Whether you’re new to Berkeley Breathed’s Pulitzer Prize–winning comic strip or a longtime devotee, this is the perfect opportunity to collect one of the most popular and critically acclaimed newspaper strips of all time.
This September, IDW Publishing will release Bloom County Library: Book One, the first of five editions collecting all the humor and all the characters of the original run of Breathed’s comic strips, published worldwide in over 1,200 newspapers on a daily basis from December 8, 1980 to August 6, 1989. The first volume features the strips from 1980 to 1982, introducing the beloved Opus the Penguin, as well as Bill the Cat, Cutter John, Michael Binkley, Milo Bloom, and Steve Dallas.
“To be ironic, we originally published these collections bound beautifully in kiln-dried housecat hide (natural causes), which was an aromatic mistake. I can’t tell everyone how happy I am that they’re now available in nun leather,” says Breathed, who gave us that quote when asked.
Book One (which in fact will be bound in paper) will contain insightful commentary by Breathed on his quirky creations, with a new introduction for the fall 2022 release. Every strip, from the very first until the last, are presented in chronological order. Fans will never have a better chance to revisit these old friends—or to discover them for the first time.
“Bloom County has, for the past 40 years, been a source of constant joy, and with IDW releasing the Eisner Award-winning complete library as an accessible softcover, we are truly thrilled to be able to introduce these books to a whole new generation of fans, as well as all you longtime true believers,” says Scott Dunbier, IDW’s Director of Special Projects.
The huge popularity of Bloom County spawned a merchandising bonanza, as well as two spin-off strips, Outland and Opus. The first Bloom County paperback collection, Loose Tails, sold over one million copies. Over 25 years after the original run ended in 1989, Bloom County came roaring back in 2015 with new strips to make sense of today’s increasingly nonsensical world. In February, it was announced that Bloom County would be developed as an animated series at Fox, through its animation studio, Bento Box Entertainment, as well as Miramax, Spyglass Media Group, and Project X Entertainment.
