Because I like my first post of the week to be a big old downer, I must report the sad news that tremendous cartoonist Berkeley Breathed (of Bloom County, Outland, and Opus fame) is being forced to retire effective November 2 due to spasmodic torticollis, which is “an incredibly traumatizing, painful disorder that causes the neck to violently turn in all directions.”

The A.V. Club reported the sadness, and links to an email Breathed wrote to the Los Angeles Times, in which he says,

30 years of cartooning to end. I’m destroying the village to save it. Opus would inevitably become a ranting mouthpiece in the coming wicked days, and I respect the other parts of him too much to see that happen. The Michael Moore part of me would kill the part of him that was important to his fans.

Even though I was actually too young for Bloom County when it ran (it ended when I was six), when I discovered the strip in book form I fell in love with it. The characters are all wonderful, the jokes hilarious, and the social relevance always there.   Between Breathed and Bill Watterson, I spent many many many unregretted hours reading and rereading comic strips.   And, it helped me learn all I needed to know about 1980’s politics.

So this really is sad news.   Breathed will retire his current strip, Opus, and head to greener pastures.   But Breathed is putting a positive spin on all of this: being a commited vegetarian and animal rights activist (he wrote about three weeks worth of strips back in the 80’s about Mary Kay’s animal testing), Breathed is having a contest to decide where Opus is going, with the winner receiving “a $10,000 donation to the dog and cat shelter of your choosing.”

So takepart and read through the Opus archives, and then takepart to enter the contest to win money for your favorite animal shelter.   And go find yourself a Bloom County book to read.   I promise it’s worth it.