Alphonse and Gaston were once one of Frederick Burr Opper's most popular creations. A bumbling pair of Frenchmen with a penchant for politeness, they first appeared in William Randolph Hearst's New York Journal newspaper on September 22, 1901. The very first strip was titled - all in capitals - "ALPHONSE A LA CARTE" AND HIS FRIEND GASTON DE TABLE D'HOTE."