Oh, I dunno. Some of the Bush strips have an entirely new relevance today…
Robin
I don’t have that book so it couldn’t have been in there. I think “Tales too Ticklish to Tell” is the correct one.
Yes it was Tales too ticklish to tell with the cover picture of Bush subbing for Gary Hart holding a bikini clad Opus. Night of the Mary Kay Commandoes had the smellotoon. It was hilarious in that it was set up to help crazy people who talk to themselves behind the local 7-11. Opus shows us how to use the item and due to the wonderful smellotoon ends up behind the local 7-11 gibbering to himself.
I love that comic strip.
Highlights:
Opus trying to Smoke
Anatomy of a scandal :Bill is outted as a bible reading upright citizen during the height of Boinger mania.
the 1988 election (Opus is branded a liberal)
The attack of the Zigort death ship (“Are human’s white meat or dark meat?”… OWJ: “There is no need for racial epitaths Cincinatti!”)
The distilled Dandelion juice fiasco
Bill’s illegal scalp tonic
Oral Bill’s crusade/Penguin Lust
“T’aint corn its dope!”
The live loaf vigillante
Etc…
Sure quite a few jokes were topical but if you knew the politics man they were clever… Messe Shmeese!
I remember being amazed at the actual likeness to Nancy Reagan he achieved with a picture of her hanging from a White House wall in one strip.
Apparently Ronnie like it as well and later asked Berke if he could buy the original sketch. He caught Berke in the shower and Berke later told Bill Watterson he’d wished he’d said "Mr. President, I’m not wearing any pants.
Watterson later put that scene in a Calvin and Hobbes strip with Reagan replying: “That’s quite a coincidence, Berke.”
I still have an old Bloom County T shirt, with Cutter John, Opus, Bill, HodgePodge (I think), and Portnoy riding the Starship Enterpoop.
AHEAD WARP ZILLION!!!
It was my dad’s but he gave it to me. My personal favorite was Rosebud the Basselope.
sigh
Starchair Enterpoop. 
Remember Lola Granola? And Steve Dallas’s personality change?
Mrs. Dallas: “Look at the colored children playing outside…”
Steve: “People of color, Mom.”
Mrs. Dallas: “That’s what I said. Colored children.”
Hehehe…Breathed really did wield a wide-spectrum skewer. Left, Right, center, politically-correct, military. I was too young to vote when Bloom County ended, but I so wanted to be able to vote Meadow Party…
For what it’s worth, that was a colored-in photograph. Artiste extraordinaire though he is, Berke Breathed did not draw that picture.
Balloon, meet thy pin.
Which Calvin & Hobbes strip is that?
And where can I see a copy of the “Offensensitivity” strip? It’s slipped my mind completely.
I have long held the theory that Michael Fry from Committed is Berke Breathed.
I find the drawing style to be the same (today’s is a bad example), I have looked at the hand writing and find it to be close and even see a similar since of humor - although the topic is vastly different.
A great visual:
Cutter John is meeting Bobbie’s mother. The old lady sits there holding her tea cup & saucer in a dainty fashion while staring at John.
John says, “Boo!” and the woman slings her cup and saucer across the room.
Wow - I see what you mean! I have not read enough to see if the humour is the same, but some of the drawing is very similar - see the cartoon of 20th July for a good example. I suspect Fry is just influenced by Breathed though…
I have 2 stuffed Opuses, one of which is quite large, and I also have a stuffed Bill. Oh yeah - and ALL the books - Bloom County is probably my favourite comic strip ever, although I have to accept that it has dated somewhat.
Amateurs. Not only do I have I stuffed Opus, but I went as him for Halloween one year, and I designed and folded an origami model of him (even colored properly in antarctic formal attire, if you use paper that’s black on one side).
Amateur yerself.
I own TWO stuffed Opus’, including a reindeer Opus.
I went to college in Iowa City, where Breathed was originally living when he started Bloom County. There are several references to Iowa City landmarks (Prarie Lights Bookstore…the Pentacrest on campus) throughout the series.
When he left, he penned a farewell strip that hangs in the Iowa City Public library. In it, Opus is wishing Iowa City a fond farewell and lamenting the things that he will miss about Iowa City…
“…except the water, it tastes like Spic n Span”
How true, how true.
I thought Big Pig Peaches was a GUY!
:eek:
But the “Seven Big honkies” strip is priceless.
A couple more tidbits… check out (the now defunct) Gloom County site.
Interesting interview here where he admits to cribbing from Gary Trudeau.
I want to see this very badly. Anyone know what book it’s in?
No shit? He always seemed very liberal to me.
If there is a man who can draw a better grotesque, sunburned old person than Ralph Steadman … that man is Berke Breathed.
…and when Binkley’s dad’s nose fell of I damn near pissed myself.
When Sean Penn broke Steve’s back was the best ever!
Nurse: You can’t see the patient yet. The doctor is debriefing him."
Dr to Steve"You will not sue. You will not sue."
Steve in surgery: Wait I can still feel everything!
Doctor: Nurse! Fetch this man a Bud!
Oh my sweet freakin Lord I died laughing that week!
I have a stuffed Opus and a Penguin Lust t-shirt… the tee stays in my trunk to ensure its good memories forever…
And I also have a “Don’t Blame me> I voted for Bill and Opus” Tee… been feeling like if it fit I’d wear it these days…