Sunday, November 2, 2008

Goodnight Opus

After almost thirty years, the beloved penguin has been given his final resting place.

Citing many things, including an ugly social and political climate, Berkeley Breathed has sent Opus to his "paradise". In the words of the shelter worker that delivers the news to Steve Dallas, "A good place. Warm. Safe."

I can assure you, there isn't any place warmer or safer.

That's probably why there hasn't been a dry eye in our house all day. Opus' final resting place guarantees his innocence will never be lost and has managed to touch us deeply. Berkeley himself has been quoted as saying:

"As I drew him finally at the very end, I knew that that was the end — [Opus'] childhood was gone. ... It took me a few minutes. I had to pull myself back together again and face the fire."

You can find the final strip here and the very final frame here.

May you always run nekked through the bluebells saying "thhhhhppppttttthhh!". May your dandelion patch always be in bloom.

Goodbye Blubberbutt.

We're gonna miss you.

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