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The Opus Interview

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the stuff-to-read dept.

Brad1138 writes "MSNBC has an interview with Opus re: his return to Sunday comics. Some interesting/funny bits of info. It was also nice to see how many people loved Bloom County/Opus, they are running a poll and currently 94% 'loved Bloom County & will read "OPUS"'." Here's another article talking about Opus's Return to the Sunday Funnies.

6 of 146 comments (clear)

  1. hype alert by Artifex · · Score: 2, Interesting

    It's only alluded to in these articles, but Berkeley Breathed demanded that all the newspapers who carry the new strip give him a half-page slot. So we should be expecting great things, right?

    I liked both of his other Bloom County series, but today's strip unfortunately underwhelms me completely.

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    Get off my launchpad!
    1. Re:hype alert by ePhil_One · · Score: 2, Interesting
      I liked both of his other Bloom County series, but today's strip unfortunately underwhelms me completely.

      I'm hoping its just a "Welcome back" gag to get past the "Oh my god whats the first strip going to be like?!" stage, I recall Outland did some similarly odd stuff when it first starteded, and after 6 months of nobody liking it more and more old characters came back.

      I also think it was a bit of self-effacing humor; his dreams of grandeur didn't quite work out.

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      You are in a maze of twisted little posts, all alike.
  2. Narrative vs. commentary by Faust7 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Interesting that Breathed said he'd taken Bloom County about as far as it would go. I suppose if one looks at the comic as a linear narrative, that could be true--but it was also a running commentary on the politics of the time. Politics are always changing, new names and faces, new events, new history to be ridiculed. I see it as a tad unfortunate that he didn't consider keeping up a continuous semi-political cartoon; that part of Bloom County, having direct relevance to my world, was always my favorite. Perhaps he didn't want himself or the comic to be typecast.

    Still, a pity. I can only imagine what he could do with our current administration. ;)

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    The coolest voice ever.
  3. Opus the screensaver by wo1verin3 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The Opus and Bill (by Delrina at the time) screensaver brough me hours of joy while they shot the little Toasters flying by with a shotgun.... The toasters had wings until Berkley complained/sued, and the toaster wings were changed in to helicopter toasters. :)

    Berkeley Systems v. Delrina Corp., U.S. District Court, Northern District of California (1993). Represented Delrina in copyright and trademark infringement action arising from its "Opus 'n Bill" computer screensaver and parody of Berkeley's "flying toasters."

  4. A sort of footnote to Opus by spidergoat2 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Several months back I spoke with a friend, Suzie, that works in the comics section at the Washington Post. She ran into Breathed at a conference. Since they were both new parents, they talked about their kids. Suzie suggested that a new strip might be a great way to express his views about this new phase in his life. He agreed. Thus Opus

  5. Spoiler by pyrrho · · Score: 2, Interesting

    For those of your that don't have time to read the article, it's an essay on why it won't be funny.

    I liked Bloom County the first few years, it go really bad and then to make it official they called it Outland, and every silly over the top idea was cast as precious, every joke an inside joke.

    I think Breathed is a great talent, but maybe too full of himself? Or maybe I just don't get him.

    On the bright side, newspaper comics are in such a sorry state he can't possibly hurt.

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    -pyrrho