Billoo

Billoo and Jozi

Billoo (Hindi: बिल्लू) is an Indian comic character created by Pran Kumar Sharma. It is published by Diamond Comics. The character was created in 1973.^[1] The stories are set in and around Delhi during seventies and eighties.

Billoo is a school going teenager. Much like the American comic book character Archie, Billoo is fun loving, likeable by girls although not so "Casanova friendly" as Archie is,^[2] and loves to play cricket. No one has ever seen Billoo's eyes due to hair covering it and his forehead but in a comic book named Billoo's Valentine's Day a short story named "Ek din" (lit trsl. " One day " ), he was frightened by a dog and his eyes can be seen clearly because of his hairs being in air. He is shown as a prankster and naughty teen and his naughtiness which make him face problems, but with to his cleverness he comes out of all troubles with the people in the neighbourhood and enemies or goons.^[3][4]

Billoo has a pet pup called Moti. His gang includes Gabdu, Jozi, Monu, Bishamber among others. His bête noire is Bajarangi, a wrestler and Dhakkan, Bajarangi's aide. Jozi's dad Colonel Three Naught Three also dislikes Billoo.

In 1973, cartoonist Pran was looking for a school going teenage boy who could feature in the comic strips. Thus he created a boy with a long hair covering his eyes and named him Billoo. This Lanky and goofy fellow was liked by the readers so much that the editor of the magazine asked the cartoonist to increase the episodes from one page to two. Billoo is seen sometimes roaming the streets with his pet pup - Moti and sometimes with some friends or his cricket team and at the most - Jozi. When he is at home, he is stuck to the TV. Billoo and his gang which includes Gabdu, Jozi, Mono, Bishamber etc.; are at loggerheads with Bajarangi, the wrestler and his aide Dhakkan.^[5] They are always in search of some excuse to showdown each other .A frequently shown girl character is Jozi ; Jozi likes Billoo and supports and helps him in everything, but her dad Colonel Three Naught Three does not like the boy and tries every stone unturned to prevent him from seeing his daughter Jozi and always points his gun at him if they encounter each other.

Billoo and his friends are often seen playing cricket in lanes of the neighborhood, while smashing a few windows of his neighbours (especially Bajarangi's windows.) Each comic book had a set of stories. Early stories showed Billoo and Jozi as kids, but later on they were shown as teenagers. Jozi who has been his childhood friend is also his girlfriend.^[6]

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