Nancy by Olivia Jaimes for May 14, 2018

Auntie Fritzi?

Nancy sure can belong to the IMF force. Very widespread effort of hers to avoid the meeting from happening.

I love every aspect of this – it’s absolutely perfect.

I like the new Aunt Fritzi!

Is she the new Aunt Fritzi? She’s in the strip for the first time under Olivia’s pen.

This is more like the Fritzi Ritz when Nancy appeared in the strip.

Fritzi?

It’s always fun to see Aunt Fritzi appear in this strip. Sort-of like the occasional appearance of Barney Google in Snuffy Smith, or spotting Castor Oyl in latter-day Popeye strips .. the character who was once the star attraction (long, LONG ago), but is still useful for a gag now & then. :-)

I’m glad to know Fritzi’s marriage to Phil Fumble has been ‘ret-conned’ away .. I’m not certain why the syndicate allowed Mr. Gilchrist to run with that as a storyline, at all. But, oh, well ..

I liked Guy Gilchrist’s Aunt Fritzi better. Olivia Jaimes has a long way to go to become as talented an artist as Gilchrist was.

Aunt Fritzi is here, and she’s not the oversexualized piece of meat she used to be portrayed as.

I’m sorry. I’ve opted out. This is neither Nancy nor Aunt Fritzi nor nuthin’. Ms Jaimes should be trying her hand at other, different cartoon characters – hopefully original, too, if she can manage that. Why don’t you offer us Mr Gilchrist like you do Charles Schultz – old pictures from the 1960s or 80s or even 2000s? Watching Nancy originals instead of Ms Jaimes’s current strips I feel as if I’m my grandfather. Hey, maybe I am. Duh!

I’m not liking the way this strip is going. Like the old characters a lot better

Maybe you should include the school administration in this meeting; clearly they are part of the problem.

It is sad how much this comic has transformed if Fritzi looks like that.

Interesting! Looking forward to seeing what Frizi’s personality is like once she speaks.

That’s it. I’m done.

Check out the earliest to the later Fritzi Ritz as Bushmiller drew her, compared with the early Gilcrest versions as compared to his last ones…give OJ a chance to evolve her own style. Maybe if she and Phil are still married in this reboot, we will see her mature into a more motherly Fritzi.

do old people not understand how an archive works?

I wonder if Fritzi can tell if the teacher is male or female.

Love all the dudes angry that Fritzi isn’t wearing a bikini or Wonder Woman costume anymore. Stay mad.

with thanks to TJR: read about and view the original Fritzi here: https://www.lambiek.net/artists/w/whittington_larry.htmOJ is closer to this in style, today.

What in the HELL happened to Fritzi ? Anorexia? HIV? Drugs? Breast reduction? All of the above?

8

For me, I really enjoyed the comedy of today’s panels! Even though I think we can all agree that Nancy is smart, she tends to currently be a bit “resistant” to the classroom experience. :)

In regards to Aunt Fritzi, I am very pleased with her re-introduction. I think Olivia has done a wonderful job of having Aunt Fritzi appear like a regular person. I like how she maintains the curly hair aspect of Aunt Fritzi but has her have a more modern look.

In regards to the comparison with previous authors of the comic…. for me, today’s Aunt Fritzi has the look and the feel of the Bushmiller era Aunt Fritzi, and I like that a lot. I think as Olivia wields her pens more and has more opportunities to have Aunt Fritzi be in the comic, we will see a similar, full-range of profiles of Aunt Fritzi, and I look forward to her continued development as a returning character. From my perspective, one of the biggest drawbacks I had with the Gilchrist era’s comics was the “extreme” style with which he drew Aunt Fritzi in particular. While I am not saying anything about Gilchrist’s right to have drawn Aunt Fritzi as he saw fit…. for me, his drawing style had her appear akin to a “Daisy Duke” sort of character (if anyone is unfamiliar with the character, she was in the television show, “Dukes of Hazard”). I did not really enjoy her portrayal as a line drawn variation on “Daisy Duke”….. it did not feel like a good fit for her character, IMO.

This must be the drawing of fluid sexuality. Can’t tell who is what. Change the haircut on either the teacher or Fritzi and the characters could be male or female. The strip is no longer funny or drawn well.

This Fritzi looks like blend of Whittington’s and early Bushmiller.

Obviously Nancy’s final bit of subterfuge was masterfully getting a random woman to impersonate her Aunt, and, since we don’t see the bottom of the page, her teacher might NOT have fallen for it. But WE know.

