Tales Too Ticklish to Tell
| Company type | Comic strip anthology |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 1988 |
| Founder | Berkeley Breathed |
| Products | Bloom County comic strip anthology |
Tales Too Ticklish to Tell represents the sixth installment in the Bloom County comic strip anthology created by Berkeley Breathed, released in 1988 through Little Brown & Co. The cover art satirizes a well-known 1987 photograph, depicting Opus the Penguin perched on George H. W. Bush's knee. This volume succeeds Billy and the Boingers Bootleg and precedes The Night of the Mary Kay Commandos. Included within the book are an edition of the Bloom Picayune and a foreword credited to Mikhail Gorbachev.
Primary plot arcs
- Steve Dallas faces incarceration due to damages caused by his bandmates at a motel; during his sentence, he is compelled to revise contracts and relinquish royalty earnings. After returning from Albuquerque, he shares accommodations with Opus. Concurrently, Bill the Cat's tune is adapted into a Nabisco Wheat Thins commercial jingle, transforming Bill into a multimillionaire who steers the Boingers toward becoming a politically aware pop ensemble inspired by U2. (p1, 16 strips)
- Opus neglects his wedding commitment to Lola Granola, which results in a bachelor celebration and intervention from their parents. Following their marriage, Opus envisions a restrictive future and pursues annulment. (p7, 17 strips)
- "Anatomy of a Scandal": Bill's involvement in "bible study" tarnishes his heavy metal persona, leading to his disgraced return to Bloom County. (p17, 6 strips)
- Taking on the role of a garbage collector advocating recycling, Opus inadvertently uncovers an extramarital affair involving a mistress. (p21, 7 strips)
- Bill adopts the role of a born-again televangelist competing with figures like Falwell, condemning "penguin lust," which triggers Opus's persecution and exile. (p26, 21 strips)
- Oliver establishes amateur radio communication with extraterrestrials who cause disturbances on Earth until summoned by Congress. (p35, 11 strips)
- Oliver isolates psychoactive compounds from dandelions; his father undergoes strange experiences as a result. (p40, 7 strips)
- Binkley's father confronts a midlife crisis amid anxieties about aging and physical decline. (p42, 4 strips)
- Milo learns that the exiled Opus is employed as a male stripper in Arizona. (p45, 6 strips)
- Oliver reconnects with tradition after receiving a symbolic visit from his teddy bear and rediscovers his slide rule. (p48, 6 strips)
- After losing his script, Opus improvises performances, hallucinates maternal support, and returns to find Steve Dallas has assumed his role as Spock. (p50, 21 strips)
- The unionized performers initiate a strike demanding larger comic-strip dimensions; management's replacement auditions fail; ultimately, the union yields without achieving improvements. (p59, 23 strips)
- Following the 1987 stock market crash, Binkley's father deals with financial devastation. (p72, 3 strips)
- Tammy Faye appears in Binkley's anxiety closet, creating turmoil through her emotional outpourings. (p77, 3 strips)
- Portnoy is revealed to be a groundhog, shocking his friend Hodge-Podge who refuses collaboration with "pigs." (p78, 6 strips)
- Opus distributes lavish Christmas presents unmatched by others. (p84, 4 strips)
- Little Monica hires Steve Dallas to sue Santa Claus over her brother's violent obsession with war toys; Santa's elf mounts a vigorous defense until Steve's mother undermines the lawsuit. (p86, 11 strips)
- At the Bloom Picayune, Opus struggles in his role as ombudsman handling complaints from readers. (p91, 9 strips)
- The Meadow Party nominates Bill the Cat for president in 1988; he remains free of scandals following an extended tequila-induced coma. (p97, 10 strips)
- Opus expresses concern over privacy violations caused by satellite surveillance capturing trivial personal moments. (p104, 3 strips)
- Opus misuses emergency services by dialing 9-1-1 for minor issues. (p110, 3 strips)
- Steve Dallas is abducted by aliens who invert his personality; he returns as a passive individual with permed hair supporting Jesse Jackson and exhibiting changed preferences. (p111, 23 strips)
- "Fire Back: Where the Readers Respond" showcases activist delegates protesting stereotypical portrayals within the strip. (p120, 5 strips)