Cartoon Alley: Nappanee’s Outdoor Comic Strip Museum

For the second time in as many years we’ve had the opportunity to visit an incredible remaking of an alley in small town Indiana. Last year it was Ohki Alley in Columbia City, Indiana and now in 2026 it was Cartoon Alley in Nappanee.

Situated but a few steps south of Nappanee’s bustling downtown crossroads is Cartoon Alley, so named as six (6) well-known animators/commercial artists have hailed from this quaint Amish tourist town of 6,877 (2026 est.).

Adorning the newly painted brick and mortar alley walls are six (6) humorous and colorful panels of famous comic strips from four (4) of the artists whose comic strips were published in newspapers across the nation. A separate panel highlights their careers and personal histories (see below).

The comic strip cartoonists highlighted include Merrill Blosser, Bill Holman, Fred Neher, and Max Gwin. Two other illustrators, Henry Maust and Francis “Mike” Parks, who worked in commercial arts and editorial cartoons respectively are noted on the panel, as well as on an Indiana State Historic Marker located in front of Nappanee Public Library.

“Bill [Holman] also drew ‘Spooky & Foo‘. The word ‘Foo’ became a household name and turned into a catch phrase across the nation. The 415th Night Fighter Squadron adopted Holman’s ‘Foo Fighters’ to describe the unexplainable lights they observed flying beside them over Germany during World War II. The fifteen-time Grammy and five-time Rock Album of the Year Award winning band, The Foo Fighters, carried Holman’s legacy to another generation”

– Cartoon Alley Panel

Other placemaking features of this beautified strip of city pavement include a metal archway, curved benches with matching lights, as well as flower-filled pots.

And…the best news is that Nappanee is not done yet with their remarkable makeover of its alleys. Directly across Main Street from Cartoon Alley will be Shoe Alley (or Aisle) which will commemorate the town’s noted shoemaking history.

Needless to say, these wonderful additions to the townscape are perfect tools for maintaining the health and vitality of downtown. Congratulations to the good folks of Nappanee, Indiana whose hometown pride has been manifested into a charming, interesting, and enjoyable outdoor historic museum for all to enjoy and partake.

Peace!

Went to pick up the spectacles, as by PLAN A; all went well, showed the bloke my repaired specs, got two pairs of specs one for long distance and one for reading only. Both feels weird and not quite right, as I was also given two boxes, they'll stay there until further notice.

On the way back, through the alleys, didn't find anything interesting (*) but at a certain point a bloke was trying to take a snapshot of a brick sampler against a brick wall and asked me to hold it up while he took a shot. Weird.

Then through the park where I stopped to feed the crows, had a bag of dry worms in the bag, as soon as I stopped a couple of dozen of them landed nearby, waiting.

And so it went; closer to base spotted four council vans picking up rubbish, apparently the illegal dumpsters were very active last night and there were piles of rubbish dumped in alleys. Wood, plaster board, rubble. Bandits.

Also forgot to take the lighter so didn't smoke for two and a half hours!! and the trip took the same time as two Zappa albums, Apostrophe and Bongo Fury, which was nice.

Back to base, break, off shortly to the plot to do another brush cutting session at the community allotment which has been taken over by the Komissariat (commitee) which is doing an excellent job.

#cycling #zappa #music #spectacles #alleys #rubbish #crows

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