a 1961 painting based on "Nancy"; the artist and poet Joe Brainard made numerous works based on Nancy; and many cartoonists have produced work directly inspired by or commenting on Bushmiller's art, including Art Spiegelman, Bill Griffith, Mark Newgarden and Chris Ware. The American Heritage Dictionary uses a Bushmiller "Nancy" strip to illustrate its entry on "comic strip."

Reviews

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided to reread this because I got one of Olivia James's new Nancy collections.

This is kind of a treat. Growing up in the sixties, the first thing I read in my daily Grand Rapids Press (from the back of the paper, of course) was the sports (boy! Go Tigers! Go Lions, Go Wings!) and the second was the comics (or, funnies). For several years I would have read Nancy, though it was not my favorite daily. As I got older and more politically inclined I began to think of it as kinda square and corny. Now I see the place of Bushmiller’s work in a bit of historical perspective. I see how people like Bill Griffiths and Daniel Clowes (who writes the introduction, and from whose personal collection of strips this volume was scanned!) appreciate Bushmiller’s style. How it built on the Golden Age comics preceded it.

This volume, Nancy is Happy, features dailies from 1943-45, and Bushmiller’s simple, and sometimes almost bizarre art. For instance, he incorporates almost op-art graphic design in places. Some of it is sort of surreal and absurdist. Nancy herself is this boxy, frizzy-haired girl, with that iconic face; Sluggo is a little scary, upon re-reading, a little gangster (not gangsta, this is the forties, kids).

Interested in comics history? Check it out!

Andy Warhol was kind of obsessed with Nancy. Can’t you see that in his op-art?

This is a hilarious dada card game invented by Scott McCloud to illustrate the randomness of Nancy comics (among other things):

http://scottmccloud.com/4-inventions/...

You can see some of the work in this bio of Bushmiller:

https://www.lambiek.net/artists/b/bus...

And more of the work is here (in case you are not yet convinced to get it from the library or buy ir:

https://www.hoopladigital.com/play/12...

How to Read Nancy, a book about reading comics, how they work, seen through Bushmiller’s technique:

http://www.laffpix.com/howtoreadnancy...

[Erin the Avid Reader ⚜BFF's with the Cheshire Cat⚜ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never thought a collection of children's funnies would contain some of the strangest, most interesting-looking artwork that I'm sure served as an inspiration for renowned artists such as Andy Warhol and R. Crumb. Then again, the introduction to this comic compilation is written by Daniel Clowes, so I should have known I would be expecting something interesting...and yes, I can see the beauty in great childrens' comics such as Calvin and Hobbes and Cul de Sac.

Yet before these two, there had to be a precursor and a foundation--some kind of monument in the Sunday funnies that would insert something unique and fresh into the funny pages. I wholeheartedly believe that comic strip happened to be Ernie Bushmiller's "Nancy".

Yes, I'm sure "Nancy" took a lot of its basic elements from Marge's "Little Lulu", yet "Nancy" could come as a knockoff of "Little Lulu" to some...that is, if you only look at the covers of "Nancy" comics and don't read the actual strips. "Little Lulu" doesn't reach the weirdness and surrealist tones "Nancy" seems to love and use in liberal amounts. In fact, "Nancy" could very easily fit into the magic-realist genre.

This is a great compendium of terrific "Nancy" comics. It's funny, historic, interesting, and no doubt an inspiration for many eminent artists and cartoonists. If you see this at your library of local book store, BUY IT OR CHECK IT OUT. It has gotten pulled from the library shelves here in Portland multiple times due to some controversies surrounding strips centered around WW II. Yes, there are stereotypes and a couple shocking strips surrounding Nazism and Japan, but you need to remember that these comics were written in a different time period. Try going into them with an open mind and realize that it was a very scary time for American civilians, and adding a comedic flair to something so awful and intrusive made it all more bearable.

If you can so, then you'll love "Nancy".

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comfort reading (my mum has just died). I remember reading these strips as a child (but where? - we had the Daily Mirror delivered and i don't think it featured in there), and every character was familiar. Nancy, Sluggo, Aunt Fritzi. It's not so much the often weak joke pay-offs I like/liked (including some casual racism), more the evocation of the era, here 1943-45 with shoe shortages and don't be ill campaigns (WW2 doctor shortage) etc. and of course Aunt Fritzi's marvellous 40s fashion and hairstyle. How Bushmiller managed to fit so much into those tiny squares is a miracle.

[Murphy C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unfortunately, I only made it 1/3rd of the way through the digital book before it was returned through my local library. Now it's no longer available!! I'll obtain my own copy someday. Ernie Bushmiller was a genius and Nancy shall live in my imagination FOREVER

[John Porcellino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished reading Nancy is Happy, and loved it. I've been a big Bushmiller fan for a long time (I got a Nancy tattoo on my 21st birthday!) but have never had the chance to read big chunks of the strip in chronological order before. That old adage about Nancy being easier to read than to not read is kind of true. Each strip is perfectly balanced, rendered, and expressed. I found myself staring at panel after panel with my mouth hanging open -- just absolutely impeccable cartooning!

