Frazz by Jef Mallet

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

It’s well-known that I am a fan of comic strips.  From the classics such as Blondie and Peanuts to newer offerings like Breaking Cat News and Strange Planet, I’m a fan.  (Not to mention Calvin and Hobbes, Arlo and Janice, Rose is Rose, Mutts, Red and Rover, The Far Side…. This could go on for a very long time.)

So when a patron asked about Frazz, I hesitated for just a moment. I knew I’d seen a strip or two, but it wasn’t one I followed.  Since the library didn’t have any collections, I ordered a couple and, after the original requester had returned them, I was intrigued enough to give them a try.

It didn’t take long for me to see the appeal. This is a thoughtful and delightful strip set in an elementary school. The title character is a young man who works as a janitor at the school.  He’s smart, an athlete, and a musician, but he loves working with kids because of their energy and excitement. He can also see right through some of their ruses, especially the plans cooked up by Caulfield, an extremely bright student who likes to push boundaries.

The humor is wonderful, sometimes a bit philosophical, but always clever. It reminds me a bit of Calvin and Hobbes, and I’m not the only one to think so.  There were once rumors that Bill Watterson was the real artist behind the strip, but no, this is all Jef Mallet though he does cite Watterson among his influences. (There are also a few Watterson references in the strip.)  I get some echoes of Peanuts as well, because the kids are so perceptive.

For me, there’s a lot to love about this strip.  I get a kick out of the literary and cultural references (Caulfield reads Kafka behind his school book and dresses up as Santiago from The Old Man and the Sea for a school play) and I enjoy some of the thoughtful responses.  The characters are all treated with respect, even the ones we may not find as amiable. It’s a sweet strip without being saccharine.  The only drawback I’ve found is that the humor can’t be boiled down to a short sentence. It’s more nuanced and complex than that, which is very appealing to me.  It just makes the strip hard to explain!

So if you’re in the market for a comic that’s more than a one-liner and art that isn’t cookie-cutter, you may want to give Frazz a try. I think I may have found a new strip to follow!