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Berkeley Breathed Revives Bloom County Comic Strip After 25 Years

Posted by samzenpus on from the blast-for-the-past dept.

cold fjord writes: Just as it was needed then, it is needed now (more than ever). NPR reports, "Fans of the well-loved comic strip Bloom County are celebrating ... cartoonist Berkeley Breathed issued the first panels of his satirical strip in decades. Breathed won a Pulitzer Prize for his work on Bloom County back in 1987; two years later, he quit producing it. ... It's unclear whether Breathed will syndicate his new work in newspapers; he recently recalled how an editorial dispute with a publisher had a direct role in his decision to quit cartooning in 2008. His Facebook postings, Breathed said earlier this month, are "nicely out of reach of nervous newspaper editors, the PC humor police now rampant across the web ... and ISIS." When Bloom County went idle in 1989, it was one of several clever and inventive comic strips, such as Calvin and Hobbes and The Far Side, that were beloved by fans and yet were also comparatively short-lived. Today, devoted fans are treating its return as a small miracle." — The Washington Post adds, ""Honestly, I was unprepared for it," Breathed tells me of the public outpouring. "It calls for a bit of introspection about how characters can work with readers and how they're now absent as a unifying element with a society. "There is no media that will allow a Charlie Brown or a Snoopy to become a universal and shared joy each morning at the same moment across the country," Breathed continues. 'Maybe the rather marked response to my character's return is a reflection of that loss. A last gasp of a passing era.'"

109 comments

  1. Bloom County is for cows. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    You are all cows. Cows say moo. MOOOOOOOOOO! MOOOOOOOOO! Moo cows MOOOOOOO! Moo say the cows. YOU COWS!!

  2. cold fjord by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Interesting

    You're a horrible writer; please don't quit your day job...that is all.

    1. Re:cold fjord by cold+fjord · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I'll be sure to pass your comments to NPR and the Washington Post where the excerpts came from.

      --
      much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot - George Orwell
    2. Re:cold fjord by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I was referring to the /. 'story'.

    3. Re:cold fjord by cold+fjord · · Score: 1

      So was I. Hint: look for quotation marks.

      --
      much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot - George Orwell
    4. Re:cold fjord by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh pleez, I have disagreed with cold fjord position on a number of topics, but there was nothing wrong, or even controversial with his article submission. You're just bitching because you're a twisted little SJW hate gob. Just fuck off.

    5. Re:cold fjord by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I did; this writing is garbage: "Just as it was needed then, it is needed now (more than ever)." Web links are not meant to be essential to understand content but meant to provide an easy path for enhanced context. No one wants to follow a link to know what you're talking about, then bounce back to the present page to finish reading the sentence. That's why it is garbage.

    6. Re:cold fjord by Krishnoid · · Score: 1

      Make sure you provide proper attribution for those comments, ok?

    7. Re:cold fjord by cold+fjord · · Score: 1

      Did you miss the statement of where they were from and the quotation marks?

      --
      much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot - George Orwell
    8. Re: cold fjord by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm just surprised that Cold Fjord would give the attention to a cartoonist who has shown again and again that he can effectively eviscerate the most tedious and tortured arguments raised by Mr. Fjord and his ilk in the space of a 3 panel strip.

    9. Re: cold fjord by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Of course you're surprised since you don't consider that the reverse is also true.

    10. Re:cold fjord by penguinoid · · Score: 1

      You're a horrible writer; please don't quit your day job...that is all.

      I'll be sure to pass your comments to NPR and the Washington Post where the excerpts came from.

      When you do, are you going to summarize it as "please don't quit your day job"?

      --
      Don't waste your vote! Vote for whoever you want, unless you live in a swing state it won't matter anyways
    11. Re:cold fjord by cold+fjord · · Score: 1

      Maybe. ;)

      --
      much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot - George Orwell
    12. Re:cold fjord by sexconker · · Score: 3, Informative

      That's not garbage, that's a hot load of steaming feces. It's unreadable.
      How the fuck can something be needed now "just as it was" then, but also "more than ever"?
      If it's needed "just as it was" then it's needed to the same degree.

    13. Re:cold fjord by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, we all know that cold fjord is a twisted little SJW with the government's cock firmly lodged in his ass. And?

    14. Re:cold fjord by cold+fjord · · Score: 2

      That's not garbage, that's a hot load of steaming feces. It's unreadable.

      Really now? Lets examine that proposition.

      How the fuck can something be needed now "just as it was" then, but also "more than ever"?

