Opus: 25 Years of His Sunday Best

Bloom County is in my top five favorite comic strip list (keeping Calvin & Hobbes company). And when you talk about Bloom County, you're talking about the lovable penguin, Opus. Berkeley Breathed has compiled all the full color Sunday strips in the book OPUS: 25 Years of His Sunday Best. Everything from 1980 through 2005, from Bloom County through Outland and finally to just plain Opus. Great walk down memory lane, and it's amazing how well those strips hold up over time. Breathed goes into some of his rationale behind his break between Bloom County and Outland, how Outland was started as a Sunday-only strip, and how he came back from retirement once again to do the Opus strip. He confesses that trying to stay creative and motivated is hard over time, and it's why he chose to walk away instead of letting the strip deteriorate. I have to respect that, as I've seen more than a few strips that have overstayed their welcome and are merely rehashes of the same old thing. The only thing I wish Breathed would have done here is have a small date reference on each strip. Some of the humor is topical, and it would have been nice to have a date to remember what else was going on. Still, it's a tribute to Opus that even without dates, the humor and commentary loses none of its power. This was an hour of time well (and enjoyably) spent.

I have loved these cartoons since the first one I read years ago. I am so happy to see Opus appearing again recently. I loved Bloom County. I love Bill the Cat and was so happy to see him in a recent Opus cartoon. Keep up the great work. I am 73 years old and laughing keeps me young and cheerful. We need more like this.

What's there to say? Genius. There should be an animated show on Adult Swim called Bloom County vs. Calvin & Hobbes. Spaceman Spiff takes on Opus.

When I was a kid, the first section of the newspaper I would pick up to read was the comics. And beginning in the late 1980s, one of the first strips I would look for everyday (especially on Sunday) was "Bloom County." The strip was like no other. Inventive. Original. Funny. Very funny. Then came along a naive penguin named Opus. Before long, Opus had taken over "Bloom County." Eventually, Opus had run for Vice President, played the tuba in a heavy metal band, and took on a cockroach as a pet. Opus was always my favorite "Bloom County" character. His antics would often keep my in stitches each day. When the strip ended in 1989, I knew the comics page would never be the same. Although a Sunday only version called "Outland" started the following month, it just wasn't the same. Eight years after "Outland" ended, the Sunday comics got a new shot in the arm when Berkeley returned with "Opus." Our favorite penguin was back, and better than ever. Only time will tell if the new strip can match the original, but so far so good. And now for Opus fans everywhere, Berkeley Breathed has brought together some of his favorite Opus strips from all three cartoons. Included in this collection are introductions by Berkeley to each series, including a small sample of the fake cartoon he drew for the movie "Secondhand Lions." Thanks to these fake strips, he decided to get back into drawing and Opus made his return. This book is a great collection of strips that will take those of us who remember "Bloom County" and "Outland" down memory lane. For those of you whose first introduction to Opus was the Sunday comic of the same name, this book will show you the transformation that our favorite penguin has gone through over the years. "Opus" is a very funny book that you will enjoy reading again and again.

Thoughts of a 'Bloom County' filled childhood are welling up inside me right now, and just knowing that a NEW Berke Breathed book is on the shelves gives me the shakes...I love it!! "Penguin Dreams..." was the first comic-strip collection that changed my life, and by introducing me to the power of Opus and the gang, showed me the dimensions the format could have. Alongside such masterworks as Peanuts, Far Side, Calvin and Hobbes, 'Bloom County' sits comfortably with the best of the best. For anyone reading this who might be unaware, Berkely has resurrected Opus in the gorgeous Sunday-only 'Opus'...but it's only available in print! It's certainly the most beautiful comic strip I've ever seen, in terms of aesthetic value, and if nothing else, a breath of fresh air to see Breathed once again have a voice in this age of higgedly-piggedly. Keep at it! (and watch 'Second Lions' for more great B.B. artwork!)