Just announced from IDW:a five volume hardcover collection of Berke Breathed’s 80s strip as part of IDW’s Library Of American Comics imprint.
From the press release:
(San Diego, February 6, 2009) IDW Publishing is pleased to announce the forthcoming release of The Bloom County Library. Beginning in October 2009, each of the five volumes will collect nearly two years worth of daily and Sunday strips, in chronological order. This will be the very first time that many of these comic strips have been collected, and the first time in a beautifully designed, hardcover format. The books will be part of IDW’s Library of American Comics imprint, and designed by Eisner Award-winner Dean Mullaney.
“Fans have pestered me for years,” said Berkeley Breathed, “for this ultimate Bloom County collection in that polite, respectful badgering way that only fans can manage. Thank God I can now tell them something better than just ‘please remove your tent from my lawn.’ I can say, ‘It’s coming!”
Berkeley Breathed’s Bloom County is one of the most popular and critically acclaimed newspaper strips of modern times. Premiering on December 8th, 1980 — a month after the election of Ronald Reagan as President — the strip brought to the comics pages a unique amalgam of contemporary politics and fantasy, all told with hilarious humor and wit.
I remember Bloom County well and it’s a welcome addition to the other great archive funny strips (Calvin & Hobbes, Peanuts, Far Side). But the important question is: How are they going to get the Billy & The Boingers flexi-disc in there? (Update – this is why I love the Internet: Billy and the Boingers have a MySpace – hadn’t heard the songs in years! Oh, the memories.)
Breathed has spent the last few years finishing his Opus Sunday strip and now is devoting himself to his children’s books.
Bloom County – Wikipedia.
Berke Breathed – Official Site.
Sun, Feb 8, 2009
Comics and cartoons, News