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 (29) (Please sign in to comment)
RanaRavens said, 4 months ago
So… being crabby, cold, and sleep-deprived?
vwdualnomand said, 4 months ago
what happens if something happens that disrupts your initial tone, it could be a positive or negative.
Arianne said, 4 months ago
Nice one, Jef!
Varnes said, 4 months ago
People who don’t sleep in when they can are so strange….
Richard S. Russell said, 4 months ago
Back when I was a working guy, they expected me to show up at 7:45 AM, and I did, and I was largely worthless for the next hour and a half. But after I hit my stride, I was fine. Many times I’d look up from my work at 7 PM and realize that everyone else had gone home at quitting time at 4:30, but I was on a roll and didn’t want to stop.
A truly enlightened employer would take advantage of people’s natural wake/sleep cycles, not force all the square pegs into round holes.
AshburnStadium said, 4 months ago
@Richard S. Russell
Exactly! That’s why I have said for years that school districts have it backward when it comes to the start times for high schools and elementary schools.
Studies have confirmed that small kids do well at early hours while high school kids do well at later hours. When I was in high school, kids didn’t do well until around 9:00 AM. Why do they start these kids at 7:00 AM? Due to a bridge construction project one year in my childhood hometown, there was one bus stop where the kids were scheduled to be picked up at 5:55 AM! That was still dark into June!
After school years, why do the warehouse and factory parts of businesses start at 6 or 7 AM while the office doesn’t start until 9 AM?? What happens if something goes wrong in the factory and there is no one in the office to take care of it?
CasualObserver said, 4 months ago
@Richard S. Russell
Too many employees would end up taking advantage of that “enlightened” employer. A truly enlightened employer would recognize those with a good work ethic (apparently like yourself) and arrange the hours to facilitate their efforts.
lightenup
said, 4 months ago
@AshburnStadium
I grew up in MD where the school hours were similar to PA. Now I’m raising my kids in the Atlanta area and they have better hours. The elementary school kids are the first to start school at 7:50, then come the high school kids at 8:20 and finally the middle school kids at 9:15. While the high school kids are early, it’s not too bad…
archipelago
said, 4 months ago
Love it. Unintended consequences. Worth it for him, though.
swr said, 4 months ago
Every day you should do two things you dislike. Every day I get up and every day i go to bed.
I forget what hedonist I stole that from.
bigpuma said, 4 months ago
Well! A refreshing display of self-awareness from Frazz/Mallett. Never thought I’d see the day.
surfstuff55 said, 4 months ago
I"m not a morning person, it’s why I work the 3-11 shift
UsernameUsername1234 said, 4 months ago
@Varnes
I sleep in all the time. Today I slept until 7:00AM.
dw152 said, 4 months ago
Like Frazz, I’m at the pool at 0500, except on mornings when I ride my bike to work. On those mornings, I leave my house at 0430. If I run in the morning, I usually start my run at 0515 – after driving to work and running from the gym there. On the rare morning that I don’t swim, bike, or run, I sleep in until 0445 and I’m at work at 0530.
The Wolf In Your Midst said, 4 months ago
“Dawn, n. The time when men of reason go to bed.” – Ambrose Bierce
To me, the only good morning is the one I get to sleep through!