Garfield
By Jim Davis | 38.6K FollowersAbout Garfield
What a cat! A cat for all seasons. Sassy. Opinionated. This lasagna loving, mailman chasing, sarcastic cat is a classic that readers love. Garfield, Odie, and Jon will leave you wanting a daily dose of this beloved bunch! Garfield’s crafty talent with words and sneaky preference for practical jokes often leave his owner, Jon—and us—speechless and always wanting more.
Meet Jim Davis
Jim Davis, the creator of “Garfield,” was born in 1945, in Marion, Indiana, and raised on a small farm where he whiled away the hours drawing pictures.
In college, he studied art and business before going to work for “Tumbleweeds” creator Tom Ryan. He drew his own strip, “Gnorm Gnat,” for five years. Then he noticed there were a lot of successful comic strips about dogs, but none about cats. Combining his wry wit and art skills, Davis created Garfield, a composite of all the cats he remembered from his childhood farm and named after his grandfather, James Garfield Davis.
The strip debuted in 1978. Today, “Garfield” is read in 2,400+ newspapers by 200 million people. Guinness World Records named “Garfield” “The Most Widely Syndicated Comic Strip in the World.” The National Cartoonist Society honored David with two Best Humor awards, the Elzie Segar Award, and the coveted Reuben Award.
Davis established Paws, Inc. to manage worldwide rights for “Garfield.” He wrote 11 primetime CBS specials that received 10 Emmy nominations and four Emmy Awards for Outstanding Animated Program. Twentieth Century Fox turned out two feature “Garfield” films. Davis wrote the original screenplays and served as executive producer for three animated DVD features.
A noted philanthropist, Davis founded The Professor Garfield Foundation to support children's literacy, spearheaded environmental reforestation and restoration projects, and more.
Cast of Characters
Garfield
A cynical, lazy, lasagna-loving, Monday-hating, dog-punting, mailman-mauling fat cat. Garfield's passion for food and sleep is matched only by his aversion to diet and exercise.
Jon Arbuckle
The bumbling, exasperated owner of Garfield and Odie. Decent but dull, Jon provides love, food, and shelter while his playful pets provide the laughs.
Liz
Liz is Garfield’s vet. She treats Garfield like a patient and used to treat Jon like the plague. Then a minor miracle occurred: The doctor developed immunity to Jon’s “geekitis” and succumbed to his dweeby charms. She’s aware that Jon is still a loser, but now he’s her lovable loser.
Odie
Lovable, but brainless as a brick, Odie is Garfield's faithful friend ... and often the butt of Garfield's jokes. Odie never thinks, sometimes barks, and always slobbers.
Arlene
The gap-toothed, female cat most likely to share dinner (and insults) with Garfield. They have a love-hate relationship: Garfield loves himself and Arlene hates that.
Pooky
Found in a dresser drawer and adopted by Garfield, Pooky is a teddy bear extraordinaire: lovable, huggable, and always there when Garfield needs him. Garfield shares his deepest thoughts (and his deepest sleeps) with his fuzzy friend.
Nermal
Self-proclaimed "World's Cutest Kitten," Nermal often flaunts his cuteness while he taunts Garfield about his looks and age. But Garfield gets in his licks: He once mailed Nermal to Abu Dhabi!
