Garfield

Garfield is the world's most widely read comic strip, created by Jim Davis featuring the cat Garfield, the less-than-brilliant pet dog Odie, and their socially inept owner Jon Arbuckle. The character is named after Davis's grandfather, James Garfield Davis, who was named after former U.S. president James Garfield.

Overview

Debuting June 19, 1978 (also considered Garfield's birthday, the strips on June 19th always show Garfield celebrating his birthday on that day), the syndicated comic strip pokes fun at pet owners and their relationship with their pets often portraying the pet as the true master of the home. Garfield also appeals because of the way he struggles with very human problems, such as diets, hatred of Mondays, apathy, boredom, and so on.

Related Topics:
June 19 - 1978 - Comic strip - Diet - Monday - Apathy - Boredom

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Over the course of the strip, Garfield's behavior has become more human and less cat-like. His appearance has also evolved, initially being drawn as grossly obese with flabby jowls and small round eyes. Later, his appearance was slimmed down and his eyes enlarged. By 1983, his familiar appearance?featuring oval-shaped eyes?had taken shape. By this time, Garfield had begun walking on two feet, and the strip changed to more of an emphasis on sitcom situations (Garfield making fun of his owner's stupidity, Jon's inability to pick up girls) and less on the foibles of cats. A number of the strip's readers feel that the quality of the writing has lessened, even as the artwork has retained a consistent level of quality (although Davis is no longer the sole, or even principal, artist).

Related Topics:
1983 - Oval - Sitcom

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The comic strip was turned into a cartoon special for television in 1982 called Here Comes Garfield. Actor Lorenzo Music, previously known as the voice of Carlton the doorman on the show Rhoda, was hired to portray the voice of Garfield. Soul singer Lou Rawls provided musical accompaniment. Twelve television specials were made (through 1990) as well as a television series, Garfield and Friends, which ran from 1988 to 1994.

Related Topics:
1982 - Here Comes Garfield - Lorenzo Music - Rhoda - Soul singer - Lou Rawls - 1990 - Garfield and Friends - 1988 - 1994

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The Monday-Saturday strips were offered to newspapers in full-color effective June 7, 1999.

Related Topics:
June 7 - 1999

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A live-action movie version of the comic strip, ' (with a computer-animated Garfield and live-action Odie), debuted in the USA on June 11, 2004. Bill Murray provided the voice of Garfield, making him the fourth actor to play the part (Tommy Smothers of the Smothers Brothers voiced the role in a cat food commercial, and an unnamed Music soundalike was used in another TV spot). Prior to Murray being cast, it was widely reported that actor John Goodman had been picked to provide Garfield's voice for the film.

Related Topics:
Computer-animated - June 11 - 2004 - Bill Murray - John Goodman

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