      Based on this sentence it appears that it actually wasn't garbage, feces (steaming or not), or unreadable. You actually did manage to read it. The problem you have is comprehension, so lets tackle that. The main problem you seem to have is one dimensional thinking. Saying that something is needed then and now establishes the need in terms of time - it is needed in both times, the first dimension. That says nothing about the urgency of the need, the degree of need, or the second dimension. That is where the qualifier "now more than ever" comes it. It is a statement that the present need is greater than the past need. That is a simple but crucial concept you can see illustrated on the following graph where the vertical axis (P) represents the Priority of resource (X), and the horizontal axis (T) represents Time. As you can see there are two points on the T(time) axis, and two points on the P(priority) axis, at points X1 and X2. Point X2 is later in time and higher priority than point X1. Resource X is needed at both points X1 and X2 on axis T, but on axis P we find that point X2 is higher representing it is needed more which can be expresses as "now more than ever" as long as the highest point on axis P is also the furthest to the right on axis T.


      ^ . . . . . . . X2
      |
      | X1
      P/T --->

      If it's needed "just as it was" then it's needed to the same degree.

      Only in the absence of any other qualifier, which I in fact supplied, to indicate that the need was present in both times, but there was a disparity in the degree of need. The present need is greater.

      If you keep these hints in mind you may be less prone to confusion in future forum activity.

      --
      much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot - George Orwell
    15. Re:cold fjord by cold+fjord · · Score: 1

      The first two web links are not essential to understanding the content. What they lead to is enhanced content as you indicate. You should have understood the main theme of the story based on the title which informs as to the main subject. The problem here is your comprehension not the writing.

      --
      much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot - George Orwell
    16. Re:cold fjord by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Calling CF a SJW shows you have no idea what that means or how to use it. You probably spend too much time thinking about having c*ck lodged in you to really understand. Please get some help before your obsession with c*ck kills you.

  3. I'm surprised by argStyopa · · Score: -1, Troll

    I'm surprised he bothered while a Democratic president was in office, although he can always go after Republicans in Congress I suppose.

    Bloom County was about as tendentious in their criticism as Doonesbury.

    --
    -Styopa
    1. Re:I'm surprised by houstonbofh · · Score: -1, Troll

      "If you're not a liberal when you're 25, you have no heart. If you're not a conservative by the time you're 35, you have no brain."

      Perhaps we should see who he lampoons first...

    2. Re:I'm surprised by cold+fjord · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I thought Breathed tended to be both more good natured and fairly even handed in poking fun at people. Doonesbury, not quite so much in either respect.

      --
      much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot - George Orwell
    3. Re:I'm surprised by Will.Woodhull · · Score: 2

      I think it would have been hard for him to resist the GOP clown car. Especially after Trump forced himself into the driver's seat.

      In any event, I'm glad he's back.

      --
      Will
    4. Re:I'm surprised by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "If you're not a liberal when you're 25, you have no heart. If you're not still a liberal by the time you're 35, you have no brain."

      FTFY

    5. Re:I'm surprised by dywolf · · Score: 1

      The 2016 campaign season is going to be a doozy.
      the only comedians not lining up for this party are those that have already did their time and gotten burnt out from the last several cycles.

      --
      The guy who said the election was rigged won the presidency with the second-most votes.
    6. Re:I'm surprised by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ""If you're not a liberal when you're 25, you have no heart. If you're not a conservative by the time you're 35, you have no brain." There is no record of anyone hearing Churchill say this. Paul Addison of Edinburgh University makes this comment: "Surely Churchill can't have used the words attributed to him. He'd been a Conservative at 15 and a Liberal at 35! And would he have talked so disrespectfully of Clemmie, who is generally thought to have been a lifelong Liberal?""
      From www.winstonchurchill.org

    7. Re:I'm surprised by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Meanwhile one of the leading Republican party Presidential contenders just insulted a guy who was tortured as a prisoner of war, and said Mexico was sending rapists into the United States. Another one is still trying to fight the gay marriage debate after it's become legal and the majority of Americans have accepted it. A fight that was lost a long, long time ago, and you'll only increasingly look out of touch if they continue on that path.

      By contrast, the "fringe" Democratic candidate for president, Bernie Sanders wants to address the H1B visa situation. Oh, and his hair is a bit unkempt. Yeah, vote for the Republican party. Party of the crazy people who have candidates to far out of the mainstream it's a damn circus.

    8. Re:I'm surprised by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "If you're not a liberal when you're 25, you have no heart. If you're not still a liberal by the time you're 35, you have no brain."

      FTFY

      Detroit.

      Greece.

    9. Re:I'm surprised by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Houstonbofh did not attribute the quote at all.

