Billy and the Boingers Bootleg (Bloom County Book) [Paperback]

Berke Breathed (Author)

Book Description

Series: Bloom County Book | Publication Date: August 1987

With the release of this new Bloom County book and the newly chosen Billy and the Boingers Theme Song, chosen from the most bone-shaking, kidney-curdling entries from rock bands nationwide, Springsteen and Van Halen will become as distant a memory as Michael Jackson. 300 black-and-white and 44 color comic strips.

Product Details

• Paperback: 121 pages
• Publisher: Little Brown & Co (Juv Pap); 1st edition (August 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316107298
• ISBN-13: 978-0316107297
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #367,395 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Berkeley Breathed lives and works in Santa Barbara, California and is the proud owner of a gentle pit bull named Ridley, a deaf dachshund named Milly, and a refugee mutt from the Puerto Rican streets named Pilar--splendidly flawed dogs, every one.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bloom County Still Rings True, January 8, 2001

By 

Thomas Magnum (NJ, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Billy and the Boingers Bootleg (Bloom County Book) (Paperback)

Bloom County was a politically charged comic strip that was a Doonesbury for the 80's. Berke Breathed created one of the most bizzare collection of cartoon characters, mixing animals and people with neither one noticing. Billy & The Boingers Bootleg in part chronicles the metal band Billy & The Boingers which had Bill The Cat on tongue & Opus on electric tuba. They were metal gods and their crazy antics were an obvious swipe at all the Parents Against Explicit Lyrics action that was going on at the time. The events taking place in the meadow also find Opus getting a girlfriend, Lola, and other incidents that mirrored the times. For anyone who remembers the 80's, Bloom County remains a touchstone. The original release contained a 45 that had two Boingers songs and the back cover is a hilarious spoof of U2's Joshua Tree album cover.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Boing!, October 26, 2001

By 

D "sub" (Metro Detroit, MI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Billy and the Boingers Bootleg (Bloom County Book) (Paperback)

This book is probably the best Bloom County book published, and not just because of the Burger Chef value meal-type "record" that was part of the book.

Breathed was, quite bluntly, a comic genius and social satirist. Those who characterize Bloom County as a comic strip miss the point. The strip was a satire and commentary on the go-go economy and society of the 80s, human relationships, and economics.

This book contains some of the best, funniest, most powerful stuff in Bloom County's history. Just writing about it makes me want to go into the basement and play with my Opus phone.

You can't go wrong with this book. Again, it appears to be out of print (most of the best comic works are out of print, unfortunately).

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars B.B. just kept getting better, March 27, 2004

By 

Johny Bottom "Insane and lonely guitarist" (Jacksonville, NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Billy and the Boingers Bootleg (Bloom County Book) (Paperback)

Bloom County was without a doubt the most insightful, funny, and beloved comic strips of all time. It's rabid following has never gotten over the disappearance of Opus and the Gang from the funny papers. That's because nothing has ever been able to take it's place. Could you imagine Opus, Bill, Steve, and Milo tackling today's issues? What besides G.W. Bush and Saddam would be in the anxiety closet. Alas, we can only remember the good times.

This is one of my favorite Bloom County books. It mostly took on an issue that has always been important to me, rock n roll. The gang takes on the PMRC by forming their own metal band Deathtongue. After battling Washington though, Steve Dallas caves in and Billy and the Boingers is born.

Long live live Opus. He is sorely missed.