Fit Fred and Sick Sid
    
                             
   Fred was a super-fit, barrel-chested athlete who was  
   constantly putting his weasly pal Sid through his paces
   and getting him involved in various sports and fitness
   regimes - much to Sid's reluctance. By the end
   of each strip, however, the tables would be turned and
   Fred would fall victim to his own brash ways and
   methods...

   Every Fleetway comic had a pair like these two, at odds
   with each other. A rich one and a poor one, a fat one and
   a thin one - the blueprint was simply passed on to the
   next comic. In particular, sporty Fred and weedy Sid
   were painfully similar to Tough Nutt and Softly Centre,
   from Shiver & Shake...

   Fred and Sid didn't have an "origin" story, as such. They were
   simply introduced en route to a local sports event, with Fred
   bragging about how he was going to make Sid just as fit as
   himself. Feeble Sid fumbles the sack race, the spoon and
   potato race, and the wheelbarrow race. But when he collapses
   during the latter event Fred ends up driving the poor lad's face
   through the ground like a plough so that - what do you know?
   - Sid digs up a lost diamond ring... 

   Were Fred and Sid actually friends? Fred seemed like Sid's
   worst enemy, so why are they always together?

   And another thing, why did Fred always have to come out
   as the loser? If you want to read way too much in to this,
   you could suggest Fleetway were condemming success
   and the up-and-at-'em spirit. What's wrong with a chap
   showing a bit of confidence once in a while?

   Oh, but let's not get too serious. Those Fleetway folk were
   just having fun, weren't they, and we really shouldn't be
   reading too much into these strips...

   Er, should we?