[M. J.]

REPRINT THIS AT ONCE FANTAGRAPHICS, WE ARE DYING HERE.

[Rob Sevier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential

[Anna Sellheim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be a 5 star book for me if they put in an introduction explaining/contextualizing the anti Japanese comics in this collection. I think they should def be reprinted, but I think an intro or some note to the book (along the lines the collection of political cartoons by Dr. Seuss) because some the racist comics are BRUTAL.

[Ruz El · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, this isn't a deep book. There's no amazing serial or adventure to be found and it's more head scratching then deep thinking. It's also completely charming and surprisingly laugh out loud funny. Especially considering how dumb the puns are.

So it's hard to explain why it's so enjoyable and readable. Nancy has been called the perfect comic strip, and it just might be.

I love how she is drawn angry.

The book itself is the typical top notch job from Fantagraphics. The Dan Clowes intro is a little thin, and the book could use some biographical information like their other strip collections. In fact, Fantagraphics website "The Comics Journal" did just that recently. the essay found at the following link should of been a part of this book to put it more into context.

http://www.tcj.com/the-lawrence-welk-...

That said, it's still worth your time and dollars. I'm in for the series.

[Polina Dushenkovska · Rating 4 out of 5]

DNF 38%

Made it about halfway before calling it quits, but in a positive way. There’s only so much Nancy one can take in a single sitting, and I didn’t have the chance to ruminate on these strips, since this was a library book. The humor is definitely of-the-time, extremely prevalent in the jokes about WWII rations and junior police forces (and a handful of racist quips). Every dozen pages, a strip will be genuinely, laugh-out-loud funny — despite the content, Bushmiller’s genius is timeless.

[Glen Farrelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was a kid, I lived for the weekends - not only free from prison/school, but Saturdays had hours of cartoons and Sundays had deluxe, full-colour comics!

I read Nancy back then, but it was far my favourite. It was last in line behind (in order) Garfield, Hagar the Horrible, Animal Crackers, Wizard of Id, Family Circus, Broomhilda, and Peanuts. I even liked Blondie, Beetle Bailey, and Ziggy better. Later, Far Side, Life in Hell, Mother Goose & Grimm, and Calvin &Hobbes (the 4 best comic strips EVER!) came along and I'd often not even read Nancy when I saw it.

The past couple years, I've heard from a few sources that the Nancy strip by Ernie Bushmiller was one of the most genius comics ever. So, I decided to check this out. And, I can see what they are saying.

First, the comic's humour has held up quite well. I appreciate now how, for the most part, Nancy comics are not mean-spirited or rely on put-downs as so many comics do (I've always found Peanuts hard to take as it was so often depressing and full of bullying).

What I noticed upon reading this now is how wonderfully surreal and absurd many Nancy strips are, both in their art (Nancy herself) and some storylines. I've read quite a few comics over the years and this one truly is uniquely bizarre. This is all the more remarkable considering their age (from 1943-45).

This is definitely a collection to add to the pantheon of graphic literature classics!

[Jeff Buddle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let's not get too academic here. Or, maybe we should. Nancy, taken at face value is rather facile. Simple art, dumb jokes... I get it already. But in a way, it's the accretion of the facile, the composite of the simple, a lone tree at the crossroads... a single leaf. Two characters against a bare sky. Are you picking up what I'm laying down?

Okay, okay... It's Beckett to which I refer; it's Samuel Beckett. There's something of Didi and Gogo in these panels. Care to offer a counter-argument? Look at those fences, the rendered grass, that tree against an empty sky. You can't tell me that Sam didn't envy such stage design. And, if you think about it, Bushmiller was as exacting about his drawn panels as Beckett was about his stage directions.

And the gags! Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Samuel Beckett a kind of gag man? The whole 'fail' routine. The sucking stones. The poor bum who can't remove his boot. These are the jokes, folks, keep up!

Yeah, 'Nancy,' like it or not participates in this conversation. You just need ears to hear and eyes to see. Have you?

[Megan Kirby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish that maybe I'd read this collection to supplement a novel instead of reading this collection by itself, straight through. By the end, I felt like it was a lot--maybe too much. Three years of daily strips! But my fatigue is maybe user error. Learn from my mistakes!

Fantagraphics did such a lovely job packaging these strips. They aren't timeless in the way of Peanuts--instead they feel like a time capsule of war rations, nylon stockings, and Sluggo's strange (and often annoying) 40's dialect. Bushmiller is at his best when he's making meta riffs on drawing comics--one of my favorite strips is a Thanksgiving one where Nancy and Sluggo finish the strip themselves after Bushmiller falls asleep post-"toikey."

If you're into daily newspaper strips, this is a worthwhile read! If you're not, you probably won't finish this massive collection. We're lucky to have such a thorough and beautifully presented chronicle of these strips. I'm glad I read them!

[Robert Bussie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book about a sometimes mischievous, but always good meaning girl is hilarious. It combines the charm and insights of Charles Shultz's Peanuts strips with Dennis the Menace comic strips.

