Suburbia dreams

Inspired by the coen brothers Garfield rumor

A 1960s setting, with 50s-60s comics. Think inter-spliced mixed stories about suburban unrest. Plots A teenage Dennis Mitchell kills Mr. Wilson. Mrs. Wilson is willing to believe it’s an accident and helps cover it up. Then she notices that Dennis is doing worse things including murders and seems disturbed. She decides to dissuade him from the path in a cat and mouse game. Also Dennis’s friend Joey teams up with her because he’s upset at Dennis’ behavior. Also Dennis has his eyes on Margaret Wade. Blondie is angry because she was once famous and wealthy and now is forgotten, upstaged by her husband Dagwood, and a middle class housewife in a suburb. She plots to get back in the spotlight as a famous and self sufficient woman, get her revenge on Dagwood and get back in the family inheritance she was cut off from for dating Dagwood. Her plan is to convince Dagwood to do a scheme that he will benefit from, then he will get either caught or killed and now she’s freed. Tootsie and Herb act as the confidants, accomplices, supporters and also spies for Dagwood and Blondie. Mr and Mrs Lockhorn attempt to take each other out for the life insurance policy and because they hate each other but won’t divorce cause they want to keep money Bill and Thelma Keane accidentally get wound up in murder, robbery, and drug dealing and getting involved with the mob. They desperately try to deny it and maintain their cover as a suburban family, to their kids and to the neighbors and to themselves. Beetle Bailey has lived in the suburbs ever since Korea ended. He wanted to enlist for Vietnam, but people with PSTD are considered unfit. This upsets him, as he desperately wants the chaos of war in his life. Life in peacetime is never something he has been used to after the chaos of 1920s-1945, that’s why he volunteered in Korea. The suburbs are also mind-numbingly boring and stifling. The worst part is, nobody can communicate meaningfully with each other or be open about their issues. his sister Lois is deeply unhappy as a housewife, comparing it to the freedom of previous generations that went away after the war ended. They share their problems with each other, with Hiram oblivious. They both don’t like Hiram. Suddenly the mundanity is disrupted. Beetle Bailey feels alive again. And Lois decides to seize the moment. Their plot has something to do with murder and blackmail. Meanwhile Chip Flagston and Alexander and Cookie Bumstead get pulled into what their parents are doing. Meanwhile a eldery garbage man who’s implied to have done many criminal activities (Abercrombie) and an overly-enthusiastic rookie (Fitch) act as a Greek chorus garbage team who also clean crime scenes and remove bodies from dumpsters. There’s also Lou the diner counterman who is a sage advisor and witty commentator, Mr. Beasley the cheerful mailman who’s also engaging in a relationship with Cora Dithers which leads to Mr. Dither’s wrath and also he ends up unknowingly participating in a few plots in the Lockhorn feud but he has done a few things to help some people that are shady. There’s also two carpoolers named Claudia and Dwitzell who characters chat with and who essentially are really unlucky to have things happen to them or witness chaotic events.

Story added by dylanbower on March 23, 2025