Ernie Bushmiller facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ernie Bushmiller |
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Ernie Bushmiller in the 1950s
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| Born | Ernest Paul Bushmiller Jr. August 23, 1905 The Bronx, New York |
| Died | August 15, 1982 (aged 76) Stamford, Connecticut |
| Nationality | American |
| Area(s) | Cartoonist |
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Notable works
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Nancy |
| Awards | Humor Comic Strip Award (National Cartoonists Society), 1976 Reuben Award, 1976 The Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame (Judges' Choice), 2011 |
Ernest Paul Bushmiller Jr. (August 23, 1905 – August 15, 1982) was an American cartoonist. He is best known for creating the popular comic strip character Nancy in 1933. His drawings were famous for their simple and clear style. In 1976, he won the Reuben Award from the National Cartoonists Society for his work on Nancy.
Contents
Early Life and Art Training
Ernie Bushmiller was born in the South Bronx, New York. His parents were immigrants from Germany and Northern Ireland. His father was an artist, a performer, and a bartender.
Ernie left high school at age 14. He started working as a copy boy at the New York World newspaper. At the same time, he took art classes in the evenings at the National Academy of Design. He often helped the newspaper's cartoonists and sometimes got small drawing jobs. One time, he even drew for a Sunday story by the famous magician Harry Houdini.
Creating Comic Strips
In May 1925, Ernie took over drawing the comic strip Fritzi Ritz. The original artist, Larry Whittington, had left to start another strip. Ernie's name first appeared on the Fritzi Ritz strip on May 18. Later, in October 1929, Fritzi Ritz also became a Sunday strip. Ernie had also created another comic strip called Mac the Manager for a different newspaper.
Ernie began to draw Fritzi to look like his fiancée, Abby Bohnet. They got married in July 1930. The couple did not have any children. In 1931, they moved to Hollywood. There, Ernie wrote jokes for the movie Movie Crazy starring Harold Lloyd. He kept drawing Fritzi Ritz at the same time. A year later, they moved back to the Bronx.
Introducing Nancy
Ernie Bushmiller once said that he created his characters when he was feeling desperate. On January 2, 1933, he added Nancy, Fritzi's niece, to the comic strip. Nancy quickly became very popular. She started appearing more often than Fritzi. Because Aunt Fritzi was seen less and less, the comic strip was renamed Nancy in 1938. This popular comic strip was translated into many languages, including Italian, German, Swedish, and Norwegian. Ernie also drew another strip called Phil Fumble from 1932 to 1938.
How Ernie Worked
Ernie usually started his workday around 2 p.m. He often drew late into the night. He had an interesting way of creating his strips: he would draw the last panel first. Then, he would work backward to figure out how the characters got to that funny situation.
In 1960, he shared a secret:
I try to find a sight gag and draw the last panel of the strip first, then work back from that to find out how it came about. I've got a trade secret - whenever I'm really stuck for a gag, I look through a Sears Roebuck catalog. Usually my eye hits on some article, like an ironing board, for example, and my mind starts to play around with what can be done with an ironing board, and finally I've got my gag.
Many artists, like Art Spiegelman, admired his simple drawing style.
In 1979, Ernie was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Even with his illness, he kept drawing the strip with help from assistants Will Johnson and Al Plastino. He lived in Stamford, Connecticut, and passed away in 1982.
Awards and Recognition
Ernie Bushmiller was one of the people who helped start the National Cartoonists Society. In 1976, he received their Humor Comic Strip Award and the Reuben Award for his work on Nancy. In 2011, Ernie was chosen for The Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame.
Legacy of Nancy
Nancy is still a very well-known and loved character today. Other artists have continued to draw the Nancy comic strip since Ernie's death. Currently, an artist known as 'Olivia Jaimes' draws it.
Many artists have been inspired by Ernie Bushmiller's work. Andy Warhol created a painting based on Nancy in 1961. Joe Brainard also made many artworks inspired by Nancy. Cartoonists like Art Spiegelman, Mark Newgarden, Chris Ware, and Bill Griffith (who draws Zippy) have created works that comment on Ernie's art. Bill Griffith even wrote an essay about Ernie. In 2020, Griffith announced he was writing and drawing a graphic biography about Ernie Bushmiller, which was published in 2023.
The American Heritage Dictionary uses a Nancy comic strip by Ernie Bushmiller to show what a "comic strip" is.
See also
In Spanish: Ernie Bushmiller para niños
