BY ERIC CONRAD

Executive Editor

Out with the old. In with the, well the tried and true, actually.

Berkeley Breathed, the artist who drew the Sunday comic strip "Opus," has retired. Last Sunday was Opus' final appearance in the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel Sunday Comics section.

The staffs at our newspapers had talked for a few months about a new strip. We asked readers online to make suggestions, which they did. In the end, we chose what was the leading contender all along, in part because of its Maine ties: "Non Sequitur."

The popular and provocative strip is drawn by Maine resident Wiley Miller. We landed an interview with Miller last week, which you can read below. Non Sequitur is published in at least 700 newspapers.

As of today, make that at least 702.

Q. Tell us about Non Sequitur, Wiley. Why did you start it and what did its success do to your life?

A. It started both out of necessity and of creative desire. I was the editorial cartoonist at the San Francisco Examiner when the post-Gulf War recession hit in the early '90s. Newspapers were cutting back all across the country, including the Hearst Newspaper chain (the Examiner was its flagship). Having gone through the same thing a decade earlier, I decided to make my own exit strategy instead of waiting to see if the ax would fall on me ... again.

It was at this same time that my wife was accepted to the world-renowned writing program at the University of Iowa for her master's degree, which was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Only 10 people in the country were accepted to the nonfiction program that year. So I needed to find a way to be able to make a living in Iowa. Having my job at the newspaper hanging by a thread helped make my decision easy and pursue a comic strip.

But, having done a comic strip in the past, I knew it would have to be something different in order to be successful, especially during a recession where newspapers were looking to make cutbacks. So, long story short, I developed a feature that combined all my past endeavors in cartooning -- editorial, comic strip and magazine gags -- into one feature. The main purpose of this was to have a feature that wasn't boxed in to any one particular setting or style, where anything goes and takes me anywhere my creativity takes me. This prevents the burnout factor that afflicts most comics in a relatively short period of time.

And the success of the strip has led me to where my wife and I really want to be, in the peace and quiet of Maine.

Q. You have a character in it named Maine Flo. Tell us about her.

A. Actually, it's just Flo, who owns the Offshore Diner, otherwise known as "Offshore Flo."

She's just one of the many Maine characters who inhabit the diner in the fictional coastal town of Whachacallit, Maine. This whole setting was inspired years ago from our many visits to Maine and the Maine Diner in Wells.

Q. Why do you live in Kennebunkport?

A. Just to bother the Bushes.

Q. Do you stay in Maine all winter?

A. Of course. The winters here are nothing compared to those in Iowa, where we spent eight long years.

Q. OK, so we're jealous. Do you do your best work in your PJs, over coffee in the morning, or after a couple of beers later on?

A. Remember the ancient curse: Beware of what you wish for.

As any self-employed person will attest, you work longer and harder for yourself than you ever would as an employee. I quite literally work every day.

Q. What's a "normal" workday for you?

A. Get a cup of coffee and read the newspapers with my wife, get in the shower, feed the dogs (five Jack Russell terriers), then to the studio until late at night, with a few breaks in between.

Q. Can you do enough strips in a day or busy month so that you have the summer or fall off? If so, do you need a well-paid assistant (who can't draw very well)?

A. Short answer, no. The nature of my work is too complicated and deals a lot with current events to work so far ahead.

And I work alone. There is a popular misconception by readers and editors alike that cartoonists have a staff of people to produce the work. There are only a few who have any staff people to help out.

Q. What's the wackiest thing a fan ever said to you?

A. That's something that happens on almost a daily basis. The wacky thing someone writes to me today about will be topped by someone tomorrow. Hopefully, this will subside in some semblance of normalcy after the election.

Q. What do you say back?

A. More often than not, they go without a reply, as I've learned from the past of many wasted hours in trying to deal sensibly with people who are clearly nuts.

Q. Your strip is replacing Opus on Sundays in our newspapers. How do you feel about that?

A. Pretty good! I don't know what took you guys so long. Non Sequitur has been around for almost 17 years now!

Q. Thanks, Wiley. Here's hoping Non Sequitur has a long, fun run in our newspapers.

Eric Conrad is the executive editor. He can be reached at econrad@centralmaine.com.