Garfield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Garfield |
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| Author(s) | Jim Davis |
| Owner | Paws, Inc. (Viacom) (2019) (Paramount Skydance Corporation) (since 2019) |
| Website | www.gocomics.com/garfield |
| Current status/schedule | Running/daily |
| Launch date | June 19, 1978 |
| Syndicate(s) | Universal Press Syndicate/Universal Uclick/Andrews McMeel Syndication (1994–present) United Feature Syndicate (1978–1994) |
| Publisher(s) | Random House (under Ballantine Books), occasionally Andrews McMeel Publishing |
| Genre(s) | Gag-a-day Humor |
| Preceded by | Jon (1976–1977) and Garfield (1977–1978), locally published strips in the Pendleton Times-Post |
Garfield is a super popular American comic strip created by Jim Davis. It features a lazy, lasagna-loving cat named Garfield, his kind but clumsy owner Jon Arbuckle, and their silly dog, Odie. The comic strip started way back in 1978 and quickly became famous around the world. It even holds a Guinness World Record for being the most widely shared comic strip!
The stories in Garfield usually happen in Muncie, Indiana, which is Jim Davis's hometown. The comic often shows Garfield's love for food, his naps, and his funny interactions with Jon and Odie.
Over the years, Garfield has appeared in many other forms of media. Several TV specials aired from 1982 to 1991. An animated TV show called Garfield and Friends aired from 1988 to 1994. In these, Lorenzo Music was the voice of Garfield. Later, two live-action movies, Garfield: The Movie (2004) and Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties (2006), featured a computer-animated Garfield voiced by Bill Murray. A CGI animated series, The Garfield Show, aired from 2009 to 2016. A brand new animated movie, The Garfield Movie, was released in 2024. Garfield also appears on lots of merchandise, in video games, and in books.
In 2019, a company called Paramount Skydance Corporation bought most of the rights to the Garfield franchise. This included the comics, merchandise, and animated shows. Jim Davis still creates the comics, and a new animated series for Nickelodeon is currently in production.
Contents
The Story Behind Garfield
Jim Davis grew up in Muncie, Indiana. He loved cats and based the character of Garfield on the cats he had as a child. Garfield's name and grumpy personality came from Jim Davis's grandfather, James A. Garfield Davis. Jon Arbuckle, Garfield's owner, got his name from an old coffee commercial.
Odie, the dog, was originally named Spot. He was renamed to avoid confusion with another comic strip dog. These characters first appeared in a local comic strip called Jon in 1976. The strip's name changed to Garfield in 1977.
In 1978, a company called United Feature Syndicate started sharing the Garfield comic strip with newspapers all over the country. It first appeared in 41 newspapers on June 19, 1978. Some newspapers tried to stop publishing it, but readers loved Garfield so much that they complained until the strip came back!
Over time, the way the characters looked in the comic strip changed. Garfield, for example, started to look more cartoonish. He began walking on his hind legs more often and became a bit slimmer. Jim Davis said these changes made it easier for Garfield to do funny things, like pushing Odie off the table or reaching for a piece of pie!
Garfield quickly became a huge success. By 1981, it was in 850 newspapers and had sold millions of dollars in merchandise. Jim Davis created his own company, Paws, Inc., to manage all the Garfield products. By 2002, Garfield was the most syndicated comic strip in the world, appearing in 2,570 newspapers.
Today, Jim Davis still writes the stories and does the rough drawings for the comic. His talented assistants, Brett Koth and Gary Barker, do most of the detailed artwork. Jim Davis spends much of his time overseeing the creation of new comics and Garfield products.
Meet the Garfield Characters
The comic strip's main character is Garfield, a big, orange tabby cat. Garfield is known for being sarcastic, lazy, and loving food, especially lasagna. His owner is Jon Arbuckle, a kind but often awkward man who enjoys nerdy hobbies. Jon's other pet is Odie, a friendly but not-so-smart yellow dog. Most of the comics show the funny situations that happen because of these three characters' different personalities.
For a long time, Jon tried to get dates, especially with Dr. Liz Wilson, the pets' veterinarian. After a special storyline in 2006, Jon and Liz became a couple and started living together! Other characters include Jon's family on their farm, Garfield's teddy bear Pooky, his girlfriend Arlene, and Nermal, a kitten who loves to tease Garfield.
The Garfield comic strip is popular because it focuses on everyday humor that everyone can relate to. It doesn't usually talk about serious social or political topics.