By far, the best comment day of the year. Heads blowing up all around. Everything from this single panel, profile debut being “the absolute greatest version of Fritzi ever” to “anyone who thinks Gilchrist’s version of Fritzi is bad is a self-loathing Feminazi”. Since we are all spouting our opinions, here’s mine:

Strangely enough, I probably come down somewhere in the middle of that, but I would guess like most people, way more towards the side that Olivia’s version of Ms. Ritz looks good to me.

If there is one thing I have learned over the last 5 weeks or so, it is that Nancy’s aunt holds significant cultural significance to many people here… far more than I would have expected. The weeks and weeks of pining for “when will Fritzi show up and what will she look like” was full of anticipation, both negative and positive. Olivia’s version of Fritzi is not the first change in her interpretation, and hardly unexpected considering Jaimes’ style.

I, for one, am NOT done reading the new Nancy. The gags are pretty good, the drawing is a new and interesting style to me, and the focus on a more modern version of the protagonist is enjoyable. I did not dislike Gilchrist, but I do like change Olivia has introduced.

For those who say Nancy is NOT a comic about modern times, look to today’s Nancy Classic. Sluggo and Nancy are both playing the classic game “Cowboys and Indians”. To my knowledge, that was probably a pretty common game back when Bushmiller wrote the strip, so it fit with the times, like cell phones are a reality today. That said, I still bet there was likely a curmudgeon or two complaining into their newspapers in the 1950’s that Nancy back in their day would stick to shutting up and doing her job at the orphanage.

Times change… thankfully.

This version’s humor more applies to a smart alec junior high school aged child than an 8 or 9 year old. Quite out of place, to me.

One of the best so far. Having the notes floating around and then saving the explanation of why for last is perfect.

Seems to me that the teacher is now the star of the strip. Lately she has been in it more than Nancy.

Signature evolution on “daily” (of Mon-Sat) strips:

April 9 – May 5: “Olivia Jaimes” printed out.

Last week (May 7-12): “OJ”

Today: “Olivia Jaimes” in script.

Nancy is back to the moody, mischievous little imp I seem to remember from years gone by…and I like it

I hate it and am removing the strip from my list. I was waiting for the marriage!

Love the new Fritzi!

Terrible cartoons.Wouldn’t be here except the comments are so much fun.

I’M OUT OF HERE, until tomorrow.

I for one who did not like the Nancy new look longer goseBetter I’m liking it

Thank God we no longer have to see the Aunt Fritzi old men used to drool over.

…First Aunt Fritzi appearance:buy four copies, SURE to go up in value!!!!!

We only have one profile shot, but from the looks of it, I like this interpretation of Fritzi——it’s sort of between Bushmiller’s and the way Gilchrist’s evolved.

As for the humor…My issue with Jaimes’ writing is the same issue I have with a lot of strips——they tend to have weak timing and way too much exposition. These two things can kill even a very funny idea, which happens a lot.

Wow … comments are all over the map today. I expected as much, though.

Personally, based on this one-panel look at Fritzi, I find her similar to previous versions, while not as exaggerated in some ways. I kinda like the new look, but will give the strip more time before making any real judgments.

Keep doing your thing, Olivia. Ya can’t please everyone …

All over the map. And so many left turns made in Albuquerque.

Prediction:

Fritzi will never be drawn with shading to the back of the neck.

She will be the only two dimensional character in a world of long noses and fat fingers.

If Nancy ever breaks the fourth wall, she will turn Aunt Fritzi sideways and slide her under the door.

~~~~~and it will be funny.

Teacher is missing two buttons from the May 12th strip.

Could this be evidence of illicit drug use? What a clever way to sneak it in.

Teacher is some type of dexterous contortionist.

Hands folded on the desk, but no pinkies showing.

Like Star Trek, Babylon 5, Lost in Space, etc., etc., etc…I see this as a reboot. A re-imagining of the strip and its characters. Some will like it, some won’t. The key is to NOT expect the same-ol’ same-ol’. Start over, forget what you thought you knew. :-)

Nancy is such a scamp (and a intelligent one at that)

I was willing to reserve judgement until Fritzi made her first appearance in the new strip. Now that she has…I’m sorry to say this, but it’s time to bid this comic strip adieu.

I’m leaving because I can no longer jack it to fritzi’s hungolomghnonoloughongous