Garfield is the popular
comic strip created by
Jim Davis featuring the
lasagna eating feline character named Garfield, the less than brilliant pet
dog Odie, and their socially inept owner Jon Arbuckle. OverviewFirst appearing on
June 19,
1978 (also considered Garfield's birthday), the syndicated
comic strip has been entertaining millions with jokes that poke fun at pet owners and their relationship with their pets often portraying the pet as the true master of the home. Garfield also appeals because of the way he struggles with very human problems, such as diets, hatred of mondays, apathy, boredom, and so on. Over the course of the strip, Garfield's behavior has became more 'human' and less 'cat-like.' A few years after the beginning of the strip, Garfield began walking on two feet, and the strip changed to more of an emphasis on
sitcom situations (Garfield making fun of his owner's stupidity, Jon's inability to pick up girls) and less on the foibles of cats. A number of the strip's readers feel that the quality of the writing has lessened, even as the artwork has retained a consistently high level of quality. The comic strip was turned into a cartoon special for television in
1982 called
Here Comes Garfield. Actor
Lorenzo Music, previously known as the voice of Carlton the Doorman on the show
Rhoda, was hired to portray the voice of Garfield. 12 television specials were created in all (through
1990) as well as a television series,
Garfield and Friends, which ran for 7 years between
1988 and
1994. A live-action version of the comic strip (with animated animals) is set to begin production in
2004(see
Garfield (movie)). Due to Music's unfortunate death in
2001,
Bill Murray will provide the voice of Garfield. The strip is also cited by many as an example of a stale idea that has run far, far too long, with creator Davis seen as a kind of merchandizing-crazed anti-Christ. The entire plot of the comic has been summed up aptly with the expresson, "Oh Garfield, how much lasagna will you eat?!"
Main characters Garfield: fat cat with an attitude
Odie: loveable but dopy dog
Jon Arbuckle: their owner
Arlene: Garfield's on-and-off girlfriend
Pooky: Garfield's huggable
teddy bear Nermal: cute kitten who flaunts his cuteness (the cutest kitten in the world, it says), which annoys Garfield immensely
Garfield es el nombre de la historieta creada por
Jim Davis, que tiene como protagonistas al
gato Garfield, al no muy brillante
perro Odie, y a su dueño, el inepto Jon Arbuckle (Jon Bonachón en el
doblaje latino). El protagonista se llama así por abuelo de Davis, James Garfield Davis, que fue bautizado en honor al presidente estadounidense
James A. Garfield 
Historia de Garfield. Garfield, Como toda buena lasaña, nació en la cocina de un restaurante italiano una noche de invierno de 1977, mientras afuera la nieve caía cual queso parmesano. En el momento de nacer pesaba 2.000 kilogramos -demasiado para un pequeño- y desde el principio mostró una enorme pasión por la comida italiana. El dueño del restaurante, ante la obligación de elegir entre Garfield y cerrar las puertas de su negocio por falta de pasta para cocinar, vendió el gato a una tienda de animales. Garfield pensó que ya estaba condenado a ser un vagabundo el resto de su vida, pero un buen día John Arbuckle se cruzó en su camino. Tras este afortunado encuentro (para Garfield), la vida ya no fue lo mismo en casa de Jon Arbuckle, un soltero de lo mas aburrido y monótono. Pero la vida era demasiado tranquila para Garfield durmiendo y comiendo todo el día, y un par de meses mas tarde llego Lyman, un antiguo amigo de Jon acompañado de un perrito llamado Odie que arruino la estática y monótona existencia de Garfield. La vida en casa de Jon, las interminable horas delante de la tele y las "charlas" con el solitario Jon acabaron por convertir a Garfield en un humano dentro de un traje de Gato hasta el punto de que adquirió todo tipo de hábitos mas propios de una persona que de un gato como: ver la tele hasta altas horas, convertirse en un adicto al café, andar sobre dos patas, no poder pasar sin su inseparable osito de peluche (Pooki) o aborrecer sobremanera los lunes. Esta es la historia de Garfield.