Garfield: The Lasagna-Loving Cat
First appearance: June 19, 1978
Garfield is an orange, fluffy tabby cat. He was born in an Italian restaurant and immediately ate all the pasta and lasagna he could find. This is why he loves lasagna so much!
Many jokes in the comic are about Garfield being overweight and not liking to exercise. He famously says, "breathing is exercise." Even though Garfield can be a bit grumpy, he has a soft spot for his teddy bear, Pooky, and he loves food and sleep.
Readers often wonder if Jon can understand Garfield's thoughts. The comic usually shows that Jon cannot hear Garfield's thoughts. However, in some movies, Garfield and other animals can talk and be understood by humans. June 19 is celebrated as Garfield's birthday in the comic, which is also the day the strip first appeared.
Jon Arbuckle: Garfield's Human
First appearance: June 19, 1978
Jon (full name: Jonathan Q. Arbuckle) is Garfield's owner. He is often shown as a clumsy and awkward person who has trouble finding dates. Luckily, he is now dating Liz, Garfield's veterinarian. Jon often tries to get Garfield interested in the world, but Garfield usually has a funny, simple answer.
Despite all the trouble Garfield causes, Jon is very kind and patient with him. Jon's exact age is a bit of a mystery, but his birthday is July 28. Jon loves all cats, including Garfield. Many jokes are about his lack of social skills, his strange fashion choices, and his unusual hobbies.
Jon grew up on a farm with few modern comforts. He sometimes visits his parents, brother Doc Boy, and grandmother there. In the early days of the comic, Jon was sometimes shown as a cartoonist, like Jim Davis himself.
Odie: The Happy Dog
First appearance: August 8, 1978
Odie is a yellow, long-eared beagle with a big, slobbery tongue. He usually walks on all four legs. Odie was first owned by Jon's friend Lyman, but Jon adopted him later.
Odie is younger than Garfield and is usually shown as happy, loving, and a bit silly. He often doesn't seem to notice Garfield's grumpy behavior, even when Garfield plays tricks on him, like kicking him off the kitchen table. Sometimes, though, Odie shows he's smarter than he seems. In one comic, he held a heavy rock to stop Garfield from kicking him!
Dr. Liz Wilson: The Vet
First appearance: June 26, 1979
Dr. Liz Wilson is Garfield and Odie's sarcastic veterinarian. Jon Arbuckle had a crush on her for a long time. Liz is often serious and reacts to Jon's silly behavior with a dry sense of humor.
Jon often tried to ask her out, but it was usually hard. However, in a special storyline in 2006, Liz and Jon finally kissed and became a couple! Her birthday is January 13.
Garfield's World: Themes and Jokes
Many jokes in Garfield focus on his love for food and his dislike of spiders, Mondays, diets, and any kind of work. He also teases Odie and Jon a lot. Garfield loves lasagna and will eat almost anything, except raisins and spinach. He also enjoys eating Jon's houseplants and pet birds or fish.
Garfield has a strange relationship with mice; he often lets them go or even works with them to cause mischief. But he will always swat spiders flat!
Other jokes are about Jon's poor social skills and how hard it was for him to get a date before Liz. His dates often went wrong in funny ways. Now, he only dates Liz.
Specific places often appear in the comic strips. The vet's office is one place Garfield doesn't like to visit. Irma's Diner is another occasional setting, known for its terrible food and funny manager, Irma. Jon also visits his parents and brother Doc Boy on their farm, which leads to many funny family moments.
The characters sometimes "break the fourth wall". This means they talk directly to the readers, explain something, or make a funny face when they are not impressed.
Special Storylines
Sometimes, the comic strip has longer stories. One common storyline involves Jon and Liz on a date at a restaurant. They sometimes have a fancy waiter named Armando, who doesn't seem to like Jon's silly behavior.
Another character who is often mentioned but rarely seen is Jon's neighbor, Mrs. Feeny. Garfield loves to bother her, even when she puts up an electric fence!
The comic also has special weeks, like when Garfield's birthday (June 19) is celebrated. He often dreads getting older. Christmas is also a big theme in December, with jokes about presents and decorating.
Garfield in Media
Books
Since 1980, the comic strips have been collected into books. The first one, Garfield at Large, was published in 1980. These books helped make the comic strip even more popular. Jim Davis created a special book layout for these collections that was wider and less tall than typical books. This allowed the comic strips to look just like they did in the newspaper. This style is now called the "Garfield format" in the publishing world.
