Our Boarding House

First Appeared: 1921 Creator: Gene Ahern This daily panel was syndicated by Newspaper Enterprise Association. The creator was Gene Ahern, a former sports cartoonist and art school instructor. Practically every episode takes place within the walls of Martha Hoople&#39;s rooming establishment. It spawned a few media spin-offs, such as a short-lived radio show, beginning June 23, 1942, with Arthur Q. Bryan (Elmer Fudd) in the title role, Patsy Moran as Martha and Conrad Binyon as Alvin; a Big Little Book called Major Hoople &amp; His Horse; a rock band called &quot;Major Hoople&#39;s Boarding House, which started in 1967; and even a bed &amp; breakfast called &quot;Major Hoople&#39;s Guest Home&quot; (the name of which has since been changed). Others have made more of a multi-media splash, this one lasted nearly six decades (ending on March 29, 1981) � not quite up there with comics&#39; most long-lived successes, but a very, very respectable run. -<i>Don Markstein&#39;s Toonopedia</i>