Nancy and the Craftsman

Milton Caniff, the creator of Terry and the Pirates and Steve Canyon, once said "a comic strip artist is like the director, the producer and the actor of his own stage play. " Using a similar analogy, Ernie Bushmiller was the architect, th e surveyor, and the building contractor for his own construction project.

 

Nancy was carefully designed to stand out clearly on the newspaper page and to be easily read and understood. Every line and letter had a specific purpose, and the composition of each panel was balanced and pleasing to the eye. The total effect was a masterfully crafted product that delivered its message with economy and precision. Bushmiller's creation served its function like a Shaker chair.

Ernie worked on an unconventional but regular schedule. Starting on Sunday evenings, he would finish six daily strips by Tuesday evening, often staying up until 2 AM. After taking two days off in the middle of the week, he then tackled the Sunday page on Friday and Saturday. A night owl, Ernie often said he got up at the "crack of noon".
 
Thinking up ideas was a laborious process for Ernie as he described in the following account: "I start with a blank piece of drawing paper and just sweat and stew until I think of a subject that seems likely to produce a ludicrous situation. I jot down items such as toaster, leaky roof, folding-chair, mail box, windy day, etc. ... anything that comes to mind. Looking at the advertising in a magazine like Life also helps, or a Sears-Roebuck catalog. When I find an item that seems likely, I start to kick it around in my mind to see if I can work out a fun ny situation. If nothing jells after a reasonable time, I discard it and try another item. Sooner or later my mind warms up and I get the nucleus of an idea. I usually can visualize how the last panel will turn out, so I start to pencil in the finish of the strip very roughly. If it looks okay, I the n w backwards toward the starting panels. I a work my strips in reverse. In this way I can the best path leading to the snapper. "

Above : Rough sketch of the visual "punchline pan el". Below: The finished s .

From the Collection of James T. Carlsson

Bushmiller rarely made preliminary sketches like the one on the previous page. When he was ready to produce his finished strips, he would pencil directly on the drawing paper. He would ink six dailies at once, switching from one to another to avoid boredom. The clean, accurate lines of Nancy were executed with the aid of drafting tools . Bushmiller claimed that his early experience producing crossword puzzles for the New York World taught him how to use a T-square.

Most of the punch lines in Nancy are visual, so the pictures need to be clearly readable to get the gag across. "I leave out all extraneous detail that may catch the eye and detract from the main point", Bushmiller explained. He went on to describe his unique philosophy of graphic layout: "I try to get some black into the object I am stressing if it is at all feasible. In a visual gag strip, clarity is more important than an artistic effect. I think variety in the panels helps the appearance of a strip. Long shots, close-ups and medium shots attract the eye and are useful in putting your idea across.

Composition is extremely important. By composition, I mean intelligent placing of your objects and characters so as to make it as easy as possible for your reader to get what you 're driving at."

Ernie Bushmiller will always be fondly remembered by his peers in the funny business as the "workingman's cartoonist".