Garfield is a famous, fun-loving, fictional cat from the famous comic strip Garfield which was created by writer Jim Davies.
The character was named after Jim Davis’ grandfather, John Arbuckle and his lovable pet dog Odie. In the comic strip, a beagle named Odie makes a regular appearance as Garfield’s co-character.
Apparently, Odie (who has his own day in August) was originally owned by John’s roommate before John decided to adopt the cute canine as his own.
National Garfield the Cat Day Timeline
Prototype Comic Strip “Jon” Debuts
Jim Davis launches the strip “Jon,” featuring a cartoonist and his pets, which becomes the direct precursor to the Garfield comic.
Garfield Comic Strip Launches in Newspapers
The first Garfield strip, starring the lazy orange tabby, Jon Arbuckle, and Odie, appears in 41 newspapers in the United States.
Paws, Inc. Is Founded to Manage Garfield
Jim Davis creates Paws, Inc. as the company dedicated to producing and licensing Garfield, turning the cat into a global merchandising brand.
First Animated Special “Here Comes Garfield” Airs
CBS broadcasts “Here Comes Garfield,” the first animated television special based on the comic, introducing the character to a TV audience.
“Garfield and Friends” Premieres on CBS
The animated series “Garfield and Friends” debuts as a Saturday-morning show, running seven seasons and cementing Garfield’s place in children’s television.
“Garfield: The Movie” Brings the Cat to Theaters
A live-action/CGI feature film, “Garfield: The Movie,” is released, expanding the franchise into big-screen cinema and reaching a new generation of fans.
Viacom Acquires Garfield for Nickelodeon
Viacom (later part of Paramount) announces it has acquired Paws, Inc. and global rights to Garfield, planning new content for Nickelodeon platforms.
How to Celebrate Garfield The Cat Day
Host a Dress Up Event
When celebrating Garfield the Cat day why not dress up as the cat himself? Organize a dress-up day at work where everybody has to come as a character from the well-known comic strip. You could donate the money raised to a local charity and make it a real event!
Enjoy Some Friendly Competition
Alternatively, you could set up a local competition whereby youngsters test out their artistic skills by drawing a three-frame cartoon strip based on Garfield.
Watch the Garfield Movie
Another way to observe Garfield the Cat day is to enjoy watching the original movie while eating lasagna and drinking coffee! You could use a hashtag on social media to spread your love of Garfield the Cat throughout online platforms.
Enjoy Some Merch
You could even treat yourself to some brand-new Garfield the cat merchandise such as a new notebook, pajamas or t-shirt.
All of these ideas are excellent ways to celebrate Garfield the cat. Spread the word to your family and friends if they aren’t already aware of this unique holiday. It may become a tradition that you never forget; Garfield the cat would be proud at the impact he has made on this day every single year!
Hopefully these fun and informative insights on Garfield the car has reignited your love for this plump, ginger feline!
History of Garfield the Cat
Many people don’t know this, but the world-renowned comic strip featuring Garfield is set in Muncie, Indiana. Muncie, Indiana has a population of around 70,000, but the cat population of the city currently remains undiscovered (shall we try and find out?!).
Jim Davis is said to have taken all of the human faculties, that we do not like discussing and anthropomorphized them in our ginger friend. Seems like it was a good idea as Garfield the Cat is now well-recognized in households all over the world.
Garfield, the ginger-furred feline comes with an array of endearing and exciting qualities. His adventures are memorable and his distinctive personality makes him one of the most lovable furry friends in cartoon history. You may not know some of the facts mentioned here; Garfield The Cat certainly has a whole lot of history!
So why is June 19 the day we celebrate Garfield the cat? Well, on this day, in 1978 the first publication of Garfield, which chronicles the life of the lead character was released. National Garfield the Cat Day was started in 1998 by Wanda Thayer, in honor of the 20th anniversary of the famous ginger cat’s first appearance.
Garfield The Cat Loves Food and Hates Mondays, But Who Doesn’t?!
Within the comic strips, some of the topical subjects focused on are obsessive eating, love for consuming food, and a distaste of Mondays (does anybody really enjoy Monday though?!). His absolute favorite food is lasagna and many people recognize this as his signature trait.
