Garfield is one of the most beloved American comic strips that captures the adventures of a fat cat called Garfield, his owner Jon Arbuckle, and his dog friend called Odie. These comic strips were devised by cartoonist Jim Davis who set Garfield in his hometown in Muncie, Indiana, and based the Garfield character on his childhood pet a fat, grumpy cat.
Artist ”Jim Davis” Prolog :
He was born in Indiana and started his career as a cartoonist in 1973 by creating Gnorm Gnat comic strips that ran in Pendleton Times for a short period from 1973 to 1975. He was a great cartoonist known for his distinctive art style and great gags.
After the failure of Gnormgnat comic strips, he decided to create comic strips based on popular animal characters. At that time, dogs were the most popular and common animal characters so he decided to create comics about cats and laid the basis of Garfield on cats he grew up with on a farm.
Inception Of Garfield Comics :
The comic strips were first published on 8 January 1976 in Pendleton Times under the name of Jon. Still, they gained nationwide syndication in 1978 with the name of Garfield. Some years after it first debuted, it became one of the most widely syndicated comic strips with syndication in more than 2500 newspapers and journals.
Main Characters Of Garfield Comics :
Garfield revolves around the fattest cat who embarks on hilarious adventures with his best friend, Odie, and his owner, Jon. She is often depicted as a lazy person who has an immense love for lasagna and coffee and does nothing but eat. She is stubborn and gets what she wants because of her stubbornness, manipulating people to get what they wish or want.
Jim uses several recurring characters in Garfield including Jon Arbuckle, Odie, and Garfield. Jim named the comic strip Garfield after his grandfather, James A. Garfield Davis, a large man known for his bad temper, while the character of Garfield’s boss, John Arbuckle, took his name from a coffee commercial that aired in the 1950s.
Jim based Lyman’s character, Jon Roommate, on the previous character’s name aired in Gnorm Gnat comic strips. He added the character so Jon would have someone he could talk to and share his stories with. Likewise, Bonner’s arch comic strip dog was renamed Odie in the Garfield comic strips to avoid confusion between the two characters.
Evolution Of Garfield Comics :
Over time, the comic strips evolve resulting in more vibrant illustrations. At first, the style of Garfield strips in the early years of syndication remained simple yet expressive with clean lines and bold colors. Still, after this, Davis used different artistic styles and storytelling techniques to add depth and detailed background to the comic strips and incorporate a detailed background in comics.
After the rise of technology, he used different digital tools and techniques to change the landscape of comic strips which resulted in more polished and vibrant illustrations that resonate with the audience of the present age. Staying true to the roots, Davis also evolved comic humor from time to time to make comics relevant to a new generation of readers. These comic strips reflect different current trends and pop culture references to withstand the test of time while still maintaining the signature wit and charm of stories.
Success And Adoption Of Garfield Comics:
Garfield became an instant success, initially appearing in 41 different newspapers and three years after its launch, the comic strip appeared in 850 different newspapers. Later, merchandise featuring various Garfield characters is also being marketed in various countries, earning Davis’ company, Paz, Inc., billions of dollars.
It has been the basis for several television series, including two animated TV series, cartoon series, feature-length films, action movies, and endless merchandise grossing between $750 million and a billion dollars each year. It has also been adapted into various other media including books and comics etc.
