Help, must find decade-old comic strip from Milwaukee's Shepherd Express

Cafe Society
1

Many years ago I recall regularly reading in the Milwaukee weekly “alternative” paper Shepherd Express a continuing comic strip which featured a surly drunken rabbit and an inflatable sheep.

I have forgotten the name of the comic, but it seemed to have run for at least a few years. I would like to recall the name of the strip, along with the name of it’s author. I’d also love to read the actual strip again, either on the web or in paper form. Can anyone help me out?

2

<<one gratuitous bump>>

Anyone? Please? The newspaper hasn’t answered me either! Gah.

3

OK, one source tells me the artist’s name is Mark Nergaard. Does that help at all?

4

Mark is 45 and currently lives in Racine, Wisconsin. He’s listed in the online address/telephone directories.

5

Thanks for the tip!

6

Are you sure it isn’t Mark Newgarden? He did a lot of alernative comics in the 80s and 90s, though this particular one doesn’t ring a bell.

7

I checked out his work, and it doesn’t seem to be him.

8

I can help.

The strip was called Hank and Soozie. Hank being a hard drinking rabbit, Soozie being his muse. Hank was heavily influenced by the author Charles Bukowski’s alter ego Hank Chinaski. The strip was published in the Shepard Express in serial form. This would have been early 90’s.

The author/artist was Mark Nergaard. I say “was” because Mark died exactly a year ago yesterday (Mar 5, 2016).

Mark was a friend of mine. A quietly hilarious guy, good artist, very much missed.

9

Thanks, wojproduct. I’d actually found out the answer about a decade ago, by writing directly to the Shepherd Express.

I’m saddened to hear of Mark’s passing. I enjoyed his work.

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wojproduct, do you know if Mark’s work is available anywhere?

Thanks,

11

(Gotta love this board!)

I never heard of this strip, but if anyone finds some examples and can post a link, I’d love to see it, and I’m guessing it would appeal to other Dopers, too. The concept is very clever.

12

I think I even ended up corresponding with Mark himself back then, IIRC. I will need to check my old email files, which are not accessible to me now. It was either him, or a staffer at S-E about him, not sure which. I’d really love to revisit the whole story arc, and I know I came up dry in that attempt to find his work online back then. Charmingly, depressingly, weird. In a very Charles Bukowski way.

13

wojproduct.com/nergaard

In homage and honor, I’m starting to scan and post some of the things he sent over the years.