Frazz by Jef Mallett follows the adventures of an unexpected role model: an elementary-school janitor who's also a Renaissance man. While he's sweeping the hall, he's whistling Beethoven. Or Lyle Lovett. He paints the woodwork in the classrooms; he paints a Da Vinci on the cafeteria wall. He's a trusted authority figure who is every kid's buddy. He took the janitor's job while he was a struggling songwriter, and when he finally sold a hit song, he decided to stay on at school. Frazz appears in 200 newspapers worldwide, including the Los Angeles Times, Seattle Times, Chicago Tribune and Detroit News. "A few years back, I wrote and illustrated a children's book," says Mallett. "When I was traveling around reading it at school assemblies, I noticed that often, the most respected, best-liked grown-up in the building was the janitor. And I thought, 'Hmm, there's a comic strip in that.'" Often praised for its intelligent wit, gentle spirit and effortless diversity, Frazz won a Wilbur Award from the Religion Communicators Council in 2003 and 2005 for excellence in communicating values and ethics.
© Jef Mallett - All Rights Reserved.
Frank & Ernest by Thaves
Fred Basset by Alex Graham
Comments (21) (Please sign in to comment)
Kosaka Jinnai said, 6 months ago
Is Caulfield an autistic savant? He certainly seems to think that way.
(I myself have Asperger’s and I can relate to the way Caulfield is depicted)
bagbalm said, 6 months ago
He is what teachers now hate – a boy. He needs drugged until he stops moving.
Lektio said, 6 months ago
@Kosaka Jinnai
He may be on the autistic spectrum (I, too, can sympathize with him), but those considered “Autistic savants” are usually so far along the spectrum that they have difficulties in verbal communication. I suspect it’s more likely that he’s a brilliant child with a touch of ADHD.
vikipa said, 6 months ago
@bagbalm
Absolutely not!!! That is what is wrong with this world today. He is an active, creative child. Let him soar!!!!!
neatslob said, 6 months ago
@bagbalm
I guess my fifth grade teacher must have been ahead of the curve. She hated boys way back in the 60s.
Varnes said, 6 months ago
One piece of toast, 70 calories…Twenty minute brisk walk burns 70……
Doug Puthoff said, 6 months ago
Now i know was Mrs. Olsen did when she wasn’t selling Folgers’ Coffee.
prrdh said, 6 months ago
@Lektio
Then again, he might just be a normal boy with more than a touch of brilliance.
ncalifgirl58 said, 6 months ago
My kids get the whole week off. Guess it’s not worth it to have them for three days only. Happy Thanksgiving all.
The Wolf In Your Midst said, 6 months ago
Caulfield is what experts in the field refer to as a “child”. Judging by some of the reactions he gets around here, you’d think they never existed until ten years ago.
defunctdoormat said, 6 months ago
1 in 10 children (10% if you can’t figure that out) are diagnosed with ADAD, but only 3%-5% actually have it. Meaning it’s overdiagnosed quite often. And there’s some debate even about those numbers being too high. Diagnosing it has nothing to do with the disease apparently, but rather how parents WANT their kids to behave. They don’t behave how they want them to, so they drug them. Disease or not.
richardj said, 6 months ago
I’m starting to feel sorry for the teacher.
comicsssfan said, 6 months ago
@bagbalm
This actually is going to depend on the person, whether they are a teacher or not.
Tacopielvr said, 6 months ago
Uhm, folks, its just a comic.
bigpuma said, 6 months ago
@Tacopielvr
Evaluating, diagnosing, and prescribing cures for a comic strip character’s disorders is a bit much, yes. But discussing the issues raised by the character’s observed behavior seems reasonable enough, doesn’t it?