    10. Re:I'm surprised by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That saying was made up at a time when the words liberal and conservative meant very different things from what they mean today. Sadly both have been twisted to be meaningless labels for a mindless electorate.

    11. Re:I'm surprised by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Neither Detroit or Greece had anything to do with being "Liberal" you idiot.

    12. Re:I'm surprised by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think it would have been hard for him to resist the GOP clown car. Especially after Trump forced himself into the driver's seat.

      In any event, I'm glad he's back.

      And painted great big "T"s on the doors.

    13. Re:I'm surprised by thinkwaitfast · · Score: 2

      I don't know why, but the second thing I think of when I hear Bloom County is Donald Trump (and visa versa (I as a huge fan). He and Ivanka were made fun of quite often in Bloom County. The first is, of course, Opus.

    14. Re:I'm surprised by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

      That's an amazing example of deliberate blindness. The current Greek tragedy is an exemplar of the problems of (modern) liberalism, and believing otherwise is as nutty on the left as denying evolution is on the right.

    15. Re:I'm surprised by Deadstick · · Score: 2

      Oh, and his hair is a bit unkempt.

      At least it appears to be firmly attached to his head.

    16. Re:I'm surprised by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      Neither Detroit or Greece had anything to do with being "Liberal" you idiot.

      You keep telling yourself that, numnut.

      How about this:

      Moody’s Downgrades Chicago Credit Rating To ‘Junk’ Bond Status

      Citing the city’s underfunded pension crisis, Moody’s Investors Service downgraded Chicago’s debt to junk bond status on Tuesday.

      The Ba1 rating means that Chicago’s $8.1 billion in debt carries a substantial credit risk. That credit rating is also just a few levels above bonds that are in default.

      “The Ba1 rating on Chicago’s debt incorporates expected growth in the city’s highly elevated unfunded pension liabilities,” Moody’s said.

      The service cited the state Supreme Court’s recent decision to toss out the state’s pension reform bill as unconstitutional, along with concerns that the city will be able to meet its pension obligations in the future.

      I guess going broke because of liberal policies like massive pensions for government union workers has nothing to do with liberal policies.

      I can't wait to see what happens to California when their pension obligations come due - that will be an epic train wreck.

    17. Re:I'm surprised by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They still have meaning, just not in the context of mindless reality TV programming disguised as actual politics.

    18. Re: I'm surprised by rjejr · · Score: 1

      Acck was the first thing I thought of, followed by Bill the Cat, then Bill the Cat for President. Which is probably why he's coming back, to lampoon 16 GOP candidates. The only question is whos the candidate and who's the running mate between Bill and Opus.

    19. Re: I'm surprised by Bing+Tsher+E · · Score: 2

      He can have a lot of fun with Hillary, too.

      The possibilities are immense. The 'first female candidate' who then chooses to use her first name as her primary identifier. Who is also a very well known female-cuckold. So many contradictions.

      Bill for President, indeed. I suspect he'd run as a Democrat in the primaries.

    20. Re:I'm surprised by houstonbofh · · Score: 1

      I was wondering why he went there...

    21. Re:I'm surprised by houstonbofh · · Score: 1

      My only point was that his politics may have changed in the last 25 years...

    22. Re:I'm surprised by harperska · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Can't believe I'm replying to a downrated AC, but here we go. Chicago politics have nothing to do with 'liberalism'. Chicago politics are all about cronyism, and Chicago politicians just belong to the Democrat party because they need a national party to belong to. The Greek political mess is due to massive entitlement, which believe it or not has nothing to do with liberal politics. For better examples of liberalism at work, on the international stage look at the nordic countries, and how they somehow manage to stay at the top of the world quality-of-life indexes, and domestically, look at the policies of Minnesota, and specifically how Minnesota has fared economically since Dayton became governor, compared to how Wisconsin has done since Walker came. Wisconsin's economic numbers have improved since the recession, but a rising tide lifts all ships, and Minnesota's numbers and rankings on various economic lists are consistently significantly better than Wisconsin's, despite (or I would argue because of) Dayton's liberal policies vs. Walker's tea party approach.

    23. Re:I'm surprised by ChrisMaple · · Score: -1, Troll

      Greek political mess is due to massive entitlement, which believe it or not has nothing to do with liberal politics.

      Modern liberalism is very much taking from earners and giving to scum, which characterizes Greece and Detroit.

      The destruction caused by liberalism is slower to take hold in Scandinavia because of the climate. In cold countries it's much more obvious that those who don't produce, die. Where the weather is mild, it's much easier to believe that food will come from "somewhere", and if it doesn't, stamping your feet and screaming (rioting) will make it all better. The latter belief is liberalism.

