Garfield

Welcome to my Garfield shrine!

As a child I would go to the library and bring home books of Garfield comics, reading them chronologically until I got to the most recent they had. Then I started all over from the begining. I did that a few times, desperately hoping they would have newer books, but eventually I gave up.

Nowdays I probably wouldn't find the Garfeild comics all that funny due to overused jokes, yet I can't help but feel fondness for Garfield the cat

My Plush

Here is a 1981 plush my buddie got me as a gift!!!!

Garfield plush front viewGarfield plush side view

I was not at all expecting him, so I was very touched. I tend to be critical or indifferent towards gifts, as they are my least important love language, but he meant a lot to me. He now sits on my headboard :3

Tattoo

I am also planning on getting this garf as my first tattoo

Garfield sleeping on the ground with a content smile

Garfield in the (my) flesh as of 5/27/23

line art of that same Garfield on my upper arm

Evolution of Garfield

This wouldn't be a Garfield page without a style evolution image ;3

a timeline of Garfield, featuring years: 1978 early, 1978 late, 1980, 1983, 1988, 1991, 2003, 2007, and 2019
This image is my edit of this compilation made by deviantart user DoomesPro93

Note that this diagram does not show even intervals for years, instead I selected years based on how much Garfield's design has changed

For a while now many people have made mock Garfield style evolutions, poking fun at how large Garfeild's eyes and feet have gotten, speculating how grotesquely large they will be in the future. Not suprisingly, Jim Davis's style evolution has slowed down a lot. Naturally an artist's style will change drastically in their early days of illustrating a new subject, and then over the years, the changes become a lot slower and more subtle. Notice how much Garfield's appearance changed from the beginning to end of 1978, where as he looks pretty much the same in 2019 as he did in 2007

Why are Garfield's Feet so Large Now?

According to this article where Jim Davis is interviewed, Garfield's transition into a two legged character was encouraged by Charles M. Schulz, creator of the Peanuts

If we look at the strips we can see evidence of this. Rather than gradually growing, the change in garfields feet is an intentional decision by Jim Davis

Comic strip where Garfield walking on his hind feet (which are small). Jon says, 'Garfield, cats can't walk on their hind feet' Garfield says, 'I didn't know that' and switches to walking on his front feet with a smug expression

April 18, 1981 - an early strip showing Garfield on his hind feet; this is treated as a novelty, rather than part of his design. Jon's remark is a bit ironic considering the future.

Comic with Garfield approaching Odie as he says, 'It's been a while since I heard a good splut'. He kicks Odie and listens for the splut

July 19 1982 - Garfield is mostly shown standing to kick Odie off the table, or for other very specific poses

Comic where Jon's mom asks what they would like for breakfast. Garfield appears carrying a chicken in one hand and a pig in the other

May 18, 1983 - the last time we see Garfields small kitty feet before he's switched over. Here I'm willing to bet hes only shown on two feet because his front paws are full.

Garfield stands on Odie's head to reach a pie.

June 7, 1983 - the first time we see Garfield with long feet

Garfield kicks Odie while outside

June 11, 1983 - long feet one day before this slip up:

Long Garfield strip showing him hiding from Jon who's trying to take him to the vet. In one panel he is standing up against a wall.

June 12, 1983 - Garfield depicted with small feet, after Jim started drawing him with long feet.

This is the most telling sign that Jim conciously chose to change how he draws Garfield's feet, as he slipped up and accidentally did his default a day after. That or he may have drafted this comic before June 7th.

Garfield opening a cookie jar only to find Odie in it. He standing the entire strip.

June 30, 1983 - to my observation he consistently has long feet after this point. As such, he begins to be shown a lot more on his hind feet, in situations like this one where he's not really required to be; he could have been shown sneaking on all four feet

It's interesting to note that this signifigant change in how Garfield is depicted, occurs pretty early on on the strip, in 1983.

