Camera-ready comic art drawing for <i>Garfield</i>
date: label: date made
content: 1978-06-25
name: label: original artist
content: Davis, Jim
label: publisher
content: United Feature Syndicate, Inc.
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: This pen-and-ink drawing prepared for the <i>Garfield</i> comic strip shows the title character explaining the best things about cats.
label: Description (Brief)
content: James Robert "Jim" Davis (1945- ) first worked at an advertising agency before transitioning into comics. Beginning in 1969, he assisted <i>Tumbleweeds</i> artist Tom K. Ryan. Davis later created a short-lived strip called <i>Gnorm Gnat,</i> which was only syndicated in one Indiana newspaper. In 1978 he launched <i>Garfield</i> for United Features and created one of the most popular animals in the comic world. <i>Garfield</i> has been represented in books, films, television specials, video games, amusement park attractions, and merchandise. Davis continues to write <i>Garfield</i> today.
label: Description (Brief)
content: <i>Garfield</i> (1978- ) is a comic strip which looks at the life of the title character, a tabby cat, as well as a beagle named Odie, and their owner, Jon Arbuckle. Appearing in newspapers around the world, the strip’s international popularity is the result of non-topical and apolitical humor, and a simple story. The character Garfield is lazy and fat, and usually presents a disdainful attitude towards everything. He is often seen harassing Odie, his happily naïve housemate. Garfield also looks down on his owner, Jon, because of Jon's inability to get a date or benefit from social situations. Dr. Liz Wilson, Garfield’s veterinarian, was introduced in the second year of the strip’s run. She became Jon's romanic interest. In 2006, Jon and Liz began dating and then became engaged.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Graphic Arts
label: See more items in
content: Cultures & Communities
label: See more items in
content: Comic Art
label: See more items in
content: Communications
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Jim Davis
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1983.480.01
label: accession number
content: 1983.0480
label: catalog number
content: 1983.0480.01
objectType: label: Object Name
content: drawing
label: Object Type
content: Cartoon
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: ink (overall color)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 58.5 cm x 63.6 cm; 23 1/16 in x 25 1/16 in