Meet the Cast of Garfield: Jon, Odie, Liz and More

Garfield may be the face of his eponymous comic strip, but he’s far from the only one keeping things interesting. Over almost five decades, creator Jim Davis built a cast of characters—humans, pets, and even a teddy bear—that has helped make “Garfield” one of the most beloved comic strips of all time.

Garfield

Garfield is the star of the show, and he doesn’t even have to lift a finger. He’s everything a house cat aspires to be: lazy, comfortable with himself and convinced that the world revolves around his next meal. His love for lasagna is legendary, and his hatred of Mondays has made for decades of meme-worthy comic strips. So many of Garfield’s personality help define the strip’s humor today.

What makes Garfield a fabled feline isn’t his impressive ability to sleep 18 hours a day or his Odie-tormenting techniques. It’s that he always says what we’re all thinking. A cat has needs, and he’s brutally honest about it (eat, sleep, eat, repeat). In the hustle and bustle of today’s world, Garfield’s perfectly content and unapologetic about being his unambitious self, and we love him all the more for it.

Jon Arbuckle

Jon, Garfield and Odie’s owner, is a well-meaning and flustered man who keeps the lights on and food bowls full. Jon’s not perfect, but that’s what makes him perfect in his role in the comic strip.

Jon’s earnest, bumbling nature beautifully sets up Garfield’s sarcastic zingers, and his social awkwardness and romantic calamities are as comedic as they are cringey. That said, his unwavering love for his furry friends is something to be admired. Jon proves that it’s important to show up for your people—even if his cat is plotting against him daily.

Odie

Garfield’s adopted brother made his first appearance on Aug. 8, 1978, and he is the happiest dog in comic history. Odie's pure joy is uninterrupted by Garfield’s wit or pranks, his tail always wagging with his tongue hanging out, and he’s always at the ready to abet Garfield’s scheming. We may think there’s not much going on in that brain of his, but believe it or not, Odie has a secret sophisticated side. The bottom line: Odie’s just happy to be here.

Dr. Liz Wilson

Veterinarian Dr. Liz Wilson deals with plenty of difficult patients, but nothing compares to a certain lasagna-obsessed cat who views every vet office as a personal injustice. Liz first treated Garfield on June 26, 1979, and for years she saw Jon as an awkward pet owner with a talent for making every social situation uncomfortable. But, considering the chaos that Jon and Garfield brought in with every visit, Liz managed to keep her cool.

Eventually, Liz saw past Jon’s quirks and saw the genuinely kind man underneath. It was in July 2006 that Jon and Liz became an official couple and sealed the deal with a kiss. This momentous event, according to creator Jim Davis, was based on feedback: “I asked the fans if there was anything that they’d like to see changed in the strip,” he said. “The overwhelming response was that I should give Jon a life, that I should let him have a relationship with Liz.”

Arlene

Arlene, whose first appearance came on Dec. 17, 1980, is one of the rare creatures who sees right through Garfield’s ego—and isn’t impressed by any of it. As Garfield’s on-again, off-again girlfriend, Arlene is distinguished by her bubble gum pink fur, gap-toothed grin, and red lips. She’s the perfect match for Garfield in the sense that she’s equally sarcastic and not afraid to call him out.

Nermal

Nermal proclaims himself the “World’s Cutest Kitten” and backs it up with those innocent eyes. But don’t let his adorable facade fool you: Nermal has a mean streak, and he takes special delight in bullying Garfield. Of course, Garfield is no pushover; he finds creative ways to deal with this enemy, which include shipping him off to Abu Dhabi. Nermal is Jon’s parents’ kitten who first appeared on Sept. 3, 1979, and is a perfect example that sometimes the biggest nuisances come in the smallest packages.

Pooky

Garfield rarely shows his soft side—except when Pooky’s around. On Oct. 23, 1987, Garfield found Pooky tucked away in a dresser and quickly adopted him as his trusted snuggly confidante. In a strip built on Garfield’s cynicism, Pooky is pure comfort and proof that even the most self-assured cats sometimes need something soft to cuddle.

Lyman

On Aug. 7, 1978, Lyman walked into Jon’s house with Odie in tow, and the rest was history. Sort of. Sporting a magnificent mustache, Lyman basically crashed at Jon's place as his roommate until he started fading out of the strips. By 1983, Lyman vanished from the strip without explanation, leaving Odie with Jon foreverReaders have since come up with a host of theories about where Lyman went. Davis later had fun with the theories in his 20 Years & Still Kicking!: Garfield's Twentieth Anniversary Collection, offering tongue-in-cheek explanations ranging from Olympic figure skating dreams to the ominous "Don't Look in Jon's Basement!"

Squeak

Along with Pooky, Garfield’s unlikely friendship with a little gray mouse takes many by surprise. Squeak was introduced on Oct. 30, 1984 and pops into the comic every now and then, having earned enough respect that a very hungry cat ignores his natural instincts. Whether he's assisting Garfield out of a jam or needs help of his own, Squeak's genuine loyalty and sneaky disposition make their friendship one of the strip's most endearing oddities.