      --
      Contribute to civilization: ari.aynrand.org/donate
    24. Re:I'm surprised by ChrisMaple · · Score: 2

      Did you actually listen to and understand what Trump said? That being a prisoner does not make you a hero?
      McCain obviously thinks he can shamelessly denigrate anybody without consequences, and his alleged supporters will howl when criticism is set back to him.

      --
      Contribute to civilization: ari.aynrand.org/donate
    25. Re:I'm surprised by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I find replacing what you (and most other entitled conservatives) wrote with "fuck you, got mine" seems to work with surprising accuracy.. kinda sad.

    26. Re:I'm surprised by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "If you're not a liberal when you're 25, you have no heart. If you're not a conservative by the time you're 35, you have no brain."

      If you join any gang instead of thinking independently and making your own choices, you have no brain. That covers an entire lifetime too.

    27. Re:I'm surprised by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

      Liberal - " I am going to steal your money to help all the people, but not my own"
      Conservative - "I am going to steal your money to help my friends, and obviously not my own."

    28. Re:I'm surprised by NotDrWho · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      Bloom County was about as tendentious in their criticism as Doonesbury.

      That comparison is really unfair to Bloom County, because:

      a) Bloom County was actually funny, not just smug and pretentious.
      b) Berkley Breathed, unlike Gary Trudeau, didn't spend all day just smelling the fragrant scents of his own liberal farts.
      c) Berkley Breathed could draw well and write well.

      --
      SJW's don't eliminate discrimination. They just expropriate it for themselves.
    29. Re:I'm surprised by operagost · · Score: 1

      So no true Scotsman, then. Got it.

      --

      Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
    30. Re: I'm surprised by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, no you didn't.

    31. Re:I'm surprised by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not paying your taxes is a decidedly Libertarian thing to do.

    32. Re:I'm surprised by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And proclaimed, "I'm the biggest and best clown in this party!"

    33. Re:I'm surprised by axl917 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      "If you're not a liberal when you're 25, you have no heart. If you're not a conservative by the time you're 35, you have no brain."

      Perhaps we should see who he lampoons first...

      This saying has always felt like a selfish, vapid outlook on life. Should we push for progress and get what we want when young, then when we have what we want,, resist the progressiveness of the next generation? "I got what I want so shove off" ?

    34. Re:I'm surprised by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      For better examples of liberalism at work, on the international stage look at the nordic countries, and how they somehow manage to stay at the top of the world quality-of-life indexes, and domestically

      The Nordic countries have significant advantages over most of the world: great access to natural resources, a relatively small, homogeneous, well educated population; limited border access (and much of that is trackless wilderness); little need to spend much on research or defense (they can just mooch off the USA and others), and so on. They can afford to experiment with liberal policies that might destroy other country's economies.

      The Greek political mess is due to massive entitlement, which believe it or not has nothing to do with liberal politics.

      I don't believe it. The vast majority of entitlements in the USA result from liberal policies. Why would Greece be any different? Conservatives believe in balanced budgets and not going into debt except under very special circumstances: in their worldview, running a government should be no different than running a home. or a farm, or a ranch, or a business, at least from a financial perspective. This viewpoint is why so many people that actually have to manage budgets, support conservative politics. Those who routinely over-spend their means support liberal politics.

      look at the policies of Minnesota, and specifically how Minnesota has fared economically since Dayton became governor, compared to how Wisconsin has done since Walker came

      As Paul Tosto notes in his article at NPR news, "Essentially, Minnesota has an advantage over Wisconsin in key growth sectors — education, health services and professional and business services. (Those sectors have also driven U.S. job growth, as the Wall Street Journal reported recently.) Wisconsin has a bigger stake in manufacturing, which has been in steady decline for years as a jobs creator. The Great Recession accelerated those changes and Minnesota benefited.".

      Hence, liberalism has nothing to do with Minnesota's economic success.

    35. Re:I'm surprised by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nope.

    36. Re:I'm surprised by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wisconsin's economic numbers have improved since the recession, but a rising tide lifts all ships, and Minnesota's numbers and rankings on various economic lists are consistently significantly better than Wisconsin's, despite (or I would argue because of) Dayton's liberal policies vs. Walker's tea party approach.

      Key sectors in Wisconsin's economy depend heavily on industry, while Minnesota is more focused on service, health, and education.

      There used to be lots of good job opportunities in industry in the USA. Liberal policies such as minimum wage destroyed many of those, causing them to move overseas (to places that don't have minimum wage and similar policies) or be replaced by robotics (which often weren't cost effective until the cost of labor went up). But of course the liberals never seem to understand the long term harm their policies do.

