Nancy by Olivia Jaimes for October 12, 2013

You, I would imagine, Phil.

She’s afraid that she will lose you again, Phil… she sort of lost you, once…. she wants the feeling she feels now, to always linger…..

The wonderful feeling she gets being with Phil, that is…-She’d probably wish that time would stand still, in every moment she spends by his side…-

And perhaps she also is hurt, losing family along the way….

Phil for heaven sake—step up and propose. Guy PLEASE let it happen.

I am all for taking it easy – and slow. When they get down to Fritzi trying on wedding dresses – she should model wedding dresses for at least a couple of months – and – perhaps – try on some of the wedding dresses which she used to dream about back in the 40s and 50s. I remember one series of strips where Phil was supposed to meet Fritzi at the church because their church group was going to put on a play. When Phil arrived at the church – he spotted Fritzi – dressed in a wedding dress – standing next to a guy who was dressed as a groom. When Phil rushed forward to stop Fritzi from going through with the wedding – Fritzi explained that the wedding dress was just part of the play which their church group had been rehearsing. There were other story lines abut Fritzi and Phil separately dreaming about the possibility of being married to each other – including Fritzi modeling the wedding dresses – but, when push came to shove – they both got cold feet and neither one of them mentioned anything about the wishful thinking which they had been doing. I remember one strip where Fritzi dreamed about Phil being a dashing prince, who knelt down on one knee and promised to “lay the world at her feet.” So, Fritzi woke up just as Phil arrived and, when Phil arrived – he stumbled on a rug and knocked over a nearby world globe. The glob rolled over at Fritzi’s feet and Phil WAS kneeling on the rug as he got up – but Fritzi didn’t say anything about the dream which she had just had. Fritzi and Phil were ALWAYS romantic duo. It is much more fun to savor the romance and let it percolate along until it is just right!

I sure hope so—but I’d hate to be the one to clean that microwave!

This is getting so lame…………

Phil… look in the mirror.

I think those who dismiss this story arc as a “soap opera” are missing a bigger point. What you are seeing is the assembling of a family using “old-school” values in modern times. Recall the series where Fritzi was discussing with Phil what she as looking for in a guy, and nearly BURNED DOWN that “fourth wall” with her glare as she said, “Someone who doesn’t see an eight-year old as baggage, for starters.” Originally, Fritzi Ritz was a flapper looking for a rich guy; now she gives thanks to God for the blessing of her little niece. Phil’s return, meanwhile, doesn’t present him as the bumbling fellow with the roving eye that he once was; look at his new job and his budding relationship with Sluggo. Mr. Gilchrist is rehabilitating the characters to present an ideal not seen in modern comics anymore. (Greg Evans is doing somewhat the same thing over at Luann with the saga of Brad and Toni and her niece Shannon.) I know some guys will continue to drool over “Fritzi Ritz 2.0” (or, depending on your view, “10.0”), but I am most curious to watch this continue to develop. Its been well-planned, well-drawn, and I say “Well done, Guy Gilchrist!”

This is becoming a boring strip. Not funny anymore.

I have to agree way to much drama for funny papers.

Guy, you are doing just fine! Keep up the Fritzi and Phil dialogue as it is more down to earth!

I disagree! It’s nice to mix up the stories and see the adults from time to time! I love “Nancy” but I’ve been reading her for 50 years – there’s some space for the other characters. They’re all wonderful!

Who are all the pictures on the dresser?

By the way, today’s strip reminds me of a song from Kathy Troccoli: http://youtu.be/zsPIapVwIkI(just reverse the genders…)

Uh, take your pick of a few dozen men?

Y’know, what I’m seeing here is an amazing amount of historical blindness. The fact is that, when comic strips were big news, when they inspired pop songs, ran the full width of a broadsheet, and the Sunday strips took a whole page, when they were regular water-cooler talk and regularly inspired radio shows, movies, Broadway shows, and even ballets, plenty of them had long-running stories that went for more than just laughs. Most people don’t even remember today that Skeezix Wallet of “Gasoline Alley” is the heir to the throne of Glovania (somewhere on the east coast of the Adriatic), but in the 1920s the situation in the strip involved kidnappings, court rulings, and a small plane that started across the Atlantic with Skeezix’s biological father, and was never seen again. In 1929, a nation mourned the death of Mary Gold in “The Gumps”, and in the 30s and 40s, the newspaper version of Mickey Mouse had western and science-fiction adventures that rivaled Roy Rogers’ and Flash Gordon’s.

Well said, John W. Kennedy. And don’t forget Dick Tracy’s lunar adventures with Moon Maid (revisited lately in the current strip), plus the fact that (Little Orphan) Annie — despite the apparent retirement of the title from active comic strips — has re-runs STILL being run on this web site. People love a good story!

Guy, you’re doing a great job with this strip. I’m interested to see what happens next.

There is more to life than laughing all the time. As long as you continue (as you have been doing) to have an interesting strip I will continue to be addicted.

I read Nancy in the Deseret News as a kid back in the sixties. Your efforts compare to Bushmiller’s very well. I, for one, appreciate the added depth.

“Can we cut out all the drama?”

That’s a pretty ironic statement coming from someone whose handle is made up of several comic titles that are FULL of drama! Most notably 9 Chickweed Lane and Funky Winkerbean.

When Rick Nelson went to play a show dressed as he was at the time, and not dressed as a teen from the “Ozzie and Harriet” days, playing his newer material, and not the “Poor Little Fool” or “Mary Lou”, etc., the crowd booed and didn’t understand… it led to his writing “Garden Party”, an allegory about changing times, and many references, including this event… – “Well, it’s alright, now… I’ve learned my lesson well.. you see, you can’t please everyone… so you’ve got to please yourself”… – The song is not a call to selfishness, but a call to realizing you as an artist or anyone doing something out of love and desire to share, will have fans, and detractors… it doesn’t mean it’s not good, just because some will not like it… it doesn’t have to be… it’s there to accept or not.. if one loves the artist, they can allow them the room and freedom to do something else.. – Guy’s work is great! And if we are or aren’t fans of one aspect or another, that’s fine… but we must all remember, it is his love and art to share… we don’t always like the weather… who’s going to go outside and tell it to change? And we love our family and friends… we don’t have to like everything they may do, but we allow them the room to breathe…. shouldn’t we give Guy that same appreciation? He deserves it. Do we not all like to feel that we deserve that respect and consideration? We don’t always have to agree with everything everybody does, but the same way we want people to treat us, is the same way we should treat others…