I laughed out loud several times and chuckled at least once per page. It is also interesting how some of the strips from the 1940s reflect the current world in 2020/2021 with wearing masks to prevent the spread of diseases.

The pictures and words in this book are reproduced excellently with dark, clear, and easy to read images. If you are looking for a big book that can be picked up and read in small spurts or a nice easy long read check out this collection of hilarious comic strips.

[Brian Rosser · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would only say that for my Bushmiller was a master of comics, creating an amazing offbeat character in Nancy. Many strips from this period deal with current events and the War. Although thinly veiled Bushmiller attempts to chip away at the veneer of normalcy perpetuated by our government at the time. The one failure of Bushmiller is his uncritical depictions of racial caricatures of the Japanese and the deep sense of vendetta that seems to run through some of these strips. It would of meant so much more if Nancy would of been able to criticize the racial injustices of the time.

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t buy the whole “Nancy is genius” line of thinking, but it could be the series got weirder later on and these early strips aren’t what the Nancy theorists are talking about. That said, there are plenty of fun strips scattered throughout the book. Most of them are corny or otherwise dated, but every now and then there’s a pleasantly surreal gag or one that’s just so dumb it wraps back around to being genuinely funny.

[Heather McC · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's plenty more to enjoy about little Miss Nancy in her first volume of complete dailies. Though her stomach may get the better of her from time to time (her brain is broken down into sweet treat categories!), Nancy is a genuinely sweet gal. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

[Ame · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nancy's a hoot!

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

She's a classic for a reason ❤

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Nancy’s angry face.

[Al McCarty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore Nancy. Sluggo’s alright, too. Aunt Fritzi is too strict. She should let Nancy have more ice cream and take less baths.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wholly enjoyable from the first strip to the last.

[Luke Pete · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of fun, not much to say about whats already been said, except to reiterate the eperience of Nancy is witnessing someone who is in complete control of their art. Appealing to the American way of 'getting' why the Beach Boys, Popeye, Rocky & Bullwinkle, Robert Altman, Rio Bravo vs. High Noon genius is so compelling to return to again and again.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nancy is a classic. Maybe the best daily I've ever read. This book is tarnished periodically by racist "oriental" jokes, which is to be expected for the time, but still leaves a bad taste in the mouth. That aside, a great collection. Bushmiller is a master artist of the medium whose skills are deceiving. It looks simple to draw because the details are always perfect. I'll revisit it for years to come.

[Ioan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ernie Bushmiller is truly one of the all-time cartoon geniuses. He assembled a huge amount of sequential strips and he never ever got astray from his brilliant technique: stating the obvious. There is nothing (intendedly) clever or hermetic about these strips - just pure steps towards the final gags. It all reads like a gagology, a collection of gags, symbols, landscapes, all fitting like puzzle pieces into the final laff machines - thus making clear why Bushmiller was considered more of a linguist than a cartoonist. Everything is so technically minimalistic yet virtuosic in its consequence. I was really curious about the whole Nancy thing and I really needed to dake a big dive. Now I realize there is no possibility of overrating the man's work.

[Josephus FromPlacitas]

What a weird, weird comic this was. I really don't know how I feel about it...I almost identify with the character in Ghost World walking around in the fetish cat mask, wanting to scorn and satirize, but also feeling a genuine affection. I've long only experienced Nancy second-hand as something alt-comics artists worshiped and satirized in equal measure, this is the first time I read them. The drawing is both solid and naive, the humor goes from trite to solid, the characters and lines are confident...

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

What else can I say? It's Ernie Bushmiller's NANCY! I have waited my whole life to read this fantastic strip in a book that collected them in order. I wish it had not been a year late, it is not as though this were a Craig Yoe book full of history, original art and anecdotes. It really does nothing more than reprint the strips with a prerequisite Dan Clowes introduction and a Quote from Scott McCloud where he does not actually say he enjoys the work. But hell, I waited all of my life for it what's an extra year? And the material, read in order is just a whole new & wonderful experience.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great three-fer: I enjoyed it, my kid enjoyed, and then we donated it to our local college library where it will be enjoyed by others. I was pleased to see the growth in the early months, watching Nancy grow from a silly confused kid into a little butch prankster. Reminded of when Peanuts finally found its voice when Charles Shultz started showing Snoopy's thoughts.

I can't say I'd buy more if this became a series, but I was happy with this one.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scott McCloud's blurb on the back sums up why Nancy is the best comic ever: "Ernie Bushmiller didn't draw A tree, A house, A car. Oh no. Ernie Bushmiller drew THE tree, THE house, THE car..." Fantagraphics has done a top-notch job at repackaging these wartime Nancy strips in a stunning volume. Really psyched for more to be released as this comic hit THE peak in the 1950s.

[Sage LaTorra · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a curiosity for comics-fans it's wonderful: a collection of absurd strips that boil down newpaper humor to pretty much its barest elements.

As entertainment... we'll, it's clear these jokes are over 60 years old.