What do you think?
Rate this book
Bloom County: Loose Tails
The words that you are reading here replace a cockamamie publisher's blurb that appeared on the original printing of this tome. It's an acknowledged bit of wisdom that authors all learn at one time or another: Don't let your publisher write the promotional material. Words like "countless millions," "knee-slapping hilarious," and "cult following" are found peppering one's sacred book jacket like pigeon droppings on a statue of the Virgin Mary...which naturally is how I think of my work.
The truth is that the only "cult following" my comic strip had when this book appeared consisted of my mother. Bless her heart, she still reads it daily. She'll hand the funny page to me, point to it, scrunch her eyes together and say, "Honey, what were you trying to say here?" If opus spits watermelon seeds at Milo, she'll say to me, "So this is a sort of comment on the watermelon industry?" So you see, to my publisher and to my mother, I remain a victim of unrealistic expectations.
In the meantime, please accept my apologies for the way Opus is drawn within this volume. I had no experience drawing birds in 1982 and you will notice that his beak tends to randomly shrink or expand. To this day, my mother thinks it symbolically represented the changing fortunes of my bachelor love life. Maybe it did, Mom, and maybe it didn't.
Berke Breathed
August 1987
The truth is that the only "cult following" my comic strip had when this book appeared consisted of my mother. Bless her heart, she still reads it daily. She'll hand the funny page to me, point to it, scrunch her eyes together and say, "Honey, what were you trying to say here?" If opus spits watermelon seeds at Milo, she'll say to me, "So this is a sort of comment on the watermelon industry?" So you see, to my publisher and to my mother, I remain a victim of unrealistic expectations.
In the meantime, please accept my apologies for the way Opus is drawn within this volume. I had no experience drawing birds in 1982 and you will notice that his beak tends to randomly shrink or expand. To this day, my mother thinks it symbolically represented the changing fortunes of my bachelor love life. Maybe it did, Mom, and maybe it didn't.
Berke Breathed
August 1987
148 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
5 people are currently reading
1291 people want to read
About the author
Berkeley Breathed
90 books415 followersGuy Berkeley "Berke" Breathed is an American cartoonist, children's book author/illustrator, director, and screenwriter, best known for Bloom County, a 1980s cartoon-comic strip which dealt with socio-political issues as seen through the eyes of highly exaggerated characters (e.g. Bill the Cat and Opus the Penguin) and humorous analogies.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
September 11, 2017
Can you say "More Bloom County"? Well, this is yet another excellent collection from one of America's greatest political cartoon satirists!
September 7, 2022
Almost forty years ago, my favorite cartoon (Doonsebury) went on sabbatical. The local paper filled its spot with an odd and original new comic — Bloom County. Bloom County Loose Tales records those earliest comics where we all first met its local denizens — precocious Milo, clueless Binkley, sleazy Steve Dallas, cool Cutter John, along with a bevy of talking animals and a clutch of small town curmudgeons. And of course Opus, the talking penguin who became the heart of Bloom County. Opus made his first appearance here as Binkley’s new pet, much to his dad’s chagrin.
Binkley: “A boy and his penguin!”
Opus: A penguin and his boy!
Binkley’s Dad: Two dips and a Dad.
Bloom County was a fresh take on cartooning. It gave its oddball main crew a cosmopolitan, wise-ass sensibility to contrast with their small town setting. Milo edits the local paper and torments politicians. Binkley frustrates his red-neck dad with his sensitivity. They protest nuclear war at the local college. The contrast of our heroes and their setting powers much of the humor.
These earliest strips give a look back at the characters before their look was finally formed. Some, like Binkley changed considerably as the strip progressed. Opus changed almost weekly at this point. It’s fun to look back and see the Genesis of this now classic and beloved comic.
Binkley: “A boy and his penguin!”
Opus: A penguin and his boy!
Binkley’s Dad: Two dips and a Dad.
Bloom County was a fresh take on cartooning. It gave its oddball main crew a cosmopolitan, wise-ass sensibility to contrast with their small town setting. Milo edits the local paper and torments politicians. Binkley frustrates his red-neck dad with his sensitivity. They protest nuclear war at the local college. The contrast of our heroes and their setting powers much of the humor.
These earliest strips give a look back at the characters before their look was finally formed. Some, like Binkley changed considerably as the strip progressed. Opus changed almost weekly at this point. It’s fun to look back and see the Genesis of this now classic and beloved comic.
June 7, 2015
I was sifting through some old boxes of books and I came across my entire Bloom County collection. Shit, I thought, flipping through it, this has held up well. Half an hour later I'd devoured the entire book and found myself, wringing piss out of my pants, slinging it at my children.
