History of Garfield Timeline

(June 19, 1978 - Present)

Garfield is a popular American comic strip created by cartoonist Jim Davis, first published on June 19, 1978. The strip follows Garfield, a lazy, sarcastic, lasagna-loving orange tabby cat who lives with his owner Jon Arbuckle and the dim-witted dog Odie. Known for its humor centered on food, naps, and Mondays, Garfield became one of the most widely syndicated comic strips in the world, spawning animated TV shows, films, video games, and an enormous merchandise empire. More Less

Go to: Timeline | Event List | Key Facts | Directory

Creation and Origins

Jim Davis born in Marion, Indiana

Jul 28, 1945

Jim Davis, the future creator of Garfield, was born in Marion, Indiana. He grew up on a farm with 25 cats, an experience that later inspired his famous feline character.

Image source: Jim Davis (cartoonist)

Davis works as assistant on Tom Ryan's Tumbleweeds

1963

Jim Davis began working as an assistant to cartoonist Tom Ryan on the western comic strip Tumbleweeds, learning the craft of professional comic strip production.

Image source: Tumbleweeds (comic strip)

Davis creates Gnorm Gnat

1973 - 1975

Jim Davis created his first syndicated comic strip, Gnorm Gnat, featuring insect characters. Though moderately successful locally, it failed to achieve national syndication and was discontinued.

Image source: Gnorm Gnat

Davis designs a new strip centered on a cat

1976 - 1978

Believing there were too many dog strips and few cat strips, Jim Davis developed a new comic about a lazy, lasagna-loving orange tabby cat, initially titled Jon.

Jon strip debuts in The Pendleton Times

Jan 8, 1976

A prototype of Garfield called Jon first appeared in The Pendleton Times in Indiana, giving Davis a testing ground for characters before national syndication.

Image source: Garfield

United Feature Syndicate signs Garfield

1977

After rejections from other syndicates, United Feature Syndicate accepted Davis's strip, asking him to rename it after its star cat, leading to the title Garfield.

Image source: United Media

Comic Strip Milestones

Pooky the teddy bear becomes Garfield's companion

1978

Garfield discovered Pooky, a worn teddy bear found in Jon's drawer, which quickly became his beloved security object and recurring element in the strip.

Garfield comic strip nationally launched

Jun 19, 1978

Garfield debuted in 41 newspapers nationwide on June 19, 1978, introducing readers to Garfield, owner Jon Arbuckle, and the dog Odie.

Nermal introduced into the strip

Sep 3, 1979

Nermal, the self-described 'world's cutest kitten,' made his debut in the daily strip, becoming a frequent target of Garfield's jealousy and attempts to mail him to Abu Dhabi.

Lyman written out of the strip

1983

Lyman, Jon's roommate who originally owned Odie, gradually disappeared from the strip as Davis streamlined the cast around Garfield, Jon, and Odie; Lyman was never given an official exit story.

Garfield comic strip reaches 35th anniversary

Jun 19, 2013

Garfield celebrated 35 years of publication, still running in over 2,500 newspapers worldwide and translated into dozens of languages.

Garfield celebrates 40th anniversary

Jun 19, 2018

The strip marked four decades in print with celebrations, retrospectives, and merchandise honoring the fat cat whose popularity had remained remarkably durable.

Merchandising and Cultural Impact

First Garfield book collection published

1980

The first compilation book, Garfield at Large, was published by Ballantine Books, becoming a surprise bestseller and launching a massive publishing franchise.

Image source: Garfield at Large

Garfield becomes world's most syndicated comic strip

2002

Guinness World Records recognized Garfield as the most widely syndicated comic strip in the world, appearing in thousands of newspapers globally.

Lasagna Love: Garfield brand expands with apps and social media

2010

The Garfield brand expanded heavily into digital media, launching mobile games, apps, and official social media accounts that brought the cat to new generations online.

Garfield's Lasagna-themed restaurant collaborations expand

2019

Playing on the character's signature dish, the Garfield brand partnered with food companies and restaurants worldwide on lasagna promotions, themed products, and limited-time menu items.

