HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GARFIELD! JIM DAVIS Q&A
Garfield the cat is turning 36 tomorrow, and he’s got a lot to celebrate. The Garfield Show, a production of Dargaud Media, Paws, Inc. and France 3, is aired in 211 territories in 27 language versions, with wide distribution by Cartoon Network. Season five is currently in production and 210 11-minute eps are in frequent rotation. What’s more, the Garfield comic strip is the most widely syndicated strip in the world, and Davis just signed his first-ever master toy licensee, Wicked Cool Toys. CynKids spoke with the legendary Jim Davis, creator of the comic strip and television show, about why his feline is still, ahem, the cat’s meow.
What’s the secret to Garfield’s lasting appeal?
We live in a time where we feel guilty about overeating, wanting to sleep in, hating Mondays, not exercising. Garfield defends his right to do these things. He helps us alleviate our guilt.
Which Garfield character are you most like?
I am Jon, the optimist who’s always looking on the bright side of things.
What’s at the root of the Garfield comedy?
The humor in the comic strip comes from conflict. If everyone agreed and looked alike, we’d end up with the Smurfs. But I created Garfield with all sorts of conflicting characters. The trick is to not let one philosophy dominate. It’s good to let Jon and Odie get the upper hand sometimes. I don’t do shock humor. I do family situational humor so it’s a shared gag. Jon’s terrible with fixing things and when, for example, he’s detonating the Christmas tree, it’s always funny. [Readers] are saying to themselves, “There but for the grace of God go I.”
Will Garfield ever hit the gym?
Regardless of the fitness craze, the majority of America still loves their donuts and watching TV. If Garfield started going to the gym, he’d lose his street cred. He can certainly encourage healthier habits and handle it with humor; I do think there’s room for that. But Garfield adheres to first law of physicsAn object at rest tends to stay at rest. I wouldn’t be surprised if some day he came out with healthy message, but he’s not going to lose weight.
Some comic characters never age. Why does Garfield have birthdays?
This may sound weird, but it wasn’t my decision–it was his. He likes attention, he has a pretty big ego. And certainly… he would do just about anything for his birthday cake.
What real-life celeb would Garfield most like to hang with?
Well, there’s Morris the Cat. They are simpatico. He’d definitely want to be where the food is so I’d say Guy Fieri from Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. That’s who he’d hang with; he’d be right there in the passenger seat of that red convertible.