Influence
Ahern's The Squirrel Cage (1936–53), featured a bearded character known as The Little Hitchhiker, who became notorious for his frequent expression, "Nov shmoz ka pop?", which he uttered while thumbing for a ride. Some sources say that the phrase is Russian for "Going my way?", others say that the phrase is complete nonsense. The character was the acknowledged inspiration for Robert Crumb's Mr. Natural. The Squirrel Cage was collected into a book by publisher Ken Pierce.
Living in California for 36 years, Ahern resided at 1280 Stone Canyon in Los Angeles during the 1940s. He was a member of the Los Angeles Art Association, the Bel-Air Country Club, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association and the National Cartoonists Society. When he died of a heart attack in 1960, he was survived by his wife, Jane; a daughter, Mrs. Nancy Hayward of Clemmons, North Carolina; a sister, Mrs. Donald McCurdy; and three brothers, Walter, Harold and John, all of Chicago.
Read more about this topic: Gene Ahern
Famous quotes containing the word influence:
“I believe that the influence of woman will save the country before every other power.”
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“The woman who can’t influence her husband to vote the way she wants ought to be ashamed of herself.”
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