He also regularly expresses his hatred for going on diets and getting up early. He is well known for his lazy attitude and is also a self-confessed coffee addict! Food and laziness definitely make Garfield distinctive compared to other famous cartoon cats over the world.
Garfield doesn’t just love to eat food but he also has a handful of cookbooks too. One of the most popular Garfield recipe books is called “Garfield – Recipes with Cattitude.”
Some of the recipes in the book include lasagna (of course), pizza, meatball subs, potato salad, banana berry smoothie, the very best stuffing, smoky grilled corn, garlic oven friend, crispy bacon breadsticks and much more!
Which recipe would you choose to try out first if you got your hands on Garfield the Cat’s famous cookbook?
Garfield The Cat Holds a World Record and Is a Bestseller!
You can see publications of Garfield in nearly 3000 newspapers, magazines, and online journals. Garfield the cat also actually holds the Guinness world record for being the world’s most widely syndicated comic strip too, which is pretty impressive!
Garfield has also been translated into seven languages and is well-recognized across many countries all over the world. In Sweden, Garfield is officially called Gustav. Finland and Norway also switched up the fun-loving felines name to reflect the local values and knowledge.
The popular book “Garfield At Large” made the New York Times bestseller list for two years. This was a major accomplishment and milestone for Garfield the Cat.
The book was originally published by Ballantine Books in the United States in 1980. At one point there were seven on this list at the same time, which meant that the way the list was done had to be changed.
Publishing houses were sending in complaints as other authors couldn’t get on the list due to Garfield the cat!
Facts About National Garfield the Cat Day
Garfield’s Debut Was a Carefully Calculated Business Move
Jim Davis has said he created Garfield after noticing that newspaper comics were crowded with dogs but had very few cats, despite cats being extremely popular pets.
With an advertising background and a failed earlier strip about insects behind him, he deliberately designed Garfield as a simple, easily recognizable character that editors could pitch to cat-loving readers, combining creative instincts with market savvy from the outset.
From 41 Papers to a Global Newspaper Phenomenon
When Garfield launched in nationwide syndication on June 19, 1978, it appeared in only 41 newspapers through United Feature Syndicate.
Over the following decades it spread to thousands of papers around the world and was recognized by Guinness World Records as the most widely syndicated comic strip, illustrating how quickly a character built for broad appeal can dominate the comics page.
Muncie, Indiana Quietly Ran a Global Cartoon Empire
Rather than basing his operation in media hubs like New York or Los Angeles, Jim Davis ran the Garfield franchise from Muncie, Indiana.
He founded Paws, Inc. there in 1981 to handle production and licensing, and this small Midwestern studio coordinated everything from the daily strip to television projects and merchandise deals, turning a regional office into the control center of a globally recognized brand.
Garfield Helped Redefine How Comic Strips Make Money
Garfield arrived at a time when most comic strips depended largely on syndication fees and book collections, but Jim Davis structured his creation for heavy licensing from the beginning.
Through Paws, Inc., Garfield expanded into toys, clothing, fast-food promotions, animated shows, and films, and media scholars often cite the character as a textbook example of how a newspaper strip can be developed into a cross-platform entertainment and merchandising franchise.
The Character’s Design Evolved to Suit Gags and Animation
Early Garfield strips show a squat, realistically overweight cat who mostly moves on all fours and has relatively small eyes.
Over the years, Davis altered the design to give Garfield a larger head, bigger eyes, longer legs, and a more upright stance, which made his expressions clearer, improved the readability of physical gags, and translated more easily into animated productions such as “Garfield and Friends.”
Garfield’s Success Grew Out of an Earlier Failure About Bugs
Before creating Garfield, Jim Davis drew a strip called “Gnorm Gnat” about insects for a local Indiana paper, but syndicates turned it down on the grounds that readers would not relate to bugs.
One editor told him his art and humor were strong but that no one could identify with an insect cast, feedback that prompted Davis to apply the same gag-writing skills to a more relatable subject: a housecat who would become Garfield.
Garfield’s Name Honors Both Family and a U.S. President
Jim Davis named his comic-strip cat after his grandfather, James Garfield Davis, creating a personal link between author and character.
His grandfather had in turn been named for President James A. Garfield, so the lasagna-loving feline carries a name that reflects both a Midwestern family lineage and a nod to a 19th century American president.