      Minimum wage also destroyed huge numbers of farming jobs, causing them to be replaced by machines (or illegal labor). This has all kinds of long term consequences as well, such as the dominance of corporate farming over smaller family run businesses, which in turn has all kinds of negative consequences for society and the environment. Much of the corporate farming really comes down to farming the government: the farms are used by big oil and pharm corporations to generate tax write-offs. Lots of food gets wasted, also, since the picking machines aren't as efficient as humans.

      There were, and are, better alternatives, but the liberals have always favored quick, superficially-appealing solutions that don't require much understanding of the real world, and in the process generally do more harm than good. Very sad.

    37. Re:I'm surprised by axl917 · · Score: 2

      I thought Breathed tended to be both more good natured and fairly even handed in poking fun at people. Doonesbury, not quite so much in either respect.

      Well you have to remember that back then, there were such creatures as conservative Democrats and liberal Republicans, which are almost extinct today. War hawks, religious fundamentalism, friendly to big business, anti-nuclear power/weapons, and so on and so on were all issues that spanned the aisle.

    38. Re:I'm surprised by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      > Modern liberalism is very much taking from earners and giving to scum

      Wow. I had no idea that retirees, veterans and active soldiers were "scum." They're the ones getting most of your tax dollar.

    39. Re:I'm surprised by Rakarra · · Score: 2

      This saying has always felt like a selfish, vapid outlook on life. Should we push for progress and get what we want when young, then when we have what we want,, resist the progressiveness of the next generation? "I got what I want so shove off" ?

      The opposite (and just as valid, heh) way of looking at it is to say "when you have nothing, you don't care about taking from others, but when you actually have something worth protecting is when you start getting protectionist about money, property, etc."

    40. Re:I'm surprised by harperska · · Score: 1

      For better examples of liberalism at work, on the international stage look at the nordic countries, and how they somehow manage to stay at the top of the world quality-of-life indexes, and domestically

      The Nordic countries have significant advantages over most of the world: great access to natural resources, a relatively small, homogeneous, well educated population; limited border access (and much of that is trackless wilderness); little need to spend much on research or defense (they can just mooch off the USA and others), and so on. They can afford to experiment with liberal policies that might destroy other country's economies.

      The nordic countries have had liberal politics for decades. That's not experimentation. That's established policy. Norway has great natural resource wealth with their oil reserves, but Sweden has a much more manufacturing & trade oriented economy, with several major private companies that play on the world stage such as Ericsson, SAAB, and IKEA. And somehow these corporations are wildly successful in a country known for high taxes.

      Also, investment in education is a liberal policy known to benefit society immensely.

      The Greek political mess is due to massive entitlement, which believe it or not has nothing to do with liberal politics.

      I don't believe it. The vast majority of entitlements in the USA result from liberal policies. Why would Greece be any different? Conservatives believe in balanced budgets and not going into debt except under very special circumstances: in their worldview, running a government should be no different than running a home. or a farm, or a ranch, or a business, at least from a financial perspective. This viewpoint is why so many people that actually have to manage budgets, support conservative politics. Those who routinely over-spend their means support liberal politics.

      Conservatives believe in destroying revenue sources, and then spending all the money they don't have on the military. Over the last few decades, the highest deficits have been with Republican presidents, and the last time we had a budget surplus was during Clinton's presidency. Conservatives might run the government like they do businesses, so it should come as no surprise that Donald Trump's corporations have filed for bankruptcy four times.

      look at the policies of Minnesota, and specifically how Minnesota has fared economically since Dayton became governor, compared to how Wisconsin has done since Walker came

      As Paul Tosto notes in his article at NPR news, "Essentially, Minnesota has an advantage over Wisconsin in key growth sectors — education, health services and professional and business services. (Those sectors have also driven U.S. job growth, as the Wall Street Journal reported recently.) Wisconsin has a bigger stake in manufacturing, which has been in steady decline for years as a jobs creator. The Great Recession accelerated those changes and Minnesota benefited.".

      Hence, liberalism has nothing to do with Minnesota's economic success.

      Investing in education and health services is a liberal policy. Also, Scott Walker's "open for business" tea party policies were supposed to attract large corporations and therefore result in job growth. This hasn't happened. Meanwhile, a focus on investing in education in Minnesota (not a major source of jobs itself - you can only have so many professors) has resulted in a well-educated workforce that big companies see as more valuable than rock-bottom tax rates. So yes, liberalism has had a positive effect on Minnesota's economy while conservatism has only hindered Wisconsin's.

    41. Re:I'm surprised by argStyopa · · Score: 1

      Extending ridiculous social programs and benefits to everyone with a pulse, regardless of your country's actual wealth, income, or budget is a decidedly Liberal thing to do. Your point?

