June 19, 1978: On a bright summer day, a celebrity comes to life and he goes on to become a worldwide phenomenon. He is an Emmy winner, has his own movie; is the face of a cookbook; a chart-topping pop star; a professor promoting learning among children; and an environmentalist. Plus, he makes a regular appearance in your favourite Young World , tickling your funny bones with his trademark dry humour.
The lasagne-loving Garfield is everybody’s favourite fictional cat!
A star is born
Garfield’s creator, cartoonist Jim Davis created a comic strip called Gnorm Gnat in the 1970s. Though similar in treatment and humour, it did not take off. As, according to one editor, “nobody can identify with bugs”. So, Davis created a new character. A cat! A cat who is characterised by his sheer laziness, sarcasm, arrogance, an intense passion for food, and a hatred of Mondays and any sort of physical activity. As Garfield says, “The most active thing about me is my imagination.”
According to the narrative, Garfield was born in the kitchen of Mamma Leoni’s Italian Restaurant. Here began his love for lasagne. Unable to keep up with his appetite, the owner sells Garfield to a pet shop. And Jon Arbuckle adopts him.
In the November 14, 1978, comic strip, Jon is quoted as saying, “I love cats. I wanted a cat... So what do I do? I go to the pet store and ask for a cat. What do they give me?... A lasagne with fur and fangs.”
The Garfield comic strip made its debut on June 19, 1978, in 41 newspapers across the U.S. The cartoon strips feature everyday interactions between Garfield, his owner Jon and the pet dog, Odie, peppered with dry humour and observations about the mundane. Sample this: “If people were meant to pop out of bed we’d all sleep in toasters.”; “Anybody can exercise... But this kind of lethargy takes real discipline.”
Soon, the cat with a wicked sense of humour who speaks his mind through thought bubbles, gained popularity. By 2002, the strip was published in over 2,500 newspapers worldwide, earning it a Guinness record for the ‘Most Widely Syndicated Comic Strip in the World’.
Juggling different hats
Garfield is now also famous for all the other hats he wears.
In January, 1980, his first book — Garfield at Large — was published which became #1 on the New York Times bestsellers list and retained the top spot for almost two years. He also released several music CDs, one of which — Cool Cat — topped the chart in Germany. It featured an animated video with dancing cats to boot. The versatile cat has also starred in a TV commercial along with his creator, earned millions in merchandise sales and was the face of cook books; one of the recipes featured is — as you may have guessed it — lasagna! Oh, there’s also ‘I'd Rather Be Happy Than Thin Chocolate-Chunk Cookies’.
Though sleeping is his favourite past time, Garfield has forgone a few winks for Earth’s sake. He, along with his creator, have campaigned for wetlands restoration, besides other causes.
Garfield’s friends
The characters are owned by Paws Inc and Jim Davis.)
Garfield lives with his socially awkward owner and his dimwitted pet dog, Odie. He loves mocking the stupid actions performed by the two of them, though secretly he loves them both.
Jon: A clumsy geek, Jon tries to change Garfield’s “don’t care” attitude, by encouraging him with curious questions and interesting facts. But Garfield shuts him up with a logical remark, that leaves Jon wondering. He is also extremely good-hearted and patient, traits which Garfield takes advantage of.
Odie: Odie is a yellow beagle who lives with Garfield and Jon. He is naïve, happy, and affectionate, and also blissfully ignorant of Garfield’s meanness towards him, which regularly lands him in trouble. According to Garfield, “His I.Q. is so low you can’t test it. You have to dig for it.”
