History ComicStrip / Garfield

** [[http://www.garfield.com/comics/vault.html?yr=1994&addr=940717 More calvin and hobbes]]

* AWorldwidePunomenon: They are very, ''VERY'', rare, but [[http://images.ucomics.com/comics/ga/1980/ga800918.gif they]] [[http://images.ucomics.com/comics/ga/1981/ga810116.gif are]] [[http://images.ucomics.com/comics/ga/1998/ga980502.gif there]].

* IncrediblyLamePun: They are very, ''VERY'', rare, but [[http://images.ucomics.com/comics/ga/1980/ga800918.gif they]] [[http://images.ucomics.com/comics/ga/1981/ga810116.gif are]] [[http://images.ucomics.com/comics/ga/1998/ga980502.gif there]].

* ThoughtBubbleSpeech

* WhatsAnXLikeYouDoingInAYLikeThis: You could say that Garfield [[InvertedTrope inverted]] this one.

* YourBrainWontBeMuchOfAMeal: In one strip, Garfield pretends to be TheIgor, wandering around saying "A brain! I need a brain for my master!". He pauses to take a look at Odie, and then moves on, repeating "A brain! I need a brain for my master!".

** In another strip, when he does his act on the fence, he tells his audience: "All you your mothers wear army boots!"

** [[RoseIsRose How]] [[{{Blondie}} many]] [[CalvinAndHobbes comic book]] [[{{Peanuts}} kids]] can you recognize in the title box of [[http://garfield.nfshost.com/2005/10/30/ this strip?]]
** Also does who does Garfield [[{{Peanuts}} remind you of]] in the [[http://garfield.nfshost.com/1984/11/29/ last panel?]]
** [[http://images.ucomics.com/comics/ga/1984/ga840329.gif Quite]] [[http://images.ucomics.com/comics/ga/1989/ga890217.gif a]] [[http://images.ucomics.com/comics/ga/1988/ga881114.gif few]] [[http://images.ucomics.com/comics/ga/2010/ga100212.gif to]] [[{{Peanuts}} Peanuts]].

* SurpriseJump: This happens to John several times, usually when Garfield scares him.

* FirstGrayHair: Garfield finds a gray hair, panics, and tries to die it. [[http://garfield.nfshost.com/?s=gray+hair It doesn't go well.]]

* MeatOVision: Frequently during Garfield's diets.

** [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] on [[http://garfield.nfshost.com/1986/08/10/ August 10, 1986]], where Jon turns the toaster upside-down to prevent Garfield from stealing the toast. The ''toaster'' becomes projectile and smacks Garfield in the head.

** [[http://images.ucomics.com/comics/ga/1985/ga850816.gif August 16, 1985]] (a daily strip) was recycled into [[http://images.ucomics.com/comics/ga/1998/ga980719.gif July 19, 1998]] (a Sunday strip), with a secondary punchline added. It was also used as a ''USAcres'' strip [[http://www.platypuscomix.net/otherpeople2/hamsitup23.JPG here]].

* RetCon: Two big ones. Odie was originally Lyman's dog, and Nermal was originally Jon's parents' kitten. Now the former is treated as if he were Jon's all along, and the latter is just a neighborhood cat who wanders in to torment Garfield.

*** In the final strip that had the gag, it was [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]]. Jon says the line, but Garfield stuffs his food bowl in Jon's mouth before Jon can finish the insult and Garfield says "Then don't."

* CuteKitten: Nermal, the world's cutest kitten.

* EverythingsCuterWithKittens: Nermal, the world's cutest kitten.

* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: [[http://garfield.nfshost.com/1996/11/16/ One strip]] has Garfield [[CatUpATree stranded up a tree]]. Garfield says to it "Stupid tree...May all your stupid branches fall off!". Needless to say, all the trees branches broke off and fell to the ground. Including the one he was on.

* {{Bowdlerize}}: In one farm-based strip, Garfield says "wanna swap sheep jokes?" His editor, concerned over this being misconstrued for a [[ButYouScrewOneGoat bestiality]] reference, changed it to "dirt jokes".

* BrickJoke: [[http://garfield.nfshost.com/2002/07/20/ This dog]] reappeared almost a year after his original [[http://garfield.nfshost.com/2001/10/page01 week of chaos]], which ''itself'' counts as a Brick Joke considering it was not the dog's [[http://garfield.nfshost.com/2001/07/08/ first appearence]] . And of course Clive; see NotSoImaginaryFriend below.

* CloudCuckoolander: Irma, the eponymous diner waitress of Irma's Diner. Jon sometimes wanders into this as well, making comments such as "I think my toes are jealous of my fingers because they get to point at things."

* DesertSkull: In one sequence, [[CloudCuckoolander Jon]] [[http://garfield.nfshost.com/1987/05/25/ brings home one of these]], which Garfield then [[SkeletonsInTheCoatCloset puts]] [[http://garfield.nfshost.com/1987/05/26/ on Odie]], while [[http://garfield.nfshost.com/1987/05/27/ Jon is talking to his mother on the phone about it]].

* [[FanSequel FanGame]]: a fan made a non-profit AdventureGame based on the comic, named Attack of the Mutant Lasagna. He made the mistake of contacting Universal Press Syndicate to ask whether they liked it, and was promptly ScrewedByTheLawyers.

