Andrews McMeel Syndication Announces Olivia Jaimes as Newest ‘Nancy’ Cartoonist

KANSAS CITY, Mo—April 6, 2018-- Andrews McMeel Syndication has announced that Olivia Jaimes is the new cartoonist for the legendary “Nancy” comic strip.

When Andrews McMeel Syndication searched for a new cartoonist to take over “Nancy,” President and Editorial Director John Glynn was blown away by Olivia’s samples: “We’d been looking for a fresh voice on the comic and I was familiar with Olivia’s web comics. I’d also heard she was a big Nancy fan. So once we saw her first batch of samples, we knew the munificent and sweet hand of destiny had led us to find Olivia.”

Glynn continued, “We’re going on almost 100 years of a man writing for Nancy and we loved the idea that Olivia had this delicious blend of love for the old Bushmiller work and a 21st century female perspective that would bring new life to this iconic character.”

“Nancy has been my favorite sassy grouch for a long time. I’m excited to be sassy and grouchy through her voice instead of just mine,” said Jaimes, “and I can complain to the whole world about things that bother me instead of just my friends and family.” In addition to comics, Jaimes enjoys jogging, video games and playing piano. 

With a brief exception in the early 1930s, “Nancy” has been running in print since 1922 and currently appears in more than 75 newspapers and on GoComics.com. The strip was started in 1922 by Larry Whittington, who wrote and drew the comic for United Feature Syndicate as “Fritzi Ritz.” In 1925, Mr. Whittington would leave the strip, and Ernie Bushmiller’s long tenure as the strip’s creator would begin.

In 1933, Fritzi Ritz’s niece Nancy would make her first appearance in the comic. Nancy’s popularity grew to such an extent that by 1938, the comic’s name was changed from “Fritzi Ritz” to “Nancy” to honor the shift in emphasis. e

About Andrews McMeel Universal

Andrews McMeel Universal is a global, independent and integrated media partner to creators of inspirational content, comics and illustrated humor. It distributes creator content through global syndication; book, calendar and greeting card publishing; digital consumer experiences; and entertainment licensing (andrewsmcmeel.com).

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Contact: Shelly Barkes, sbarkes@amuniversal.com, 816-581-7498