Nickelodeon acquires Garfield rights via ViacomCBS deal

Aug 6, 2019

ViacomCBS announced the acquisition of the Garfield property through its purchase of Nickelodeon's parent assets, planning new content including films and streaming projects.

Image source: Nickelodeon

Cultural Impact and Legacy

Garfield named honorary mascot of New York State

1980

New York Governor Hugh Carey proclaimed Garfield the state's official mascot in honor of the cat's growing popularity across America.

Garfield Minus Garfield web phenomenon begins

Feb 2008

Dan Walsh launched Garfield Minus Garfield, a webcomic removing Garfield from panels to reveal Jon Arbuckle as a lonely existential figure. Davis endorsed the project and it became a viral sensation.

Image source: Garfield

Jim Davis receives Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist

2018

Jim Davis received the National Cartoonists Society's prestigious Reuben Award for Cartoonist of the Year, one of the highest honors in American cartooning.

Image source: National Cartoonists Society

Garfield appears in virtual events during pandemic

2020

During COVID-19 lockdowns, Garfield content was used in virtual reading events and online entertainment, offering comfort humor to families staying at home.

Garfield remains among most-read comics globally

Aug 2021

By 2021, more than four decades after its debut, Garfield continued to appear in thousands of newspapers and digital platforms, remaining one of the most beloved comic characters ever created.

Television and Film

Here Comes Garfield TV special airs

Nov 1, 1982

The first Garfield prime-time animated special aired on CBS, earning an Emmy nomination and proving the character's appeal beyond the newspaper page.

Image source: Here Comes Garfield

Garfield on the Town wins Emmy Award

Oct 26, 1983

The animated special Garfield on the Town won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program, cementing the cat's success in television animation.

Image source: Garfield on the Town

Garfield and Friends animated series premieres

Sep 17, 1988 - May 21, 1994

The CBS Saturday-morning animated series Garfield and Friends premiered, featuring Garfield segments plus U.S. Acres, another Davis creation. It ran seven seasons and over 120 episodes.

Image source: Garfield and Friends

Garfield: His 9 Lives special airs

Nov 13, 1988

This experimental CBS special depicted nine different lives of Garfield across various animation styles, showcasing unusual artistic ambition for a licensed property.

Image source: Garfield: His 9 Lives

Garfield: The Movie released in theaters

Jun 11, 2004

The first live-action/CGI Garfield film, starring Bill Murray as the voice of Garfield and Breckin Meyer as Jon, opened to commercial success despite mixed reviews.

Image source: The Garfield Movie

Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties released

Jun 16, 2006

The sequel to the 2004 film hit theaters, following Garfield to London, where he is mistaken for a royal cat heir. Bill Murray returned to voice the title character.

Image source: Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties

The Garfield Show animated CGI series premieres

Dec 22, 2008

A new fully computer-animated series, The Garfield Show, premiered in France before airing in the United States on Cartoon Network in 2009, running for multiple seasons.

Image source: The Garfield Show

Nickelodeon announces new Garfield CG-animated film

2020

Following the acquisition, Nickelodeon Movies greenlit a new computer-animated Garfield theatrical film, marking a fresh era for the franchise under Paramount Pictures.

Image source: Garfield: The Movie

Nickelodeon announces new Garfield CG-animated film

Key Facts

Jim Davis created Garfield as a deliberate attempt to design a commercially appealing comic character, naming him after his grandfather James A. 'Garfield' Davis.
The strip debuted on June 19, 1978, in roughly 41 newspapers, and eventually grew to be one of the most syndicated comics in history, appearing in thousands of publications worldwide.
Garfield's defining traits include his love of lasagna, hatred of Mondays, laziness, and sarcastic wit, which became instantly recognizable cultural touchstones.
The character expanded into animation with shows like 'Garfield and Friends' (1988-1994) and specials that earned Emmy Awards, as well as live-action/CGI films in 2004 and 2006.
Garfield holds the Guinness World Record as the most widely syndicated comic strip, and it remains in continuous production today, still written by Jim Davis.

Source

This History of Garfield timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

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