Press Release: February 11, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

High-res photos and custom event artwork featuring "Frazz" available upon request.

Cycling and comics come together at
Friday Night with Frazz at Century Cycles on March 5

Rocky River OH (February 11, 2010) – The worlds of bicycling and comic strips unite daily in the nationally syndicated comic strip "Frazz," which is about a bicycle-riding, triathlon-competing elementary school custodian. Those diverse worlds will also come together at Friday Night with Frazz, a Century Cycles party at which northeast Ohioans can meet and celebrate Jef Mallett, creator of "Frazz" and author/illustrator of the triathlon lifestyle book Trizophrenia: Inside the Minds of a Triathlete. 

Bicyclists, triathletes, wannabe triathletes, comics fans, school custodians, and everyone else are welcome to attend the event on Friday, March 5, at 7:00 p.m., at the Century Cycles in Rocky River at 19955 Detroit Road. It is free and open to the public. No RSVP necessary.

For more information, go to www.centurycycles.com/goto/frazz, call 440-356-5705, or email info@centurycycles.com.

Friday Night With Frazz will include a talk-and-draw by Jef Mallett, followed by a Q&A and book signing. Mallett is donating an original "Frazz" comic strip that will be raffled off, with the proceeds to benefit the Cuyahoga Valley National Park Association's TRAILS FOREVER Legacy Fund. Copies of Mallett's books will be for sale at the event.

Century Cycles hosts a spring party each year to mark the start of the bicycling season. The events are known for their great food, fun beverages, and free giveaways. For Friday Night With Frazz, the giveaways will include Mallett’s drawings from the evening's talk, copies of Trizophrenia: Inside the Minds of a Triathlete, and bicycling products from Century Cycles and other sponsors. 

About Jef Mallett: Jef Mallett is the award-winning creator of the syndicated comic strip "Frazz." He raced his first triathlon in 1981, but only rarely does he have to worry about looking nice for an awards ceremony. He lives and trains in Lansing, Michigan. His blog is online at www.jefmallet.net. 

About "Frazz:" The comic strip runs daily in The Plain Dealer, the Akron Beacon Journal, and 160 other newspapers nationwide. It features the eponymous character of Edwin "Frazz" Frazier, a 30-something school custodian who loves bicycling, songwriting, and triathlons. He is described by Mallett as "the voice of reason, the voice of experience, and, frequently, the voice of temptation." Other recurring characters are Caulfield, an 8-year-old student genius who hates school, Miss Jane Plainwell (Frazz's romantic interest), and teachers Mr. Burke and Mrs. Olsen. There are three published anthologies: Live at Bryson Elementary, 99% Perspiration, and Frazz 3. 

About Trizophrenia: Inside the Minds of a Triathlete: Author/illustrator Jef Mallett offers up the first exploration of the triathlon lifestyle with the same humor and insight readers love in his "Frazz" comic strip. He delves into the intoxicating subculture of the sport that is three sports. "I consider all ranges of distance to be triathlons – from super sprints to full Ironmans," says Mallet. "This book is really about how life is best when it is lived at full-tilt" says Mallett.

About Century Cycles: Century Cycles is an award-winning chain of independent bicycle stores in Medina, Peninsula, and Rocky River, providing high-quality bicycles and friendly, expert service to northeast Ohio bicyclists and their families. Century Cycles is an authorized dealer of Raleigh, Giant, Diamondback, Electra, Surly, Masi, Bianchi, and Haro bicycles, as well as Santana tandems. The Peninsula store also rents bicycles year-round for use on the Towpath Trail in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

For eight consecutive years, Century Cycles has been voted one of the top 100 bicycle retailers in the United States by Bicycle Retailer & Industry News magazine. In 2009, Cent ury Cycles was awarded Bike Shop of the Year by the League of American Bicyclists, one of only eight bicycle shops honored in the United States.

Website: www.centurycycles.com
Blog: www.blog.centurycycles.com
Twitter: twitter.com/CenturyCycles

1079 North Court Street, Medina, Ohio, 44256
330-722-7119

1621 Main Street (Route 303), Peninsula, Ohio, 44264
330-657-2209

19955 Detroit Road, Rocky River, Ohio, 44116
440-356-5705

Define your life. Ride a bike.™

Tracey Bradnan, Cartwheel Communications
Cell Phone: 440-781-7690
tracey@cartwheelcleveland.com
Twitter: @traceybradnan