Guy and Brad Gilchrist, Continuing Creators of 'Nancy'
The comic strip featuring the round-faced, smiling "Nancy" with a big red bow on her black fuzzy hair continues to be a comics standard, long after the demise of Ernie Bushmiller, the original creator of Nancy. (See Ernie Bushmiller, Original Creator of 'Nancy' at http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/cart... ) Brothers Guy and Brad Gilchrist create Nancy in her distinct, traditional form of humour and drawing, the style of bold lines and bright colours, poking fun with puns and stereotypes. But, Guy and Brad haven't spent their time on one strip alone. They also have a number of cartooning projects to their credit, including the creation of The Muppets comic strip and books from 1981 to 1986.
Guy Gilchrist was a budding cartoonist as a child. Born on January 30, 1957 in Winstead, Connecticut, his mom taught him how to draw comics as a youngster and he sold cartoons drawn on shirt-cardboard to his friends. His first disheartening rejection letter came at age 16 from Mad Magazine, telling him his work needed to be more realistic. Guy took it as good advice, learning to draw anything and everything, teaching his "hand to draw what the eye sees...or...what [his] imagination sees." *(1)
Weekly Reader Books hired Guy as writer and illustrator after he completed high school. A few years later, Jim Henson's Muppets auditioned Guy and Brad to produce The Muppets comic strip. Guy and Brad worked as co-creators on the strip that appeared in 660 newspapers world-wide from 1981 to 1986 under the King Features Syndicate. *(2) During one week in 1984, the Gilchrist brothers were honoured to appear at the White House to meet then-President Ronald Reagan and Nancy, then celebrated as their Muppets artwork was inducted into the Smithsonian. Their work travelled with the Smithsonian's "Art of the Muppets" exhibit, appearing in museums around the world.
Guy opened Gilchrist Studios as a base for promoting his work. He has written and illustrated at least 44 books for children, winning the Children's Choice Awards three times for his "Mudpie" and "Tiny Dinos" book series. At the same time, he created "Screams" and "Today's World", a cartoon for adults.
In 1997, Gilchrist Publishing began operation. Guy and his wife Angela published "Night Lights & Pillow Fights: A Trip to Storyland" and "Night Lights & Pillow Fights II: The Box Set". (The techniques used in the books are reminiscent of the beloved Shel Silverstein's style and definitely captivating.) The second book was voted as one of the Best Children's Books of the Year. The National Cartoonists Society paid tribute to Guy Gilchrist twice with the Reuben for "Best Book and Magazine Illustrations" for the "Night Lights & Pillow Fights" series in 1997 and 1998. He has been nominated for the Award for this year, too.
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