Most country fans may not know Bridgette Tatum by name just yet, but they likely know the No. 1 single she co-penned for Jason Aldean, and lately, they just may have seen her in the funny papers.

Tatum, who recently celebrated her first-ever No. 1 co-write with the "She's Country" smash, the lead single from Aldean's latest CD, Wide Open, has achieved a rare feat without even trying by being the unwitting inspiration for an "episode" of the internationally syndicated Nancy cartoon strip.

The strip was created by Ernie Bushmiller in the 1930s, and since 1995, it's been drawn and written in Bushmiller's classic style by brothers Guy and Brad Gilchrist, the award-winning cartooning team behind The Muppets Comic Strip.

Famed for its gentle humor and surrealistic sight gags, the classic strip portrays its lead character true to her characteristic form, with a never-wavering childlike innocence that never wanes in spite of what may be going on in the world around her.

At present, Nancy, with more than 70 million regular readers, may be viewed in more than 350 U.S. newspapers and on www.comics.com, as well as in  publications in some 80 countries.

As for Tatum's reaction to being the subject of an August strip of Nancy, the vocalist-tunesmith--who's currently on tour supporting her first single, "I Like My Cowboys Dirty."--admitted she's indeed beside herself over the unexpected recognition.

"I am honored to be included in such a staple of our history in the comics," Tatum said. "My grandparents read this comic and I remember the joy of it as a child."

Coincidentally, a woman named Mimi, age 89, once commented to Tatum, "I''ll see you in the funny papers." And ever since that happened, the brunet performer--whose tongue-in-cheek mantra is "sex, church and chicken"--has closed her shows with that same line.

"How ironic it came true!" exclaimed Tatum, regarding her inclusion in the popular comic strip.