A Guide to the Berkeley Breathed Cartoon Collection, 1978-1987

Biographical Note

Berkeley Breathed (1957- ) is a cartoonist and children’s book author and illustrator. Breathed’s first comic strip, “Academia Waltz,” debuted in 1978 in the Daily Texan, while he was a student at the University of Texas. In 1980, Breathed was recruited by the Washington Post, and he began publishing “Bloom County,” his best-known comic strip. Breathed won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning in 1987. After retiring “Bloom County” in 1989, he produced the comic strips “Outland” (1989-1995) and “Opus” (2003-2008). Breathed has also written a number of children’s books, including A Wish for Wings That Work (1991) and Edwurd Fudwupper Fibbed Big (2000).

Scope and Contents

Collection consists of a scrapbook containing cartoons by and articles about Berkeley Breathed. The cartoons are primarily from Breathed’s comic strip “Academia Waltz,” but also include special edition cartoons and advertisements from the Daily Texan. Also included is a signed copy of Breathed’s 1979 anthology of “Academia Waltz” cartoons. The scrapbook was compiled by Richard Brasher. Material is arranged in the order in which it was received.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

Unrestricted access.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Berkeley Breathed Cartoon Collection, 1978-1987, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.

Detailed Description of the Papers