The Kid and the President continue discussing carnival plans, but a clause in The Kid’s contract threatens to keep him at home.
After already receiving a fine for attending The Boss’s birthday party, The Kid is beginning to realise that professional football contracts can contain more than a few inconvenient surprises.
A Carnival Invitation
The President has received an invitation to a major carnival party hosted by El Pibe.
It sounds like exactly the sort of event The Kid would normally enjoy. There will be famous football personalities, elaborate costumes and no shortage of opportunities for another unusual Storybook adventure.
The Kid, however, is reluctant to attend.
His problem is not the carnival.
It is the small print in his contract.
The Cost of Attending a Party
The Kid has recently discovered that life as a professional footballer includes rules governing what players can do away from the training ground.
After attending The Boss’s birthday party, he received a fine from the club. That experience has made him considerably more cautious about accepting another invitation.
A night out may sound harmless, but The Kid now knows it could have financial consequences.
For once, staying at home appears to be the safer option.
Football Contracts and Player Discipline
Professional football clubs expect players to maintain high standards both on and off the pitch.
Contracts and internal club rules can address attendance, fitness, conduct and activities that might affect a player’s preparation or public image.
Storybook exaggerates that reality by placing The Kid in a situation where even attending a birthday party appears to carry a financial penalty.
He has finally learned to read the small print—although only after being fined.
The President Finds an Alternative
The President does not want The Kid to spend the evening with nothing to do.
When The Kid decides to stay at home and miss the carnival, the President immediately recommends another form of entertainment: the new fantasy football game available through his club’s website.
It is a convenient solution.
The Kid avoids another fine.
The President gains another player for his fantasy game.
Fantasy Football Returns to the Story
The exchange brings Storybook back to one of its original themes.
Even when the conversation begins with contracts, parties and carnival celebrations, fantasy football is never far away.
The President treats the game as the obvious alternative to going out. The Kid can remain safely at home while still selecting players, following matches and competing for points.
Whether this was the President’s plan from the beginning remains unclear.
The Football Inspiration Behind the Comic
This strip draws on the disciplinary rules that exist within professional football clubs and the regular stories involving players being fined for breaches of club policy.
Managers often use fines to reinforce standards, particularly when off-field activities interfere with training, preparation or team discipline.
Storybook turns that serious subject into a simple dilemma: should The Kid attend another party or protect both his place in the team and his bank balance?
Characters Featured
The Kid
The Kid is beginning to understand that professional football involves responsibilities away from the pitch. After receiving one fine, he is unwilling to risk another for the sake of a carnival party.
The President
The President is enthusiastic about the carnival invitation but quickly finds another use for The Kid’s free evening. His fantasy football game provides a convenient alternative.
El Pibe
The host of the carnival celebration. His invitation promises another memorable gathering, but The Kid’s contract may prevent him from attending.
The Boss
The Boss does not appear directly in the strip, but his birthday party is responsible for The Kid’s recent fine and growing interest in contractual small print.
Behind the Gag
The Kid has finally decided to behave responsibly.
He will avoid the party, stay at home and make sure he does not receive another fine.
The President immediately turns that responsible decision into an advertisement for his fantasy football game.
The Kid may have escaped the carnival, but he has not escaped the President’s latest idea.
Looking Back
Originally published in 2015, Fines continued Chapter 2’s carnival storyline while returning the series to its fantasy football foundations.
The strip also developed The Kid’s relationship with The President. Their conversations regularly begin with personal news before ending with another scheme, promotion or piece of club business.
The next episode takes Storybook to North London, where another football discussion is waiting.
