The Born Loser Celebrates 45 Years

The Born Loser will turn 45 next Saturday. The strip was first created by Art Sansom and has continued with his son, Chip. Here’s the full press release:

On May 15, the most lovable loser in the comics is celebrating 45 years of being ridiculed, scorned, and mocked … which has provided endless amusement for millions of fans. The Born Loser is one of the most popular comic strips in the world, enjoyed by readers of more than 1,300 newspapers around the globe and on the Web at www.comics.com. It appears daily in more than 35 countries and is translated into nine languages.

Sansom began preparing to become The Born Loser at the age of 14 when his father, the late Art Sansom, first created the strip.That was 1965. After years of observing and assisting his father, Chip assumed the role he was destined for – cartoonist for The Born Loser.

“I am very happy that The Born Loser is still as appealing to readers, new and old, as it was when it first appeared 45 years ago,” Sansom said. “It is a tribute to the great characters my dad created and his universal and timeless premise that Brutus Thornapple is an everyman, taking the fall for the rest of us in the trials and tribulations we face everyday.”

Brutus Thornapple is constantly ridiculed by his strong-willed wife Gladys, mocked by his antagonistic mother-in-law Ramona Gargle, scorned by his Scrooge-like boss Rancid Veeblefester, taunted by his dim-witted son Wilberforce and jeered by his neighbor’s mischievous child Hurricane Hattie O’Hara.

The Born Loser continues to be a family affair. Chip’s wife, Brooke, assists him in much the same way as when he started working for his father. Daughters Jacqueline and Isabel are a constant source of material for the strip. Appropriately, Chip now works in his father’s old studio in the Sansom family home in Lakewood, Ohio.

The Born Loser is a six-time National Cartoonists Society award nominee. It was named Best Humor Strip by the NCS in 1991 and 1987. The Born Loser’s Guide to Life, a compilation book, was published by Topper Books (1990).

An Official Born Loser fan page has been created on Facebook.

Correction: As pointed out in the comments below, the 15th of this month is on a Saturday and not a Friday as I originally wrote. The date above has been corrected.

5 thoughts on “The Born Loser Celebrates 45 Years

  1. “Brutus Thornapple is an everyman, taking the fall for the rest of us..” Hahahaa, Excellent!

    Gratz to the Family Sansom!! Happy 45th anniversary to the Strip!!

  2. In 1965 May 15th was also on a Saturday.
    The Born Loser debuted on May 10, 1965.
    So that May 15, 2010 strip should appear
    at the beginning of the week, not the end.

  3. Chip.

    Our beloved Tribe has been a loser for 62 years. Does Brutus play for them?
    But you’re a winner, my friend!

    Jerry

  4. I have a cartoon by art sansom and his son chip dated 1987 depicting a doctor and attorney, the doctor is mad because he was approached at a party to get medical advise and asked the attorney how he felt about this intrusion to wit the attorney recounted that he also felt set upon and that the doctor owed him money for the advise that he now received by the attorney. This goes contrary to the ? born loser format that i have research. what do i have here? and is it worth anything.
    Can anyone advise?

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