Born in 1957, Breathed is an American cartoonist, children’s book author & illustrator, screenwriter and animal rights supporter. He is best known for his truly brilliant comic strip “Bloom County”, which ran from 1980 to 1989, and often both cleverly & poignantly exposed or illuminated controversial sociopolitical issues as understood (or not so well understood) by his cast of fanciful characters — most famously Opus, the large-nosed penguin, whose naivete and endless optimism made him a fan favorite.

Breathed first became published when he was hired part-time as an editorial cartoonist for the Austin American-Statesmen, though this job was short-lived, as he was fired after one of his cartoons caused outrage. While seemingly a setback at the time, this dismissal can now be seen as a foreshadow of Breathed becoming one of the great & insightful artistic provocateurs of his generation.

“It’s never too late to have a happy childhood.” ~ Berkeley Breathed

 

 

Filed under: In LOVE with Humanity by Scaughdt