      --
      -Styopa
    42. Re:I'm surprised by argStyopa · · Score: 1

      If you think Chicago pols are just 'coincidentally' Democrats, please, give us an example of an equally fucked-up city plagues by crony politics inhabited forever by Republicans. I'm sure there must be one, right?
      Let's just grab the 10 poorest cities in the US:
      Detroit, MI (1st on the poverty rate list) no Republican mayor for 54 years.
      Buffalo, NY (2nd) no Republican mayor for 65 years.
      Cincinnati, OH (3rd)...31 years
      Cleveland, OH (4th)...26 years;
      Miami, FL (5th) Never had a Republican mayor
      St. Louis, MO (6th) ...66 years
      El Paso, TX (7th) Never had a Republican mayor
      Milwaukee, WI (8th) ...107 years
      Philadelphia, PA (9th) ...63 years
      Newark, NJ (10th) ...108 years.

      All just coincidence, I'm sure.

      Re MN: Median household income in MN is nearly 20% higher than WI.
      So one COULD interpret that difference as "in MN the rich get richer". Is that what we want?

      --
      -Styopa
  4. Opus is like Jesus by frovingslosh · · Score: 0

    Given that the last strip ended with Opus being put down at the animal "shelter" and Berkley making some very definite statements about this being the end of Opus and how we should all know that he wasn't coming back, it is interesting to see that Opus is back from the dead. Like a religion I guess we are expected to overlook the details.

    Good to think that it might be coming back though.

    --
    I'm an American. I love this country and the freedoms that we used to have.
    1. Re:Opus is like Jesus by Oliver+Wendell+Jones · · Score: 3, Funny

      He just awoke from a 25 year nap - everything since the last Bloom County strip could have been just a bad dream...

      --
      A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing -- Emo Phillips
    2. Re:Opus is like Jesus by frovingslosh · · Score: 1

      Hard to understand how Opus could have gone to sleep 25 years ago and then dreamed about Sarah Palin 7 years ago.

      --
      I'm an American. I love this country and the freedoms that we used to have.
    3. Re:Opus is like Jesus by oh_my_080980980 · · Score: 2

      Because things can't seep into your sub conscious? Wow it's a freakin' comic strip....

  5. It pissed off the Republicans by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    That is why it was destroyed. They control nearly every aspect of our lives. You can't fight them.

    1. Re:It pissed off the Republicans by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      That can't be true or you would be medicated and receiving the help you need.

    2. Re:It pissed off the Republicans by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Reagan threw him out on the streets.

  6. LOLWUT by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Don't think so http://herocomplex.latimes.com...

  7. thank you for the news by rewindustry · · Score: 0

    i wish i still had mod points, i would vote this the most important news of the decade.

    amongst other items, i do admit..

    also desperately need the words to "eighty three blues", as written/performed by milo, as my cover arrangement is proving quite popular.

    please be well, bb, sir, and thank you very much indeed for doing what you do so well.

  8. Ack! by jfdavis668 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Pear Pimples for Hairy Fishnuts!

    1. Re:Ack! by oh_my_080980980 · · Score: 1

      LMOL!

    2. Re:Ack! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Presidential Campaign Slogan of the Meadow Party: "Money Talks."

    3. Re:Ack! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just cough up some dough, Mac!

  9. Should have left the crypt unopened by mykepredko · · Score: 1, Interesting

    I *loved* Bloom County and read it from when I first discovered it in 1982 while I was in university. It was funny, relevant and smart.

    It continued to be right up until Mr. Breathed ended the strip. But it ended, I've (and I think most people have) moved on and, now that it's 25 years later, Mr. Breathed should be looking at new avenues for his considerable talents.

    Now, having said that, the example panel is pretty vintage but I still think it's time for Mr. Breathed (and us) to move on.

    --
    Mimetics Inc. Twitter
    1. Re:Should have left the crypt unopened by PsychoSlashDot · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I *loved* Bloom County and read it from when I first discovered it in 1982 while I was in university. It was funny, relevant and smart.

      It continued to be right up until Mr. Breathed ended the strip. But it ended, I've (and I think most people have) moved on and, now that it's 25 years later, Mr. Breathed should be looking at new avenues for his considerable talents.

      Now, having said that, the example panel is pretty vintage but I still think it's time for Mr. Breathed (and us) to move on.

      It's traditional to include some sort of reason for your opinions so people can debate and discuss them. You've said what you think, but not why you think it, or even why you think you think it.

      --
      "Oh no... he found the .sig setting."
    2. Re:Should have left the crypt unopened by bhhenry · · Score: 1

      ... I still think it's time for Mr. Breathed (and us) to move on.

