# Remember when Bloom County was funny? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 7, 2009, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-bloom-county-was-funny/516661 "2009-11-07T01:07:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-bloom-county-was-funny/516661/1 "2009-11-07T01:07:29Z")
And [when it was more than just Opus](http://www.gocomics.com/bloomcounty/2009/10/19/)? That’s a link to Bloom County hosted on GoComics about from two weeks ago (so you can read forward from there). Not sure how far back is allowed, so if the link fails, try a more recent date in the URL. The original run was in the early- or mid-Eighties, based on the cultural references in subsequent strips. I’d go yell at the kids to get off my lawn, but really, you hardly see kids outside much even in the summer. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-bloom-county-was-funny/516661/2 "2009-11-07T01:53:28Z")
My favorite was always the basselope. Especially when they turned him into a nuclear weapon delivery system. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-bloom-county-was-funny/516661/3 "2009-11-07T02:32:23Z")
I seem to recall an early one featuring Cutter John (the wheelchair-bound Vietnam vet) talking to some clueless teenager who seemed really excited about “The 'Nam!” and asked John if was embittered and wanting to (I think) blow up Fort Hood. Somebody with the books should be able to easily find this. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-bloom-county-was-funny/516661/4 "2009-11-07T02:55:21Z")
Related: One month ago Bloom County The Complete Library went on the market. There will be 5 books that include every cartoon. None of this skipping around stuff the old books did. [Here’s my old thread with a link for anybody interested.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=534722) ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-bloom-county-was-funny/516661/5 "2009-11-07T06:59:05Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I seem to recall an early one featuring Cutter John (the wheelchair-bound Vietnam vet) talking to some clueless teenager who seemed really excited about “The 'Nam!” and asked John if was embittered and wanting to (I think) blow up Fort Hood. Here’s the one published in Bloom County: > [@](#): > > Student: So you’re a “Nam” vet, huh? Wow…I’ve been readin’ about “Nam” in history class…I mean you’re all freaked out, right? > > Student: I mean, I bet you feel like bombing the White House or .. or machine gunning the neighborhood or something! Yeah? > > Student: C’mon! Let it out! I mean… whaddya REALLY feel like doing? > > Cutter John: Walking > > Student: Yeah, but I mean what ELSE, man? In the original comic Academia Waltz back in Texas, the line in the second panel was: > [@](#): > > I mean… I bet you feel like getting back at Nixon or leading protests or blowing up Ft Hood or something, yeah? Good memory you have. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-bloom-county-was-funny/516661/6 "2009-11-07T07:15:14Z")
Well, it takes much training and dedication to recall meaningless pop-culture but not dental appointments. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-bloom-county-was-funny/516661/7 "2009-11-07T16:08:46Z")
Huh. [The Academia Waltz](http://www.gocomics.com/academiawaltz/2009/10/19) is over a GoComics as well. (So is Opus, or whatever the current one is called.) ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-bloom-county-was-funny/516661/8 "2009-11-07T17:26:23Z")
I really did vote for Bill and Opus for US President. The '88 election was decided by late in the day in California. I wrote them in. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-bloom-county-was-funny/516661/9 "2009-11-07T22:54:44Z")
> [@](#): > > (So is Opus, or whatever the current one is called.) Opus is over now, too. I don’t think there is a current one. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-bloom-county-was-funny/516661/10 "2009-11-07T23:51:26Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > My favorite was always the basselope. Especially when they turned him into a nuclear weapon delivery system. Her. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-bloom-county-was-funny/516661/11 "2009-11-07T23:54:07Z")
Anyone remember Luther Henry Puttgrass? He was always my favorite, but a rarity in Bloom County. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-bloom-county-was-funny/516661/12 "2009-11-08T00:09:49Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Opus is over now, too. I don’t think there is a current one. You’re right. I saw Opus in the list, but it’s just the last strip. If you become a premium member, they apparently have them archived. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-bloom-county-was-funny/516661/13 "2009-11-08T00:40:49Z")
> [@Mach Tuck](#): > > Anyone remember Luther Henry Puttgrass? He was always my favorite, but a rarity in Bloom County. A friend of mine used to have the e-mail sig “L.H. Puttgrass signing off and heading for the tub!” I don’t remember his whole rant, but I’m looking forward to reading that one in the new collection that’s being published. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-bloom-county-was-funny/516661/14 "2009-11-08T01:41:44Z")
> [@ZenBeam](#): > > Remember when Bloom County was funny? No, and I was there when the Trib picked it up. It just never clicked for me. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-bloom-county-was-funny/516661/15 "2009-11-08T04:20:39Z")
No. It never, ever was. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-bloom-county-was-funny/516661/16 "2009-11-08T04:29:36Z")
It tried to be wry, but never succeeded, and quickly became boring. “Kathy” was less boring. ---
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-bloom-county-was-funny/516661/17 "2009-11-08T04:54:36Z")
The first two years are now available in a hardcover collection. The next two years I believe come out next year. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-bloom-county-was-funny/516661/18 "2009-11-08T04:58:20Z")
It was funny when it was “The Academia Waltz” and a friend’s mother used to send it as clippings from Texas every month. ---
**Author:** ![AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-bloom-county-was-funny/516661/19 "2009-11-08T05:07:16Z")
> [@](#): > > “Kathy” was less boring Nah…that’s like comparing a Pink Red Sox Hat co-ed to an intelectecual nerd type. Really can’t compare the two ---
**Author:** ![unwashed\_brain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a9adbd/32.png) [@unwashed\_brain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unwashed_brain)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-bloom-county-was-funny/516661/20 "2009-11-09T13:21:03Z")
Contrary to the stoics above, Bloom County (pre-Opus series) was my favorite comic strip. It took special pleasure in the absurd and created a host of flawed but likable characters I followed for years. Thanks to **Harmonious Discord** for posting the link to the unabridged books. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-when-bloom-county-was-funny/516661.md?page=2)