The Born Loser began in 1965 as a strip with no central characters that revolved around the loser theme. Gradually, it developed into the comic we see today, starring lovable loser Brutus Thornapple, his wife Gladys, mother-in-law Ramona Gargle, boss Rancid Veeblefester, dim-witted son Wilberforce and the mischievous neighbor Hurricane Hattie O'Hara.