      See ya later, then ... I'll be here reading the new strips.

      --
      signature not found
    3. Re:Should have left the crypt unopened by JWW · · Score: 4, Funny

      Me too.

      Damn. I think he's still got it. Haven't laughed that loud at a comic strip in a long time.

      "suds" "nuns" .... priceless.

    4. Re:Should have left the crypt unopened by TapeCutter · · Score: 2

      The far side was hilarious and works wherever the English language is spoken, Bloom county has never made me chuckle, I find the points it makes obvious rather than clever. Perhaps it is cultural, after all Bloom County is squarely aimed at an American audience.

      --
      And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
    5. Re:Should have left the crypt unopened by Boronx · · Score: 2

      If you live in the shit, it is sometimes hard to see it.

      --
      Play Command HQ online
    6. Re:Should have left the crypt unopened by oh_my_080980980 · · Score: 1

      Tell that to the Rolling Stones and Hollywood that wants to regurgitate every movie they've made.....

    7. Re:Should have left the crypt unopened by mykepredko · · Score: 1

      Good point. Can I say simply that I believe that once something is over, it should stay that way?

      --
      Mimetics Inc. Twitter
    8. Re:Should have left the crypt unopened by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The rest of us didn't realize that he was drawing the strip for _you_. We thought maybe it had something to do with creating a new generation of fans.

    9. Re:Should have left the crypt unopened by PsychoSlashDot · · Score: 1

      Good point. Can I say simply that I believe that once something is over, it should stay that way?

      You can, you have, and I respect and thank you for it.

      Now comes the discussion and debate. I'd counter by pointing out meals are an excellent thing to revisit once they're over. To never order pizza again because the first box is emptied is a sad, sad thing. I'd point at orgasms as another excellent thing to strive towards recreating as soon as one is done.

      All I'm saying is that there are exceptions to your guideline. Some artistic works shouldn't see sequels, remakes, or revivals. I think we can all name movies, books, TV shows, and even songs where things should've ended. But then there's... oh, say Pink Floyd's last album, released in November. First in 20 years, and it's mostly ambient snippets and sounds. But I'll tell you, while it's nothing like The Wall or any of their other major works, it's absolutely like getting one last hug from a beloved one you thought you'd never see again.

      Some things are better because they were paused instead of carried on. That's why orgasms are better than the Simpsons.

      --
      "Oh no... he found the .sig setting."
  10. Wow ...old story .... by i_want_you_to_throw_ · · Score: 0

    Did you know Kennedy's been shot?

    1. Re:Wow ...old story .... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Again? Recently? In the last week? Do tell!

    2. Re:Wow ...old story .... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Dang, she was my favorite VJ in the '90s!

  11. Magnificent by Beeftopia · · Score: 1

    I read Bloom County throughout the eighties. It was a brilliantly funny comic, nothing like Doonesbury which was highly political. Yes, Breathed obliquely dealt with political issues ("caucus raucous!") but in an evenhanded fashion, which was unusual for back then. I'm amazed Breathed is bringing this back. I'm really looking forward to it and hope he has a long and humorous run.

  12. Bill the Cat by dryeo · · Score: 3, Informative

    Maybe this time Bill the Cat will win the Presidency. It would be an improvement compared to all the current candidates.

    --
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_totalitarianism
    1. Re:Bill the Cat by Areyoukiddingme · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Maybe this time Bill the Cat will win the Presidency. It would be an improvement compared to all the current candidates.

      Probably Bill the Cat with Donald Trump's brain in his head will win.

      I figure the Trump campaign is the reason Bloom County is coming back. So much new material, for free.

  13. It's about damn time! by maz2331 · · Score: 1

    What took him so long?

  14. Breaking news from last week by Overzeetop · · Score: 1

    This happened, what - a week or two ago? It's been so long since I saw the story and first new strip I'd forgotten it was even a thing.

    I'm glad they're back, but this whole "Slashdot is even faster than the Pony Express bringing California Headlines to New York" isn't going to win them any contests.

    --
    Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
    1. Re:Breaking news from last week by cold+fjord · · Score: 1

      If you've already forgotten then you should be celebrating since it's news to you.

      Did I miss your story?

      --
      much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot - George Orwell
  15. PC humor police by McShoggoth · · Score: 0

    I like how he thinks his Facebook posts are safe from the PC humor police. You are in for a rude awakening if you ever test that theory, Mr. Breathed. The humor police at the newspaper syndicates might prevent your strip from being run, but they won't dox you and try to ruin your life because they're too stupid to realize they don't have a right to not be offended.