Internet
Garfield.com used to be the official website for the comic strip. It had old comics, games, and an online store. Jim Davis also worked with universities to create ProfessorGarfield.org, an educational website with games to help with math and reading.
A popular fan-made version of the comic strip is called Garfield Minus Garfield. In these comics, Garfield and his thought bubbles are removed, making Jon seem like a lonely person talking to his pets. Jim Davis himself thought this was a clever idea!
The official Garfield.com website was shut down on June 19, 2020, after Paramount Skydance Corporation bought Paws, Inc. Now, the website redirects to Nick.com.
Television
Garfield first appeared in animation on The Fantastic Funnies in 1980. From 1982 to 1991, twelve special Garfield cartoons aired during primetime. Lorenzo Music voiced Garfield in all of them. A Saturday-morning cartoon show, Garfield and Friends, aired for seven seasons from 1988 to 1994, also with Music as Garfield's voice.
The Garfield Show, a CGI series, premiered in France in 2008 and in the U.S. on Cartoon Network in 2009. A new Garfield series is currently in development at Nickelodeon after Paramount Skydance Corporation acquired the franchise.
TV Series
| Title | Broadcast Date | End Date | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garfield and Friends | September 17, 1988 | December 10, 1994 | CBS |
| The Garfield Show | November 2, 2009 | October 24, 2016 | France 3 Cartoon Network |
| Garfield Originals | December 6, 2019 | June 17, 2020 | France 3 Nick.com |
| Untitled Garfield series | TBA | Nickelodeon | |
Primetime Specials
| Title | Broadcast Date | Emmy Result |
|---|---|---|
| Here Comes Garfield | October 25, 1982 | Nominated |
| Garfield on the Town | October 28, 1983 | Won |
| Garfield in the Rough | October 26, 1984 | Won |
| Garfield's Halloween Adventure | October 30, 1985 | Won |
| Garfield in Paradise | May 27, 1986 | Nominated |
| Garfield Goes Hollywood | May 8, 1987 | Nominated |
| A Garfield Christmas | December 21, 1987 | Nominated |
| Garfield: His 9 Lives | November 22, 1988 | Nominated |
| Garfield's Babes and Bullets | May 23, 1989 | Won |
| Garfield's Thanksgiving | November 22, 1989 | Nominated |
| Garfield's Feline Fantasies | May 18, 1990 | Nominated |
| Garfield Gets a Life | May 8, 1991 | Nominated |
Films
A live-action/computer-animated film titled Garfield: The Movie was released in theaters on June 11, 2004. A sequel, Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties, followed on June 16, 2006. Both films were released by 20th Century Fox with actor Bill Murray voicing Garfield.
Three direct-to-video animated films were also released: Garfield Gets Real (2007), Garfield's Fun Fest (2008), and Garfield's Pet Force (2009).
A new computer-animated The Garfield Movie was released on May 24, 2024. Chris Pratt voiced Garfield, and Samuel L. Jackson joined the cast as Vic, Garfield's father. Sony Pictures handled the global distribution for this film.
Video Games
Many Garfield video games have been created over the years. Some early games included Garfield: Big Fat Hairy Deal (1987) and A Week of Garfield (1989) for the Family Computer. Sega made Garfield: Caught in the Act in 1995.
More recent games include Garfield Kart and Garfield Kart: Furious Racing. Garfield also appears as a playable character in several Nickelodeon crossover games, such as Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl and Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3: Slime Speedway.
Comic Books
In May 2012, Boom! Studios started publishing a monthly Garfield comic book. The first issue was written by Mark Evanier, who also worked on Garfield and Friends.
Art Books
In 2016, Hermes Press published an art book called The Art of Jim Davis' Garfield. This book explores the artwork of Jim Davis, the creator of Garfield.
Paws, Inc.
Paws, Inc. was founded in 1981 by Jim Davis. Its purpose was to support the Garfield comic strip and manage all the licensed products. The company is located in Muncie, Indiana.
In 1994, Paws, Inc. bought all the rights to the Garfield comic strips from 1978 to 1993. In August 2019, Jim Davis sold Paws, Inc. to Viacom (now Paramount Skydance Corporation). Garfield is now part of the Nickelodeon family.
Images for kids
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Liz's first appearance from a 1976 Jon strip, where she was simply known as 'that girl.'
See also
In Spanish: Garfield para niños
