If you don’t read the Frazz comic strip every day, you might consider doing so. It’s on-line and free.

Below the strip is a Frazz article I wrote nearly five year ago.

Originally printed in the Bent Rim Bugle, Fall 2004.

Frazz: Climbing to the Top

It’s a patented Lance Armstrong move.  When the timing is right, the opportunity is there, you take a chance and sprint past the field on a mountain stage. 

Like Lance, Jef Mallett made his move. He’d always wanted to create a comic strip, the timing was right, and Frazz was born.  From its first publication in April of 2001, Frazz is now carried nationwide in 150 papers, including the Detroit Free Press.

Jef was raised in Big Rapids and his addiction to cycling began with riding to school because he despised taking the bus.  This addiction eventually grew as he entered his first triathlon in Traverse City before diving into road racing and racing the Grattan Series.  Eventually he returned to triathlons and recently finished fifth as the Lansing Legislator race at Sleepy Hollow State Park.

And if you’re an avid reader of the strip, you’ll note that Frazz did the same triathlon.

For those less familiar with the cartoon, Frazz is a thirty-something school custodian who lives an idyllic life being around well-behaved kids and getting plenty of time to ride both on-road and off.  “Frazz is who I want to be,” says Jef.  “Frazz is a just a regular, likeable guy.” 

Jef admits he hasn’t had much time lately to go mountain biking on his Klein Rascal.  Still, while the “Poto is a classic,” Pontiac Lake’s fast and open trail design better suited his “good enough but not great” skills.  He also enjoys Highland and Yankee Springs, while always managing to break something at the Fort.

One other unique feature of the strip is Frazz often wears a T-shirt with a prominent logo, so we gave Jef an MMBA T-shirt for some future consideration.