Berkeley Breathed has signed a deal with The Penguin Young Readers imprint, Philomel Books. He plans to create a picture book called The Bill The Cat Story: A Bloom County Epic.
With this project, Breathed will share the origin story for Bill the Cat; this character is part of the cast for Breathed’s beloved Bloom County comic strip. Michael Green, president and publisher of the imprint, will edit the manuscript. The publication date has been set for September 13.
Here’s more from the press release: “The Bill The Cat Story: A Bloom County Epic will be illustrated and presented as a deluxe edition of the legendary comic strip, which made national headlines after returning from a twenty-five year hiatus in July of 2015. The strip is published exclusively on Breathed’s Facebook page, and in mere months has amassed over half a million followers, a testimony to Bloom County’s lasting and dedicated fan base. This new picture book from Breathed will serve as a funny, kid-friendly introduction to Bloom County, while offering adult fans the chance to learn the backstory of one of its most beloved characters.”