Big Eggo
Encyclopedia
Big Eggo was an ostrich
and fictional character
in a comic strip
in the UK
comic
The Beano
. He first appeared in issue 1, dated 30 July 1938, and was the first ever cover star. His first words in the strip were 'Somebody's taken my egg again!' It was drawn throughout by Reg Carter.
Eggo remained on the cover of The Beano until issue 326, dated 10 January 1948. Biffo the Bear
took over two weeks later, as at this time the comic was published fortnightly due to paper rationing
. He continued inside the comic until issue 358, dated 2 April 1949 (the strip ended because his artist died, as mentioned in Beano and Dandy 70 Years: Crazy About Creatures, published with the 2008 annuals), although a picture of him remained on the front cover (next to The Beano legend) until 1954, when he was replaced by Dennis the Menace
. The next time a picture of him appeared in the comic was in issue 2000, dated 15 November 1980, when the cover of the first Beano was reprinted on the back page. Big Eggo is seen at the top saying "Ah! The good old days!"
In issue 3093, dated 27 October 2001, he made a guest appearance in a one off strip called 'Lord Snooty's Day Out' drawn by Ken H. Harrison
. He is revealed to be living in the Beano Retirement Home, along with Jonah
, Lord Snooty
and Jack Flash
. He looks much more elegant, when compared with his ugly previous look when he had scaly legs and feet, with a scabby head and hands on the ends of his wings. He would later appear again in the 65th anniversary issue (3185, 2 August 2003) when he met Gnasher and Gnipper
.
In the exhibition celebrating the Beano
's seventieth birthday, it was revealed that he was originally to be called Oswald the Ostrich, but a last minute change by then Beano Editor George Mooney changed it to the now titular Big Eggo.
Ostrich
The Ostrich is one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member of the genus Struthio. Some analyses indicate that the Somali Ostrich may be better considered a full species apart from the Common Ostrich, but most taxonomists consider it to be a...
and fictional character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in a comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
comic
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
The Beano
The Beano
The Beano is a British children's comic, published by D.C. Thomson & Co and is arguably their most successful.The comic first appeared on 30 July 1938, and was published weekly. During the Second World War,The Beano and The Dandy were published on alternating weeks because of paper and ink...
. He first appeared in issue 1, dated 30 July 1938, and was the first ever cover star. His first words in the strip were 'Somebody's taken my egg again!' It was drawn throughout by Reg Carter.
Eggo remained on the cover of The Beano until issue 326, dated 10 January 1948. Biffo the Bear
Biffo the Bear
Biffo the Bear was a fictional character who had his own comic strip in the British comic The Beano. Biffo was an anthropomorphic bear resembling Mickey Mouse who gained the front cover of the comic starting from issue 327, dated January 24, 1948, replacing Big Eggo...
took over two weeks later, as at this time the comic was published fortnightly due to paper rationing
Rationing
Rationing is the controlled distribution of scarce resources, goods, or services. Rationing controls the size of the ration, one's allotted portion of the resources being distributed on a particular day or at a particular time.- In economics :...
. He continued inside the comic until issue 358, dated 2 April 1949 (the strip ended because his artist died, as mentioned in Beano and Dandy 70 Years: Crazy About Creatures, published with the 2008 annuals), although a picture of him remained on the front cover (next to The Beano legend) until 1954, when he was replaced by Dennis the Menace
Dennis the Menace (UK)
Dennis the Menace, later called Dennis the Menace and Gnasher and now Dennis and Gnasher, is a long-running comic strip in the British children's comic The Beano, published by D. C...
. The next time a picture of him appeared in the comic was in issue 2000, dated 15 November 1980, when the cover of the first Beano was reprinted on the back page. Big Eggo is seen at the top saying "Ah! The good old days!"
In issue 3093, dated 27 October 2001, he made a guest appearance in a one off strip called 'Lord Snooty's Day Out' drawn by Ken H. Harrison
Ken H. Harrison
Ken H. Harrison is an artist at DC Thomson, who drew Robbie Rebel, Big Brad Wolf and Lord Snooty for The Beano, The Hoot Squad for Hoot , The Broons and Oor Wullie for the Sunday Post, Skookum Skool, Spookum Skool and The Snookums for Buzz and Cracker comics.He drew Desperate Dan for The Dandy...
. He is revealed to be living in the Beano Retirement Home, along with Jonah
Jonah (comics)
Jonah was a fictional character in a comic strip in the UK comic The Beano, drawn by Ken Reid. It first appeared in issue 817, dated 15 March 1958. The title character- a sailor and a skinny, gormless, chinless wonder- was feared by all other mariners because he would sink every ship he sailed on...
, Lord Snooty
Lord Snooty
Lord Snooty was a fictional character in a comic strip in the UK comic The Beano, first appearing in issue 1, dated 30 July 1938, and was the longest running strip in the comic until Dennis the Menace and Gnasher overtook it...
and Jack Flash
Jack Flash
Jack Flash was a character in the British comic The Beano. The strip starred a flying boy from the planet Mercury. The character sported four tiny wings on his ankles and this is thought to be the source of his flying ability. The strips first series began in 1949 in issue 355...
. He looks much more elegant, when compared with his ugly previous look when he had scaly legs and feet, with a scabby head and hands on the ends of his wings. He would later appear again in the 65th anniversary issue (3185, 2 August 2003) when he met Gnasher and Gnipper
Gnasher and Gnipper
Gnasher is the pet dog of Dennis the Menace in the British comic strip Dennis the Menace from The Beano. First introduced in 1968, in issue 1363 dated 31st August 1968 , seventeen years after Dennis the Menace started in The Beano...
.
In the exhibition celebrating the Beano
Beano
Beano can refer to:* The Beano, a British children's comic* Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton, a 1966 John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers album nicknamed The Beano Album as the cover shows Clapton reading a Beano comic...
's seventieth birthday, it was revealed that he was originally to be called Oswald the Ostrich, but a last minute change by then Beano Editor George Mooney changed it to the now titular Big Eggo.