A seven-year-old has realised ”every little boy’s dream” after becoming the youngest ever contributor to The Beano with his first comic strip.
Freddie Neno, from Eastington, Glos., sent a storyline to publishers D C Thompson and Co Ltd for the ”Fred’s Bed” comic strip that runs in the weekly magazine.
The tale sees comic star Fred disappear under his bed only to be transported to the Wild West where he meets cowboys and crocodiles.
Beano staff snapped up the idea and featured it in this week’s edition of the comic book.
They sent Freddie an official letter declaring him as the magazine’s youngest ever contributor.
The thrilled schoolboy said: ”I’m really proud of myself as all the ideas were mine.
”Lots of my friends at school are jealous. I now want to be a writer when I’m older.”
The hero of the strip is a boy named Fred who discovers that when he crawls under his bed he is transported to a different world.
Freddie Neno’s story begins with Fred staring out his window at a rainy day wishing he was somewhere hot and dry.
He crawls under his bed where he is whisked away by cowboys to the Wild West and tossed into a cool and refreshing creek.
But crocodiles lurking in the creek soon chase the comic hero out of the water and he’s left realising how good it was to be at home.
The Eastington Primary School student’s story was published last Wednesday (May 12th) in Issue 3534 of the famous comic book.
Proud father David Neno, a 45-year-old clock restorer, said: ”I’m massively proud. He’s very laid back about, but it’s every little boy’s dream.
”He’s got a letter from Iain McLoughlan, the writer of Fred’s bed, saying that he is officially the youngest writer The Beano’s ever worked with.”
Michael Stirling, deputy head of children’s entertainment for The Beano’s publisher, said: ”Freddie didn’t just give us an idea, he gave us pretty much the whole story.
”Our Beano writer Iain McLaughlin is rated as possibly the best scriptwriter in British humour comics right now but Freddie’s first attempt at a ‘Fred’s Bed’ story was so good I think Iain has a serious rival.
”The future of the Beano is bright, with fresh talent like Freddie ready to take over.
”It’s actually given us an idea to ask Freddie’s fellow readers to suggest where exactly Fred should travel every week via our website.”
Photograph courtesy Sarah Standing / Stroud News and Journal
