It is this Sartre-esque existentialism that brings modern audiences, creatures on an eternal quest for the meaning of life, to cathartic tears. Davis's supporting characters are drawn with equal depths and facets. John represents the underbelly of suburban America, bourgeious in his blandness and Christ-like in his suffering. A man of simple material wants and complex yearnings, John searches endlessly, much like Stephen Dedalus, for meaning and perfection in art, which is, in his case, the female. His qualification is only that he be loved in return, but his own internal emptiness is inevitably reflected into the eyes of each new girlfriend, thus spelling the death of the relationship.
Life imitates art, rather than the other way around.
Think of it as the Attack of the Killer Tomatoes . Like John, Odie serves to offset the garishness of Garfield. Following in the literary footsteps of Cervante's Sancho, Odie is the faithful companion, brimming with loyalty and good cheer. But like Charles Bovary, Odie is abused for his innocence and unconditional love rather than praised for them. In Odie's character, Davis reveals his own distaste for the sarcastic and cynical nature of today's entertainment and pop industries, often represented by Garfield.