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It didn't take long! While on the drive back from Denver, Colorado (where I purchased the car) it was apparent that the car had an idea of it's own. And it continued to push or, more appropriately, drive me in that direction. I found that I couldn't stay mad or upset while driving. Driving the car could pull me out of whatever funk I might be in much like my favorite comic strip did. It was in college that I discovered Bloom County by Berkeley Breathed and from then on I have had a wonderful love affair with Mr. Breathed's work. During long arduous days of college the strip could brighten the darkest day and bring an even bigger smile to my face on the very best of days. I was beginning to notice the Miata was reproducing the same effect in me. The choice seemed to be already made and in short order the '96 Montego Blue was duly monikered Opus. Opus is the spiritual/emotional/psychological center of Bloom County IMHO. He embodies a sense of freedom, idyllic nature, hope, and fun. In many ways I relate to him so closely because I feel like he is part of me. See where this is going and why the name is so appropriate? ;-) So I have dedicated this page to Mr. Breathed and his wonderful universe of Bloom County and Outland. Here you will find a brief biography of Mr. Breathed and, of course, Opus.
When not feeding or caring for their young, the species will enjoy skinny-dipping, long hot baths, reminiscing about the 1960s, foot massages, and listening to old MOODY BLUES records late at night with the lights out. Being fairly liberal minded, the Hefty-nosed Penguin would, as a group, all be driving used Volvos if they could reach the pedals. In conclusion, the Hefty-nosed Penguin is a gentle bird... easily influenced and overly sensitive. With their pleasant disposition and generally optimistic nature, the species is a welcome member of the WILD KINGDOM, even if they do eat crackers in bed. source: BloomCountyZone, http://cpoon.com/bloomcountyzone/
Berkeley always intended for Bloom County to be more about a state of mind than a place. Starring a frequently changing cast of adults, children and talking animals, the strip tried hard to avoid easy description, as it does even now. Its emotional center proved to be a penguin named Opus... while the off-center gravitated toward a speechless cat named Bill. Berkeley always found it amusing that his fan mail split evenly between children and those detained in centers for the criminally insane. In 1995, to everyone's surprise and consternation, Berkeley decided to terminate the strip, with the following explanations: "A good comic strip is no more eternal than a ripe melon. The ugly truth is that in most cases, comics age less gracefully than their creators. Bloom County is retiring before the stretch marks show", and "I have grown stubbornly affectionate toward my characters, and I have little desire to see Opus, Bill the Cat, and others disappear from my life. But after ten years of squeezing Bloom Countians into postage stamp-sized stories, I thought it might be more comfortable for all concerned if we took a powder from the daily pages". Berkeley has published eleven best-selling cartoon collections (with nearly seven million copies in print) and five children's books (with over a half million copies in print). He also wrote and produced an animated CBS-TV special based on his children's book A Wish For Wings That Work. More recently he wrote and directed an animated short feature for Nickelodeon Family Films based on his current children's book, Edwurd Fudwupper Fibbed Big. Since 1992, Berkeley has designed a greeting card and gift ensemble collection for American Greetings, featuring his familiar cartoon characters such as Opus, Bill the Cat and Milquetoast.Berkeley's writing has been featured in numerous publications including Life, Boating, and Travel and Leisure among others. Berkeley lives in Southern California with his wife, wildlife photographer and psychotherapist, Jody Boyman, their daughter Sophie and four rescued female mutts. He enjoys catching lizards and spelunking with blindfolds.
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