After 80 Years, “Nancy” Readies for Life Beyond the Comic Strip

Famed Illustrator & Author Guy Gilchrist Signs with Entertainment Evolution for Brand Management and Paradigm Agency for Booking Representation

Nashville, TN – The iconic Nancy, who has starred in newspapers around the world for over 80 years, is ready to reach beyond the confines of the comic strip to reach fans in a new way. With over 57 million readers throughout the globe and as one of the longest-running comic strips still in production, the Nashville-based marketing and brand management firm Entertainment Evolution immediately recognized the endless opportunities in the “Nancy” brand and in world-renowned “Nancy” illustrator and author GuyGilchrist, bringing both on board for brand management representation.

Gilchrist is a two-time winner of the National Cartoonists Society’s prestigious Reuben Award for Best Illustrator.  His credits also include Jim Henson’s “The Muppets” comic strip, “Looney Tunes,” “Bugs Bunny,” “Tom & Jerry,” “The Pink Panther,”“Fraggle Rock”and“Tiny Dinos.” He was also the co-creator of “Muppet Babies” and his work is permanently enshrined in the Smithsonian Institute.

With an already active appearance schedule,Gilchrist has signed for exclusive booking representation with Paradigm, a leading entertainment talent agency, for expansion of his engagements for workshops and appearances.

“Adding Guy Gilchrist to our elite roster is representative of the diversity of talent we offer,” stated Steve Dahl of the Paradigm agency.  “We are pleased to have such a unique talent which is sure to delight fans and inspire up-and-coming artists everywhere.”

With Nancy “on the road” and potentially in the hands of consumers, at 80 years old, Nancy is poised to be one of the most active octogenarians of her time and more beloved than ever before in a life beyond the confines of her daily comic strip.

About Nancy

Nancy, the comic strip character, was first introduced by Ernie Bushmiller in the “Fritzi Ritz” daily strip on January 2, 1933 as an orphan who appeared at her young aunt’s doorstep to create some comic mischief. At that time, beside the daily comic, Bushmiller also had a full Sunday page which featured Aunt Fritzi and also her boyfriend, Phil Fumble. Phil’s adventures appeared in a separate cartoon that was attached at the top of the very popular “Fritzi Ritz” Sunday page. Because of Nancy’s broad appeal and bold, clear art style, the child’s popularity grew until “Nancy” took over Phil’s Sunday comic. By 1938, Nancy was such a popular character that besides having her own Sunday feature alongside the “Fritzi Ritz” Sunday feature, Ernie Bushmiller decided to rename the daily (Mon. – Sat.) “Fritzi Ritz” comic strip “Nancy.” “Nancy” was now undoubtedly the star. “Fritzi Ritz” continued to run as a separate Sunday ONLY feature until the 70’s.

Nancy has been drawn by only a handful of artists after the passing of her original creator, Ernie Bushmiller (1933-1982): Al Plastino (1982-83), Mark Laskey (Briefly in 1983), Jerry Scott (1984-94) and, currently, Guy Gilchrist (1995-Present), who returned Nancy to her more traditional form.

Despite the change of hands throughout the years, the United Feature Syndicate cartoon, “Nancy,” still has 57 million readers in 80 countries in 400 newspapers around the world. She appears as “Periquita” in several dozen Spanish-language newspapers and is especially popular in the United States, Japan and South America.

For more information on “Nancy,” view the daily comic, secure illustrator and author Guy Gilchrist, or purchase one-of-a-kind “Nancy” merchandise, please visit .