Ball Boy (Beano) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ball Boy |
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| Comic strip character(s) from The Beano | |
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| Publication information | |
| Stars in | Ball Boy |
| Other contributors | Danny Pearson Vince Pavey Alexander Matthews |
| Current/last artist | Dave Eastbury Malcolm Judge John Dallas Chris McGee |
| First appearance | Issue 1735 (18 October 1975) |
| Last appearance | Issue 3733 (10 May 2014) |
| Also appeared in | The Beano Annual |
| Current status | Limited |
| Schedule | Weekly |
| Main Character | |
| Name | Ball Boy |
| Family | Ball Boy's Mum and Dad |
| Characters | |
| Type of group | Sports team (football) |
| Members | Titch, Dimmy, Benjy, Goalie |
| Regular characters | Coach, Ball Boy's teacher, Wubbish Woy |
| Other characters | Chandra Singh |
| Crossover characters | Roger the Dodger |
Ball Boy is a fun strip in the UK comic The Beano. It's also the name of the main character! This strip first appeared in issue 1,735 on 18 October 1975. It's all about a five-a-side football team that usually loses its matches, often by a lot!
Contents
Meet Ball Boy and His Team
The comic strip follows Ball Boy and his football team. They often find themselves in funny situations. Even though they usually lose, they always have a good time playing together.
Who's on the Team?
The team has several interesting players:
- Ball Boy – He is the captain and plays as a striker. He tries his best to lead the team.
- Titch – This small boy usually plays in defence. He even had his own short comic strip once!
- Dimmy – He is a defender. His name comes from him being a bit silly sometimes.
- Benjy – Ball Boy's best friend. He is a good player on the team.
- Goalie – The goalkeeper. Sometimes he is amazing at stopping goals. Other times, he lets almost every shot in! In some comics, he just reads a book in the goal.
- Chandra Singh – Chandra joined the team in late 2008. He is known as the team's most skilled player.
Their Team Kit and Special Guests
Ball Boy's team kit, or uniform, has changed over the years. It started with red and black stripes and black shorts. Later, it became blue and black stripes. Sometimes, famous characters like Bea or Gnasher join the team for a comic strip. Even real-life football star Paul Gascoigne made a guest appearance in 1993! This happened in an issue celebrating Roger the Dodger's 40th anniversary.
Ball Boy's World Cup Adventures
Ball Boy and his team have even been to two World Cups!
- In 1990, they were featured during the World Cup in Italy. This was in The Beano Book that year.
- A long story about the team appeared in the comic during the 1998 World Cup finals in France.
The Artists Behind Ball Boy
Many talented artists have drawn the Ball Boy strip over the years.
- Malcolm Judge drew the strip until he passed away in 1989.
- John Dallas took over and drew it until he retired in April 2003.
- Since then, Dave Eastbury has been the main artist.
- Nigel Parkinson and Tom Paterson also draw the strip sometimes.
A Special Comic Issue
In 2005, there was a special story about a comic issue that was almost not printed! The Ball Boy strip for issue 3,260 was supposed to feature a French footballer. The Beano editor decided to change the strip. This was to make sure there were no problems with the famous footballer. So, a different Ball Boy strip was used instead.
New Teams and Big Wins
Ball Boy has also appeared in The BeanoMAX comic. These strips were drawn by Nigel Parkinson. In 2007, a comic explained why their kit changed to blue and black stripes. Ball Boy's mum accidentally washed the red and black kits with something blue, and it dyed them!
The Beanotown Juniors
In 2008, Ball Boy's usual teammates went on holiday. This meant Ball Boy needed a new team for the Beanotown Summer League Championship. This new team was called 'Beanotown Juniors'. It included Ball Boy, Ronald Osbourne, Chandra Singh, Lily, and an unnamed goalkeeper. Ball Boy himself didn't score any goals until the final match of this story!
Winning the Trophy
The Beanotown Juniors had a great winning streak. They were second in the league. One time, their rivals, Asbo Road, tricked them by pretending to be a weaker team. This caused the Beanotown Juniors to get hurt and lose a match. But they didn't give up! In the next game, their opponents scored an own goal, which cheered them up. The following week, Beanotown Juniors beat Asbo Road 1-0 and won the trophy! When Ball Boy's original teammates returned, he showed off the trophy. Both teams eventually merged, realizing they all cared about Ball Boy.
Recent Changes to the Strip
From May to August 2009, some older John Dallas strips from the early 1990s were reprinted. Then, in September 2009, Dave Eastbury returned as the artist. In July 2013, Alexander Matthews took over writing Ball Boy. He gave the strip a fresh look. He also started making fun of specific things happening in modern football, like foreign investors owning big clubs. Later, Vince Pavey and Danny Pearson also wrote the strip.
