Nancy by Olivia Jaimes for April 10, 2018

It’s interesting what a radical departure they’ve gone for, both graphically and tonally.

Visually, Jaimes’ NANCY seems to be a somewhat looser version of Bushmiller’s world, and in terms of the writing, we’re back to the short, minimalist dialogue that Gilchrist originally replicated before developing the comic into a surprisingly personal vehicle for his own observations and interests.

Whether you were a fan of Gilchrists’ take or not, to go from a sentimental, visually lush continuity to a series of dry, waspish gags drawn in a minimalist aesthetic is quite a jolt. Because Gilchrist had fleshed out the characters with backstories colored by an overarching sweetness, this is a much more aggressive reset than Mark Lasky to Jerry Scott, or even from Scott to early Gilchrist. It’ll be interesting to see how many readers who came to love Gilchrist’s NANCY will remain on board for this new incarnation.

what a delightful caprice! You’ve done it again, Olivia. Viva La Jaimes!

Well, I’m ready to take the leap off board.

My only complaint it Sluggo’s skin tone.

He looks like a corpse.

I’ll stick it out for a while; see how it goes. I did prefer the Gilchrists’ style, but I am familiar enough with the original Ernie Bushmiller strips (and even the older “Fritzi Ritz” comics) to tell how true to the spirit of the original she stays with it.

Who is the guy in the first panel?

I miss Guy! The colors are so depressing, why is Sluggo green?

. Yesterday, Nancy looked more like a cut-and-paste figures from a cheap graphics art app you’d find on your cell phone. And the dialogue wasn’t funny at all (I don’t even want to know what that line about cornbread was referring to). Today’s strip was a marked improvement. The art style is still minimalistic. But all least Nancy looked like Nancy. And this time, they actually had a funny gag. I don’t like the jaundiced skin tones though. And that excuse about artists not having color control in newspapers during the week falls flat. Gilchrist and the others had no problems with their flesh tones.

As a life long comic fan, many of my favorites are drawn by new artists, and I still enjoy reading them. But not this time. No warmth or artistic talent. I find it depressing, so goodbye Nancy. At least I still have Gasoline Alley and Dick Tracy.

These kids aren’t even remotely cute. I’m out of here.

I would think that fans of Nancy would wait more than two days before writing it off.

i’ve been reading nancy for over 50 years. i’m going to give this new version a try for a bit. it’s way too soon (only 2 days) to make any kind of judgement about anything.

I was told Nancy was good again after Glichrist’s saccharine travesty, and lo, it is so.

What I’m wondering is how long does the newcomer to Three Rocks continue to offer observations on it’s most famous citizen before the characters go solo? (And will Fritzi and Phil still be married in the storyline?)

I;m removing Nancy from the my comic list, the drawings are terrible the colors look like the characters belong in a morgue.

Not impressed with the artwork at all. Someone needs to practice the old style.

I like the gag here – very Bushmiller. But the art looks labored. Bushmiller’s style was that it was very simple, but you could tell he was a terrific artist, with a very smooth line and a very easy look. This doesn’t look like that.

And it’s a small point, but I dislike the font lettering.

Aunt Fritzi won’t be in Olivia Jaimes’ Nancy anyway?

What is sadder than long-term Nancy fans leaving after only two days is the predominance of snarky, mean-spirited “good riddance” comments. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and when you disagree, it doesn’t give you license to make a fool of yourself. But then again, you are the fool, so why not?

I am NOT a happy camper at all! I’ve been reading ‘Nancy’ for over 50 years and I’m not a fan of this minimalist art! This just doesn’t look right to me. Might have to let this go!

Two days now, first day negative comment toward Nancy the child, today just made no sense, actually one character saying “are such a pair” and Nancy responding like she heard it..do not like the general feeling of this new comic.

Nancy looks a lot like she did when this first started back when Fritzi first saw her.

They look mean. And Sluggo’s coloring is terrible. And why are there random people in the strip, making comments about them?

I LOVE “DISEMBODIED HEAD”!! It’s so surreal. Pull back and show that it is on a stick, or maybe a tentacle monster with a human head. It just hovers in there, like a shy straight man, unable to come out from behind the vaudevillian curtain and reveal his tacky red-white stripe suit made from matchsticks and gum wrappers.

I am in my 60s and have been reading Nancy as far back as I remember, back when Ernie Bushmiller used to draw Nancy. I am just glad to read her, regardless of who draws the strip. For what it’s worth, I do prefer Olivia’s style to Guy’s.

Day 2 has me even further convinced of this new version’s complete superiority to the last cartoonist: a funny Busmiller-type gag, clean beautiful art and the artist isn’t name dropping to further his own station.

Actually, I thought this gag was pretty cute. I know what it’s like for a strip to change creators and it’s a process.

I know I said I would give Olivia Jaimes a couple of weeks to hit her stride, but I am starting to doubt I will even last through the first week. Even the “Flashback” 1930’s Ernie Bushmiller sepia tone strips that Guy Gilchrist used back in January had more character in their artwork. Except for the earbuds, this looks like something drawn and colored by my 6 year old grandchildren.

