Garfield Comic Strip

Jim Davis had the idea for a daily strip about a tabby cat and it went on to be the most syndicated strip in the world. The Garfield comic strip has entertained readers ever since its introduction in 1978. Such is its place in popular culture; it is even represented in the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The everyday trials and tribulations of Garfield, his owner Jon Arbuckle and Odie the beagle dog have created a loyal following. Fans smile at the antics of the characters and they care what happens to them. The Garfield Comic strip has come off the page and onto film and TV. There have been television specials, a TV series and movies. The series, Garfield and Friends ran from 1988 to 1995 and episodes are still repeated today.

There has been two live action films, the first being Garfield: The Movie, released in 2004. Garfield is in the form of a computer animation but Odie is a real dog. Garfield's personality was captured perfectly with the voice of popular actor, Bill Murray. The sequel followed two years later and was called Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties. In 2007, a straight to video feature length film was released with the title, Garfield Gets Real. This version of the comic strip with Garfield is a CGI animated movie.

The strip tends to contain short story lines and the action usually keeps the protagonists in character. Jon Arbuckle is shown as a geek who has difficulty getting dates. Odie is not the smartest dog in the world, a fact that Garfield takes advantage of when he makes fun of him. Garfield has an inner fantasy world and is portrayed in several altar egos. These include The Caped Avenger, Amoeba Man, Banana Man, The Chicken Man, and Karate Cat.

The range of merchandise is big business for the Garfield comic strip franchise and includes stuffed toys and figurines. Garfield's Christmas Village is a lovely yuletide gift and there are also book compilations of the strips. Fans can watch old TV episodes and movies on DVDs and there are video games for various formats, including Nintendo Game Boy, Nintendo DS, Playstation 2, Gamecube, Wii, and for the PC. Additional income for the franchise is obtained from Garfield's participation in television commercials for cat food, cereal and snacks. All this success is not bad for a striped cat from Indiana!

Summary