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Polly Sherman Leonard Keener

Polly Sherman Leonard Keener is the creator of the nationally syndicated cartoon strip, "Hamster Alley," and the puzzle/cartoon feature "Mystery Mosaic," both nationally syndicated to about 450 newspapers.

Born Polly Leonard, Keener married stockbroker Robert L. Keener, son of retired B.F. Goodrich executive, in 1967.

Keener, an artist, has found creative outlets in a wide variety of mediums. She manufactured a line of "photo dolls," stuffed dolls with faces based on photographs. Her sketches of the Stan Hywet mansion, the Akron, Ohio, home of Frank and Gertrude Seiberling, graced china plates and playing cards.

But Keener really made her name in cartooning. Her "Animal Drolleries," cartoons that lampoon humankind with animal characters, premiered in 1977. More recently, her comic strip, "Hamster Alley," featuring a cat, a bunny and lots of hamsters, is syndicated to weekly newspapers across the United States by DBR Media of Orlando, Fla. The same syndicate distributes her puzzle/cartoon feature, "Mystery Mosaic."

In her free time, Keener teaches cartooning through The University of Akron's Continuing Education program, sells "Hamster Alley" merchandise , writes books (Cartooning written with Jim Davis in 1992 is still considered a classic in the field; The Writer's Little Instruction Book: 385 Secrets for Writing Well and Getting Published written with Paul Raymond Martin in 1998; and Hamster Alley: The Early Strips), gives lectures on cartooning and illustrates books, magazines, logos, ads and products.

Keener remains active in her field. She is the former chair of the Great Lakes Chapter of the National Cartoonists Society and a former board member of the national organization.

Photo courtesy of the Beacon Journal. Cartoon used with permission.

--Kathleen L. Endres