What kid growing up in the 80s with even an iota of an inkling of the American political scene didn't read this just outstanding, just fucking hilarious newspaper strip? It's frankly astonishing how funny most of these strips still are. And relevant. The kids and animals of Bloom County and Milo's Meadow take on right-wingers, evangelists, oil companies and make a mockery of their local yokels and Republican politicians.
This is crucially poignant shit. It's rare that I laugh out loud at anything even remotely resembling political farce, but damn if this wasn't The Daily Show in four-panel B&W when Jon Stewart was still kicking around at William and Mary.
What kid growing up in the 80s with even an iota of an inkling of the American political scene didn't read this just outstanding, just fucking hilarious newspaper strip? It's frankly astonishing how funny most of these strips still are. And relevant. The kids and animals of Bloom County and Milo's Meadow take on right-wingers, evangelists, oil companies and make a mockery of their local yokels and Republican politicians.
This is crucially poignant shit. It's rare that I laugh out loud at anything even remotely resembling political farce, but damn if this wasn't The Daily Show in four-panel B&W when Jon Stewart was still kicking around at William and Mary.
November 28, 2020
Bill the Cat makes his first introduction here - who knew he could talk?! Apparently he's opted not to since this one, preferring instead to communicate through ACK'S and PFFFTS. Probably hard drugs.
Bloom County was, and is, one of my favourite comics from the newspaper. I'm SO glad he's out of retirement!
Bloom County was, and is, one of my favourite comics from the newspaper. I'm SO glad he's out of retirement!
May 29, 2015
I ran across a whole pile of Bloom County books at my library book sale. They were too much to resist.
This is the first Bloom County compendium, so the art is rough and the characters fairly superficial. They're consistently depicted, though they seem to be trying on several roles and settings.
The strips hold up surprisingly well. They're a product of their time, with very dated references most readers would have to look up on Wikipedia. The only reason I didn't was because I (vaguely) remember reading these strips when they were first published in syndication.
For all its young protagonists and talking animals, it's clear this strip was not written for young me. The majority of the humor is based on a nuanced understanding of politics, ideology, and the media. The biting satire is lost with no context.
What struck me most, reading through this collection, was how little has changed since the 1980's. The faces are all different, but the media was just as reactionary, politics just as divisive and focused on wedge issues, and the closed-minded had their forums to spread hate. It's a good reminder that, though I remember my childhood as a simpler time, that was only because I didn't understand enough of what was going on around me. We've taken steps forward since then, but the attitudes remain much the same.
Revisiting this collection 30 years after its publication was an eye-opening experience. I'm looking forward to what else I might find out, revisiting the other collections I picked up.
This is the first Bloom County compendium, so the art is rough and the characters fairly superficial. They're consistently depicted, though they seem to be trying on several roles and settings.
The strips hold up surprisingly well. They're a product of their time, with very dated references most readers would have to look up on Wikipedia. The only reason I didn't was because I (vaguely) remember reading these strips when they were first published in syndication.
For all its young protagonists and talking animals, it's clear this strip was not written for young me. The majority of the humor is based on a nuanced understanding of politics, ideology, and the media. The biting satire is lost with no context.
What struck me most, reading through this collection, was how little has changed since the 1980's. The faces are all different, but the media was just as reactionary, politics just as divisive and focused on wedge issues, and the closed-minded had their forums to spread hate. It's a good reminder that, though I remember my childhood as a simpler time, that was only because I didn't understand enough of what was going on around me. We've taken steps forward since then, but the attitudes remain much the same.
Revisiting this collection 30 years after its publication was an eye-opening experience. I'm looking forward to what else I might find out, revisiting the other collections I picked up.
January 3, 2011
My Rating: 6/10
I found this at Ducky Waddle's Emporium in Encinitas, CA. (A fantastic store just north of San Diego!) I have always had a soft spot for Bloom County, having enjoyed it in my youth.
This is a very early collection, and this fact is evident in both the art and the development of the characters. It is still enjoyable Bloom County material, just not as refined as the later strips. I don't know if I could get into the dated 80's humor if I'd never seen the strip before, but I really enjoyed it as a nostalgic trip.
I found this at Ducky Waddle's Emporium in Encinitas, CA. (A fantastic store just north of San Diego!) I have always had a soft spot for Bloom County, having enjoyed it in my youth.
This is a very early collection, and this fact is evident in both the art and the development of the characters. It is still enjoyable Bloom County material, just not as refined as the later strips. I don't know if I could get into the dated 80's humor if I'd never seen the strip before, but I really enjoyed it as a nostalgic trip.
