Creator of Garfield tells-us-all about their 40th anniversary plans and how he keeps the internet favourite feline savvy and sassy
Jim Davis
Chronicles of the lazy cat Garfield is all set to finish its 40th year next month. The comic strip first started by Jim Davis on June 19, 1978 has emerged to be the most loved feline characters all times. Right at the start of our interview, Jim tells us, "Everything about his success has surprised me. I was thrilled just to be syndicated. In my wildest dreams I hoped maybe there'd be a book or a coffee mug, but I never imagined Garfield would resonate the way he did. It's all about timing. I am still amazed and humbled that people love the characters."
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Everyone knows the story of how he started Garfield. The man was told by his editor that his art is great but he needs to more than bugs. Prior to the cat, Davis created Gnorm Gnat, who were fictional insects. Though it ran for five years, the strip never made mainstream. Jim created Garfield merely because he always dreamt of being the next Charles Schulz. His idea was to create a cartoon animal as captivating and popular as Schulz's canine flying ace and his pals in the Peanuts comic strip. The cat - Garfield - was inspired from his childhood where he grew up with 25 cats. But what made him give this cat human thoughts? Jim reasons, "I think people who own cats truly believe that their cat has human qualities. They talk to them as if they're expecting an answer. They make their pets a part of the family. I remember going to a friend's house in college and I was about to sit down in an easy chair and he said, "Don't sit there. That's Fluffy's seat." I don't know why but that stuck with me. The unapologetic sarcasm and dry humour was always a part of the original plan. I grew up in a household full of people with a dry sarcastic wit. I've always found humor in sarcasm – I hate to admit it, but it comes to me pretty easily."
Doing this for 40 years, Jim says keeping him fresh is a major challenge. "To keep the gags relevant and thus, Garfield fresh – we do follow trends in the marketplace while staying true to the character and he does evolve along with the rest of the world. While I don't do politics and current events per se, Garfield has been known to get on a mobile device and a laptop and of course, you've got to do social media. It's not like I haven't been faced with creative block. Life can sometimes get in the way. Even though I love my job, some days are easier than others. I try to function with discipline, setting aside time specifically to work on the comic strip. I try to store up my energy and ideas for that time. Sometimes it's just not there and I have to move on to something else. But, also, sometimes I have a "funny day" and I just have to stop what I'm doing and write down my ideas before I lose them."
What is satiating for him, however, is that Garfield has a universal appeal. It's simply because he has two things in common with every human on earth: He loves to eat. He loves to sleep. He's very relatable. And Garfield is savage.
He says that the space between funny and offensive is something he treads cautiously. "In my head, I definitely have a line I won't cross with Garfield. I won't do shock humor or use swear words and I'm cautious about keeping Garfield kid-friendly while still staying true to his character. There are a lot of moms out there who feel safe when they put a Garfield cartoon on TV - I wouldn't want to break that trust. Garfield is nothing but trouble But, nothing serious. I've heard Garfield is a bad example for kids because he's out of shape, watches too much TV, and overeats - and I have to laugh, because he's a cat. That means cats are bad examples for kids!"
Jim spills the beans on the elaborate 40 year celebration plans. "In the US, we're releasing a 40th anniversary tribute book, Age Happens: Garfield Hits the Big 4-0, and I'll be signing books at Denver's Comic Con. Later this year, an all-new animated series of 120 30-second shorts titled Garfield Originals will be released for digital and broadcast, and Garfield's original TV series from the 80s and 90s, Garfield and Friends, will make a comeback fully re-mastered. A fully-animated Garfield movie is in development with Alcon Entertainment. So, we're staying pretty busy. There are events and exhibits in Hong Kong, China, Brazil, Japan, Singapore, Germany, and the Balkans. And our agent in India, AI Licensing is planning several events for you guys as well."
Now that Garfield practically an empire, quiz him if he ever feels the need to create something else out of sheer exhaustion. He is quick to say that the character can't ever tire him out, adding, "It's like a marriage. Garfield and I are in it for life. Honestly, the character still makes me laugh, and working in different mediums – TV, film, stage shows — gives me plenty of variety. I've got my hands full with the cat."
Besides the cat, Jim has one thing that he aspires for. "I'd like to spend more time on the golf course," he signs off.
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