Opus the Penguin

Opus T. Penguin
Bloom County, Outland and Opus character
An early Opus appearance in the strip Bloom County (February 14, 1982)
First appearance	June 26, 1981
Created by	Berkeley Breathed
Portrayed by	Michael Bell (A Wish For Wings That Work)
Information
Species	Penguin
Gender	Male
Relatives	Ms. Opus, mother
Nationality	Falkland Islands

Opus the Penguin (Opus T. Penguin) is a fictional character created by artist Berkeley Breathed. Breathed has described him as an "existentialist penguin" and the favorite of his many characters.

Opus has appeared in several of Breathed's creations, most notably his 1980s comic strip Bloom County. Breathed also included Opus in the sequel strip to Bloom County, Outland, and later made him the star of his own self-titled strip.

Opus was originally introduced in June, 1981, as a one-time gag about hapless Mike Binkley bringing home what he thought was a German Shepherd, which turned out to be a penguin, much to the disappointment of his father. After being featured in a few strips, the character was dropped for several months, before being gradually re-introduced in January, 1982, and eventually becoming a central character in Bloom County. Opus' popularity quickly grew until he became the signature character of Bloom County and of Breathed's subsequent comic strips.

Opus' appearance changed since his inception - he originally looked like a common penguin, but between 1982 and 1986 his nose grew dramatically (developing its signature bump in the middle, of which Opus is very self-conscious). Mike Binkley, during one Sunday strip, points out the fact that Opus more closely resembles a puffin, a revelation shocking to the sensitive Opus. (In the final panel of the same strip, Opus responds by telling Binkley that he looks like a carrot.) Opus says he is attracted to "svelte buoyant waterfowl".

He is usually seen wearing a bow tie and collar, though he sometimes switches to a diagonally striped necktie when running for public office. Beginning in Outland during the 1990s, he is also occasionally seen inexplicably wearing white briefs.

Opus once mentioned his height during an interview for "The bureau of nosy statistics." In this comic strip he said that his height is two feet eleven inches.