December 4, 2012
I was always a big fan of Bloom County and I remember looking forward to the Sunday comics in the newspaper so I could read about the exploits of Opus and Milo and Bill the Cat.
I received this book as a present and I really liked it. I'm sure I read it numerous times. The illustrations are great and the humor is wickedly funny (or as I'm sure I would've said back then, 'wicked funny.')
I will have to see if I can find this book somewhere in my shelves. I bet our girls would love it, too.
I received this book as a present and I really liked it. I'm sure I read it numerous times. The illustrations are great and the humor is wickedly funny (or as I'm sure I would've said back then, 'wicked funny.')
I will have to see if I can find this book somewhere in my shelves. I bet our girls would love it, too.
February 11, 2010
I really liked Breathed's Bloom County books when I was in my early teens, especially the manic energy that suffused the books (it sounds like that is how he produced them too). But after surviving the 80s and reading the great Doonesbury, I find that there's not much to ground these strips for me and as a result the humour has sort of evaporated. Who knows, maybe in another twenty years something will regrow for me, like George Herriman's desert dream-scape for Krazy Kat.
June 25, 2014
I love Bloome County.
November 22, 2019
Most of the strips are lack luster, but every now and then one appears that is relevant today. I’m amazed by these few strips how little has changed.
You think the internet has rendered everyone oversensitive? One strip here suggests it has been a problem for decades, long before the internet was publicly available.
Swing issues haven’t changed much in 40 years either, suggesting little has changed (and possibly will not change).
There was one strip with a conservative going “liberal hunting,” which would likely cause a stir today, so I guess perhaps we have grown more sensitive as a culture.
Anyway . . .
As I read on there were more relevant strips, and the ones where the journalist spins interview responses to defame a senator are funny.
There’s a running gag with a traditional male pig and a modern woman threaded throughout the strips as well. That dynamic was pretty fun to read.
Overall I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to pick this up, but since it was given to me and was a quick read, I figured fuck it. And for a “fuck it” read, it was pretty good.
You think the internet has rendered everyone oversensitive? One strip here suggests it has been a problem for decades, long before the internet was publicly available.
Swing issues haven’t changed much in 40 years either, suggesting little has changed (and possibly will not change).
There was one strip with a conservative going “liberal hunting,” which would likely cause a stir today, so I guess perhaps we have grown more sensitive as a culture.
Anyway . . .
As I read on there were more relevant strips, and the ones where the journalist spins interview responses to defame a senator are funny.
There’s a running gag with a traditional male pig and a modern woman threaded throughout the strips as well. That dynamic was pretty fun to read.
Overall I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to pick this up, but since it was given to me and was a quick read, I figured fuck it. And for a “fuck it” read, it was pretty good.
August 27, 2016
I read Bloom County faithfully through the Eighties. I love all of the characters because they mesh together so well. In my mind, there were only three great comic strips of the Eighties: Calvin and Hobbes, the Far Side, and Bloom County. All three of these really made me laugh.
I really loved opening the newspaper every day and reading these three. Bloom County was always the more political of the three, but not political enough to drive me away from the comic. In fact, it takes politics and makes fun of the government and support of the environment.
Some of the characters that appear in this book disappear from the strip later, like Bobbi and Cutter John, but they helped pioneer the humor that made this comic strip a classic.
So, if you want to step back in time a little, and be entertained, pick of Loose Tails, the first Bloom County book.
I really loved opening the newspaper every day and reading these three. Bloom County was always the more political of the three, but not political enough to drive me away from the comic. In fact, it takes politics and makes fun of the government and support of the environment.
Some of the characters that appear in this book disappear from the strip later, like Bobbi and Cutter John, but they helped pioneer the humor that made this comic strip a classic.
So, if you want to step back in time a little, and be entertained, pick of Loose Tails, the first Bloom County book.
February 15, 2014
Amazing how everything that comes up in this book, though just to be a statement of the time, is still really relevant.
Its crazy, reread it and you can find all the ways that the book complains about modern life.
Some things don't age well. This is both classic and timely.
If you haven't looked at and are a fan of Bloom County and I have not tempted you. Let me wave this piece of cod in front of your penguin beak.
There is an early version of Bill the cat that doesn't have his bulbous eyes within these pages.
If you don't believe that's possible. Then come look and see.
Its crazy, reread it and you can find all the ways that the book complains about modern life.
Some things don't age well. This is both classic and timely.