  16. I would pay for the strips by NitroWolf · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This is one of the few strip I would pay to access. While I wouldn't be paying to access the strip itself, I would be paying to support Breathed and to encourage him to continue the strip. I can't really think of many other comic strips, modern or otherwise that I would do this for.

  17. He Lives He Lives by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Opus Lives.

    And dancing over the graves of George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, and "The Donald" Donald Rumsfeld and many more.

    3 3 3

    Ha ha.

  18. Meanwhile.... by Rick+Zeman · · Score: 2

    ...Bill Watterson says, "Self...I still have my integrity."

    1. Re:Meanwhile.... by hondo77 · · Score: 2

      How exactly is Breathed starting up Bloom County again and posting the strips for free on his Facebook page damaging his integrity?

      --
      I live ze unknown. I love ze unknown. I am ze unknown.
  19. Welcome back, I guess... by Tolvor · · Score: 0

    I loved Bloom County in the 80s. I was sad to see the strip stop. However I moved on and now there are a ton of quality comics to take its place. Do you want sharp, pointed humor? Try Non-Sequiter (ex http://www.gocomics.com/nonseq...). There is xkcd.com, userfriendly.org (yeah, I know the comic is semi-mostly-retired), and PhD (Piled Higher and Deeper) http://phdcomics.com/comics.ph....

    I'm sorry Bloom County, you were great in the 80s but now it is the 2010s. It might be interesting to read the new strips for the nostalgia factor but that would be about it. After a certain period of time you realize it is time to move on. (Big pointed hint to George R R Martin and his over-delayed next book in the Game of Thrones series)

    1. Re:Welcome back, I guess... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm still waiting for you list quality comics.

  20. Opus wakes up ... by PPH · · Score: 1

    ... after 25 years. Berkeley Breathed's first decision is whether or not to syndicate his new work in newspapers. Opus isn't the only one who has been asleep for 25 years.

    Hey Berkeley. Remember hearing about that thing called ARPANET?

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
  21. Gary Larson by sycodon · · Score: 1

    I'd rather the Far Side came back.

    "Sarcasm" is synonymous with Preachy and condescending.

    --
    When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
  22. Berkeley Breathed by ChrisMaple · · Score: 0

    Unfortunately.

    --
    Contribute to civilization: ari.aynrand.org/donate
  23. I look forward to this by axl917 · · Score: 1

    I was ~10 in the mid-80s, remember reading Bloom County every Sunday in the Boston Globe. I didn't get half of what it was about at the time, like why arming a bassalope with a warhead was funny, why Ed Meese didn't want them to say "snugglebunnies!", why Steve sued the camera company when Sean Penn broke his back, or why the gang wanted to visit a "wild, spunky, chunky planet of Mary Lou Retton clones". But things gradually made sense, from reading top looking up things to listening to one of the Big 3 news anchors talk about current events.

    Things really started to click when the PMRC hearings staerted up, as I was just beginning to take an interest in music at the time, and the whole Deathtongue --> Billy and the Boingers thing was amazing.

    I've always felt that Breathed would come back (and he has come back at times, with "Outland" and "Opus") when he has something fresh to say. Maybe in a world of constant news and constant parody of the news...and a blurry line in between...a 2015 Bloom County won't be quite as subversive or unique as it once was, but I trust that the author wouldn't come back unless he had good material to come back with.

  24. Not hacked by Oliver Wendell Jones by NulDevice · · Score: 1

    In the immortal words of Mikhail Gorbachev and Pravda:
    "SLASHDOT SINGS TRACTORS! TURNIPS! BUTTOCKS!"

    --

    ----
    "I used to listen to Null Device before they sold out."

  25. Call me when Calvin and Hobbes comes back by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'll be waiting by the phone. Just ring me when it happens.

    1. Re:Call me when Calvin and Hobbes comes back by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      **RING**
      Calvin: "Hello?"
      Caller: "Hello! May I speak to your father?"
      Calvin: "Of course. You don't need MY permission!"
      **CLICK**

  26. Opus played a cow once by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    He had to replace the squashed styrofoam cow in the Christmas play manger scene:

    http://www.gocomics.com/bloomcounty/1982/12/22

  27. We need more satire by patella.whack · · Score: 1

    It seems to me that the timing of Bloom County's return could be very interesting if attracts some sustained attention. With the departure of Jon Stewart, I would imagine that this strip could succeed on the level of simple humour, but also occupy some of that 'leftist' media space which will be largely vacant otherwise, even if Stewart's successor does well. Regardless of a person's political leanings, satire is one of the great methods for getting the proletariat to consider things that they might otherwise miss. I, for one, welcome our new honk-nosed overlord!