Also in 1991, Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television arm (together with Universal Cartoon Studios, the guys who brought you Exosquad a couple of years later) adapted A Wish for Wings that Work into an animated special that first aired on CBS on December 18, 1991. Although the special was fairly well-received by critics and earned decent viewership, Berke has reacted to it with Creator Backlash. It is the only Animated Adaptation of the Breathedverse to date.
This book and special provides examples of:
- Adaptational Backstory Change: In the comic, Bill the Cat is introduced in a fourth wall-shattering attempt to cash in on Garfield's popularity. In the special, he had been rescued by Opus from a research lab (after having his brains replaced with tater tots).
- Adaptation Personality Change: The special completely overhauls Truffles' personality, changing him from a Straight Man to a French Jerk with delusions of being a rhinoceros.
- Alliterative List: The ducks, bursting into Opus's house with the news that Santa has crashed into the lake.Duck 1: Calamity!
Duck 2: Catastrophe!
Duck 3: Cataclysm! - Alliterative Title: A Wish for Wings That Work
- Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking:Opus: I might as well be a dung beetle, or a fly-infested, worm-infused, molded, mildewed scrap of rotten banana! [Beat] Or a network executive.
- Call of the Wild Blue Yonder: Opus really wants to fly — that's his Christmas wish — and dreams about it; albeit in his dream he's a pilot aboard the crashing airplane from Lost Horizon.
- Christmas Carolers: In the animated version, a group of carolers appear frequently, one of which looks suspiciously like a certain rock and roll singer.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: "So what if they're small? Some women prefer small wings!"
- Eye Pop: Lampshaded; this happens to Opus twice, and after it does, he rubs his eyes and says, "Ow!"
- Jaw Drop: All three of the ducks and Bill after Santa gives Opus a Santa hat.
- Large Ham: The kiwi bird voiced by Robin Williams.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: One of the ducks has a voice like Curly Howard from The Three Stooges, complete with "nyuck nyuck" laugh.
- Oh, Crap!: In the animated version, when Santa's sleigh unhooks, Santa lets out a "Ho, ho, ho — oh, nooooooo!" as he falls.
- Rhymes on a Dime: How Santa Claus talks.
- Running Gag: Opus's removable hindquarters.Duck: It's replaceable! Like a tire!
- Shout-Out: Quite a few, after all, this is Bloom County.
- Pen Name: Robin Williams is credited by the name “Sudy Nim”.
- The Pig-Pen: Bill the Cat, seen rifling through a garbage can early on.Opus: [sniffs] Phew! You smell like last week's Brussels sprouts. I suggested that you move into the recyclables can, didn't I?
- Roger Rabbit Effect: A variant. In one scene, Opus has a dream sequence that lifts footage from the 1937 film Lost Horizon.
- Santa Claus: Of course.
- The Stinger: After the Amblin Television and Universal Animation logos, there is one more scene of the pig pretending to be a rhino, who says, "DON'T GET COCKY!" Then Opus's buttocks fall out of the sky and plop in the snow.
- Tastes Like Disdain: Downplayed. In the book, Opus climbs a statue in the park and offers to share his last pickle with the pigeons. They answer, "It is not our pleasure to share pickles with birds whose wings do not work."
- Title Drop: "…some penguin wings that work."
- Tropaholics Anonymous: The Earthbound Birds Anonymous support group Opus visits, also attended by a delusional chicken and a jilted kiwi. Ronald-Ann also appears to run several of these:Milquetoast: [in drag] Excuse me, is this Cockroach Cross-Dressers in Crisis?