Snoopy from the Peanuts Garfield standing from 1983 Garfield standing from 2007

Davis's inspiration from Schultz is very apparent at first, especially with how garfields hind legs flow into his body, but he gradually develops a more distinct way of drawing Garfield's feet/legs. Although I do prefer Garfield in his four legged form, I think it is very touching to see the stylistic impact comic artist's inspirations have on their own comic. You can also see the influence of Schultz on Bill Watterson in his early Calvin and Hobbes strips!

Cat Behavior

The more often Garfield stands on two feet, the less catlike he is. Thats not to say he was never anthropomorphized, but in the beginning Garfield was very much a cat, and it's sad to see the comic forget that.

Here are some strips/clips of Garfield being a kitty!

Garfield crouched with his tail swishing, hunting a hamburger Garfield frantically wakes Jon up from bed to feed him. Jon feeds him and goes back to bed only to find Garfield asleep on his pillow Jon petting Garfield in his lap. Garfield is kneeding on Jon, tearing his clothes Garfield walks up to Jon reading a newspaper and lays down on his newspaper Garfield pushes Jon's fern off a dresser, and Jon is mad until Garfields cuteness wears him down Garfield is crouched with his tail swishing before pouncing Garfield pounces to steal Jons toast Garfield peaking into Jons sock drawer, his tail swishing Garfield running to greet Jon at the door Garfield running to his food and playing in it Garfield pushes a potted plant off a window sill Garfield climbs into a lonely Jons lap Garfield bats at a window blind pull string Garfield paws at Jon's soup, getting it all over the table

I personally favor his 1979 design; still catlike and round, but cuter than 1978

Strips!

Read Garfield strips by the month here

Garfield's Firsts

the first comics to depict Garfield's classic traits

Jon takes away Garfields cup of coffee saying, 'You can't drink coffee Garfield, you'll stunt your uh your ...' he pauses to look at the reader. In the third panel he asks Garfield, 'One lump, or two?'.

Garfield's first coffee - Jun 29, 1978

Garfield says, 'I'm just your average ordinary cat ... For instance I'm crazy about natures most perfect food ... Lasagna!'.

Garfield's first lasagna <3 - Jul 7, 1978

Garfield bats at a pull string on a window blind, accidentally retracting the blind, catching himself in it. He says, 'I hate Mondays'.

Garfield's first Monday! - Sep 18, 1978

Garfield is looking through a drawer and pulls out a teddy bear. He says, 'Hello, whats this? A teddy bear. A dumb, stupid, silly looking old teddy bear ... I think I'll call him Pookie'.

Pooky's origin - Oct 23, 1978

Funny

Strips that actually got a chuckle out of me

Garfield is expecting lasagna, but gets cat food. He throws his bowl at Jon, hitting him in the back of the head.

Jul 20, 1978

Jon feels for his pipe, only to find that Garfield is smoking it. He pulls it out of Garfields mouth and almost puts it back into his own mouth before pausing, then giving it back to Garfield.

Jul 28-29, 1978

Garfield paws at Jons soup, splashing it every where. Jon yells, 'My chicken soup!' and Garfield says, 'the devil made me do it'.

Aug 22, 1978 - my second favorite

Garfield is irritated by a fly and goes to swat it, but accidentally hits the back of Jons head, pushing his face into his place of food. Jon angrily leans towards Garfeild and says, 'Thanks. I needed that'.

Sep 15, 1978 - my favorite

Jon whispers to Layman, 'Here he comes, say something nice.' Layman says, 'Looking good Garfield' and Jon says, 'Sharp sweater ol buddy' to a pissed Garfield who is wearing a green sweater with a large zig zag stripe and purple cuffs. After Garfield is gone, Layman says, 'sad' and Jon says, 'Looks like a meatball in traction'.

Jan 1, 1978

Transparent Garfield Images

just garfeild in poses i think are cute, or would be fun to put on a webpage as decoration :3

sourced from the strips, backgrounds removed by me (more to come!). select to skip aprox 50 images