If you haven't looked at and are a fan of Bloom County and I have not tempted you. Let me wave this piece of cod in front of your penguin beak.
There is an early version of Bill the cat that doesn't have his bulbous eyes within these pages.
If you don't believe that's possible. Then come look and see.
August 31, 2008
What can I say? It was love at first sight when I saw Opus!
No--I won't be reviewing or commenting on all of the Bloom County books I own and have read dozens of times. (No need to thank me. LOL!) But I'm added them in anyway. Because I love his character as much now as I did when it first came out.
Opus has grown and changed along with me over the years. But I've never forgotten my first love.
No--I won't be reviewing or commenting on all of the Bloom County books I own and have read dozens of times. (No need to thank me. LOL!) But I'm added them in anyway. Because I love his character as much now as I did when it first came out.
Opus has grown and changed along with me over the years. But I've never forgotten my first love.
Read
October 19, 2010With an introduction by 'Steve Dallas'. The only Bloom County collection I have. I don't know if this has some of the classic strips. The only one I've marked is the 'no news today' one. I'll check back later after I've reread it.
Yeah, there're a few more. But this was evidently from before Oliver Wendell Jones joined the strip--and that little hacker was the source of many of the best strips.
Yeah, there're a few more. But this was evidently from before Oliver Wendell Jones joined the strip--and that little hacker was the source of many of the best strips.
January 25, 2018
"Bill slept on a tree-shredder wrong..."
"My eyes are so curly and my hair is so blue..."
The two joke punchlines I remember laughing at, memorable all this time later as they were the only ones I laughed at.
Maybe I was too young, maybe it's not very good, maybe I just didn't get it, but I just thought this cartoon was just odd. Bill was the Kramer that offered hope of random wackiness, but his antics aside, the comics just left me cold... and vaguely uncomfortable.
"My eyes are so curly and my hair is so blue..."
The two joke punchlines I remember laughing at, memorable all this time later as they were the only ones I laughed at.
Maybe I was too young, maybe it's not very good, maybe I just didn't get it, but I just thought this cartoon was just odd. Bill was the Kramer that offered hope of random wackiness, but his antics aside, the comics just left me cold... and vaguely uncomfortable.
May 9, 2016
The 80's produced three of the greatest syndicated comics of all time: Bloom County, Calvin & Hobbes, and The Far Side. Berkeley Breathed's Bloom County is one of the few strips that makes me laugh out loud, or can make me laugh by thinking about it.
Known for it's hilarious writing and masterful, energetic drawings, Bloom County was an inspiration for many of today's top cartoonists.
You can' go wrong with any Bloom County book. Highly recommended!
Known for it's hilarious writing and masterful, energetic drawings, Bloom County was an inspiration for many of today's top cartoonists.
You can' go wrong with any Bloom County book. Highly recommended!
August 25, 2008
My first introduction to the funniest comic strip ever. Picked this up on a cross-country train ride with my mother when I was 16, and found myself laughing my butt off from D.C to Denver. I still find myself quoting Bloom County on occasion.
October 31, 2014
In a nutshell, an imaginative cartoonist figures out what works and baffles the less erudite readers along the way. I love rereading collections, like this, that show the evolution of characters as the cartoonist finds his footing.
July 25, 2015
Along with Doonesbury, this is one of my favorite comics (political commentary?) I was aghast when Breathed choose to leave and I look forward to each days 'new' strip now that he's come back. ONly time will tell if he retains the sharp pen that skewered so many ideologies (both right and left.)
December 17, 2008
Love Bloom County. Probably my favorite comic strip of the last 30 years.
June 15, 2009
My most favorite comic strip of the 1980's, unmatched by anything that has come after it. Yes, I have a stuffed Opus. ;D
June 29, 2009
How we survived the 80's - Bloom County! Still wonderfully funny.
August 27, 2009
The first in a series of comic collections about the inhabitants of the eponymous county.
April 21, 2010
Just funny stuff.I had this years ago,don't know where it went.Glad to have found it.
November 25, 2010
i do not know why but i have always loved these comics, opus, milo, binkley and of course bill the cat. as a grown up i have to say i appreciate steve dallas a lot more
December 29, 2010
It doesn't get any better than Steve Dallas.
May 6, 2011
I really like the early Bloom Country comics!
August 28, 2012
Berk Breathead should be read backwards. It started out funny and innocent and morphed from being about Opus to more of a Bill the Cat kind of thing.
February 7, 2014
I read this in the 80's and just recently reread it. It was a fun as I had remembered.
February 17, 2014
My first of many Bloom County books. This one will always have a special place in my heart.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews