Penguin Dreams and Stranger Things
| Company type | Book |
|---|---|
| Industry | Comics |
| Founded | 1985 |
| Founder | Berkeley Breathed |
| Products | Bloom County comic strip compilations |
| Parent | Little Brown & Co. |
Penguin Dreams and Stranger Things represents the third compilation of the Bloom County comic strip series created by Berkeley Breathed, released in 1985 through Little Brown & Co. This volume follows Toons For Our Times and comes before Bloom County Babylon. Its cover art is a parody of Daybreak by Maxfield Parrish.
Summaries of Key Story Arcs
- In "Motherquest," Opus embarks on a journey to Antarctica searching for his mother, inadvertently boarding Greenpeace's Rainbow Warrior as it heads to confront Soviet whalers. Upon arrival, Opus and Mrs. Limekiller are apprehended by U.S. Marines who mistake the penguins for Marxist insurgents and return them to the United States. (p11, 25 strips)
- The storyline "Survivalism" follows Steve Dallas, Portnoy, and Hodge-Podge as they take refuge in a bomb shelter, preparing for an anticipated nuclear conflict. (p20, 6 strips)
- Binkley explores break-dancing alongside adopting a Boy George-inspired fashion sense. (p23, 3 strips)
- Binkley's father experiences intense withdrawal symptoms after Binkley hides his cigarettes from him. (p26, 5 strips)
- Opus serves as a guide to new readers, introducing them to the universe of the comic strip. (p28, 6 strips)
- Portnoy and Hodge-Podge embark on a pursuit of "wild hunters." (p30, 4 strips)
- Opus submits Steve Dallas into a music video competition for Tess Turbo, leading to Steve’s hospitalization and a subsequent lawsuit managed by Steve with Opus providing false testimony on his behalf. (p32, 20 strips)
- Steve Dallas receives an unwelcome visit from his disapproving mother. (p49, 5 strips)
- The Meadow Party caucus reconvenes, culminating in Bill the Cat securing the presidential nomination despite being deceased. (p51, 12 strips)
- According to Time magazine, the Sexual Revolution has concluded, signaling an end to Steve Dallas’s barroom escapades. (p57, 4 strips)
- Oliver is given a chemistry set by his father and attempts genetic modification on a hamster. (p59, 6 strips)
- Steve defends "Mrs. Whacker," an axe-wielding woman who is released without bail; however, this incident prevents Steve from selling movie rights about her story. (p62, 19 strips)
- One year post-divorce, Binkley’s father begins dating "Stormee," whom he met at K-Mart. (p69, 5 strips)
- Oliver’s mother decorates his laboratory with a Michael Jackson poster to provide him with a positive role model. (p70, 3 strips)
- At the Meadow Party convention held in San Francisco, Bob Woodward uncovers damaging information about Bill the Cat with Opus’s assistance; Bill unexpectedly appears despite being presumed dead. (p71, 24 strips)
- Oliver humorously hacks into NBC News’s computer system to alter poll data. (p80, 4 strips)
- During The Jacksons’ tour of Bloom County, Opus manages to secure Michael Jackson’s political endorsement after temporarily swapping places with him. (p91, 17 strips)
- Steve Dallas wins the "Mister America" contest with help from Oliver but becomes embroiled in scandal when nude photographs of him appear in several magazines. (p98, 12 strips)
- For his father’s birthday, Oliver erases then reinstates his father’s IRS records after causing him to vanish momentarily. (p103, 4 strips)
- Binkley confronts his mortality during a visit to his anxiety closet. (p105, 3 strips)
- To enhance Meadow Party poll numbers, Opus organizes a campus rally but encounters resistance from conservative business students. (p107, 9 strips)
- In the lead-up to election day, despite last-minute efforts including canvassing with Opus mistakenly dressed as a chocolate éclair, the Meadow Party fails to secure the presidency. (p110, 14 strips)
- Bill the Cat joins the Rajneeshee sect as "Bhagwan Bill"; Milo and Opus infiltrate the cult to rescue him before arranging for his deprogramming at the Betty Ford Center. (p115, 16 strips)