Terrible “artwork” — like so many other modern “cartoonists”, this woman simply cannot draw, has no color sense, and nothing to say.

A definite jump in quality. Writing, art, etc.

These comments are such a hoot. It’s the same predictable response every time there’s a change.

“It was better before.”

“I don’t like change.”

“I know what’s best for everyone.”

“Not only will I never read Nancy again, but I’ll never read comics again because this one violates all that is holy.”

Get a life.

If it ain’t broke! Don’t fix it! Not my Nancy! :(

This makes me so nostalgic — for the days when comic strips were drawn by talented artists who had a sense of humor. Ernie Bushmiller is turning in his grave. Nancy should have died with him.

I’ve been on both sides of this. I’ve had comics I love change, and I’ve had to develop my own comic for newspapers and endure comments filled with doubts. Honestly? I hated when comics I loved changed—at first!! Then I often fell back in love over time. Great example, I love ‘For Better or Worse’, and I was devastated when it ended and started over. I was born in 1981, I felt like I grew up with Elizabeth. Now, just as we were both adults and life was about to get interesting—she was a little baby all over again??Now years later, I feel like I’ve gotten to know Elly in a way I never did as a kid. And as a Mom of two little kiddos, I’m so happy it started over. It’s like checking in with a friend who just gets it every morning.

Change itself is terrible; we probably all have a favorite warm fuzzy sweatshirt we love. When I had to develop my own comic from a webcomic to a newspaper strip, some readers understandably had a lot of fears and doubts. In the first weeks of the relaunch, I stayed offline. Some readers took anything as a sign that my comic had been dumbed down, that my artwork was going to be destroyed, I was never going to be able to share longer stories again, etc. I had to hang in there and wait it out, because I knew what I had planned, but there was no way to just reveal it all at once in a few panels in the first week.

This isn’t Bushmiller and this isn’t Gilchrist—this is Jaimes. We don’t know what’s coming! There’s likely no comparison, (how often are two cartoonists exactly alike?) but that’s a little exciting! I’m delighted to see comic history unfold before our eyes. This doesn’t happen everyday. Can you imagine if there had been a comments section when the comic originally shifted its focus from Aunt Fritz to Nancy??? (Ok, omg, don’t you kinda wish there was? To sneak a peek at? Ha! There are probably letters to editors out there saved somewhere). I’m looking forward to seeing where this new artist takes us!

As Wally Wood is supposed to have opined, the only reason Ernie Bushmiller’s Nancy was one of the most-read strips is that by the time you decided it wasn’t worth reading, you’d already read it. When Bushmiller admirers explain his merits, I can see what they’re talking about, but I can’t see becoming a fan myself. With Jaimes, I can’t even see what her admirers are talking about. I’ll give her one more week, but I would never even have signed on to the strip if I hadn’t discovered just last year that the Gilchrist version was occasionally worth reading.

I like it, so far. Very minimalist; not as surreal as yesterday’s, but reminiscent of Bushmiller’s humor – with updates. I don’t think the color is necessarily off: maybe Sluggo is meant to be non-white now? It’s really up to the artist.

Like everyone here, I had my doubts, but I also still loves it at the same time. I love the call-back to the original art style. And I think that the modern twist on jokes (this is how fresh comedians and people under 30-40 make wisecracks now) was not only much needed, but offers a chance for more new audiences to get in on Nancy and stay with her to the end. I can honestly say that this strip made me chuckle and yesterday was the first time I’d ever actually laughed at Nancy. I DO believe that there should be a little more background detail and I hope eventually the cartoonist/narrator lets the characters do their own thing. If you want examples of future classic Nancy work that Olivia has drawn up that is really quite cute, John Glynn made a post about that on the GC blog. I look forward to seeing Nancy progress, rebrand, but still stay classy!

Not impressed. Will give it the rest of the month.

Not sure what to think yet. I’ll give it a little time but so far not a fan. Hope Olivia develops a sense of humor and maybe takes an art class.

So, has anyone been able to explain yesterday’s “joke” yet? Just wondering.

This “artist” is garbage. So long to a strip that I’ve read for 50 years. Thank God there is now “Nancy Classics” on this website.

Well, better than yesterday’s. I’m willing to give it a month or so, anyhow.

Jughead lost the cap, left the Archie comics, and became commentator for this comic.

Scratching my head a little bit, but still willing to give the artist-writer a chance…

Thats the kind of gag that you would see in an original Nancy. Just brought the props up to date.

I like it.

Just putting my two cents in: I had stopped reading because of Gilcrest. Not because of his style, but because I found him to be a hypocrite. He claimed to be so religious, but on his social media he was looking at pictures that were…questionable.I’m back now to give the new cartoonist a chance.

True friendship is maintaining that rhythm instead of taking both buds for yourself.

I like this but i feel like jaimes has nancy to addicted to her phone

Very relatable!

I do not know what they are supposed to look like; there I cannot comment on their looks.But I would like to know, “What is an earbud”?

Should be therefore, not there.

Six years gone, eh? Time flies…