* FollowTheLeader: Jim Davis developed a book format for the first ''Garfield'' compilation, which featured very wide pages to accomodate the three-panel strip horizontally as it appeared in the paper, as opposed to being vertically stacked like most comic strip trade books of the day. This wide-page format came to be known as the "Garfield format". Many other comic strips soon followed suit with their own books, including ''TheFarSide'' and ''FoxTrot''. [[{{Irony}} Ironically]], since 2001, ''Garfield'' itself no longer uses the Garfield format for its compilations, and the earlier "Garfield format" compilations have been republished in a more standard style.

* AGoodOldFashionedPaintWatching: Occassionally used to show how boring a life Jon's family has on the countryside, since the most mundane things excite them (watching the washing machine instead of the TV ("Here comes the red sock again!"), counting every brick in the wall of the house, taking a trip to see the new water tower, going to the airport to watch the planes take off etc.)

-->'''Binky (on TV):''' Heeeey, kids! Wanna see Binky do a magic trick? Well, forget it! I'm not spending another minute in this stupid clown suit! I am an actor! But, noooo... Too short they said!

* TheIntern: [[RememberTheNewGuy Biff]], Garfield's college intern, appeared in one 1998 arc. He's sent off to scare Jon (unsuccessfully) [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome then never heard from again]].

* ITakeOffenseToThatLastOne:
-->'''Arlene''': Garfield, I just don't know what I see in you. You're rude, obnoxious, fat, selfish, egotistical, and totally devoid of any charm.
-->'''Garfield''': '''I am not egotistical'''.
** Another time too, but Garfield takes it positively.
-->'''Old Lady:''' You are the ugliest little boy I've ever seen.
-->''(Garfield looks surprised and [[AsideGlance glances at the audience]])''
-->'''Garfield:''' You think I'm little?

* IdentityAmnesia: In the arc beginning [[http://garfield.nfshost.com/1987/02/ February 2nd, 1987.]] Eventually, Jon starts missing [[WeWantOurJerkBack the old Garfield.]]
* IdeaBulb: Sometimes played straight; parodied [[http://garfield.nfshost.com/1982/04/20/ here]] and [[http://garfield.nfshost.com/1982/04/03/ here]].
* IfYouDieICallYourStuff:
-->'''Garfield''': How about a nice little game of “Stomp The Spider”?
-->'''Spider''': I'm warning you... You'd better not pick on me, cat!
-->'''Garfield''': And what happens if I do?
-->'''Spider''': I'll tell my big brother!
-->'''Garfield''': Fine! Bring him on!
-->'''Spider''': Hey, Rusty! C'mere!
-->'''Rusty''': Yeah?
-->'''Spider''': This big, stupid cat says he's gonna stomp me.
-->(''BeatPanel'')
-->'''Rusty''': Can I have your [=CDs=]?

* AttackBackfire: [[http://garfield.nfshost.com/2005/10/30/ This]] strip had this happen to Garfield, with Jon {{Comically Missing The Point}} of what Garfield was actually trying to do.

''Garfield'' is a [[LongRunner long-running]] (since June 19, 1978) [[NewspaperComics newspaper comic]], written by Jim Davis. It stars Garfield, a [[IntellectualAnimal sarcastic]] cat famous for his [[HeavySleeper laziness]], [[BigEater gluttony]], occasional spurts of [[CatsAreMean evil]] and [[KarmaHoudini avoiding of karma]]; his owner, Jon Arbuckle, a cartoonist who dresses badly, [[LethalChef cooks badly]] and [[CasanovaWannabe was long a complete failure with females]] (until, 28 years later, the veterinarian Liz finally gave in); and Odie, a [[RalphWiggum really dumb]] [[DogsAreDumb dog]] with a penchant for licking, and the only animal who doesn't have "thought speech".

The strip is the most ([[{{Peanuts}} or second most]]) successful ever, generating [[CashCowFranchise much merchandise]] and multi-media projects including:

** ''GarfieldAndFriends'', which consists of ThreeShorts, two of Garfield and one of ''USAcres'' (''Orson's Farm'' outside the US, based on another Jim Davis strip about farm animals)

* Two [[LiveActionAdaptation live action]] movies, starring a CG Garfield voiced by BillMurray and the remaining animals are in live action. Breckin Meyer played Jon and Jennifer Love Hewitt played Liz.

* [[{{ptitle49fktc1oipjq}} 3D Movie]]: ''Garfield's Pet Force'' was re-released with a 3D version.

* EverythingsBetterWithBacon:
-->'''Jon''': Sometimes it's hard to express our inner feelings.
-->'''Garfield''': Nonsense. (''[[NoFourthWall looks out to audience]]'') I LOVE BACON! Your turn.

** [[http://www.garfield.com/comics/vault.html?yr=2010&addr=100421 These]] [[http://www.garfield.com/comics/vault.html?yr=2010&addr=100423 two]] strips ended up with each others dialogue.

* [[http://www.garfield.com/comics/vault.html?yr=2010&addr=100421 These]] [[http://www.garfield.com/comics/vault.html?yr=2010&addr=100423 two]] strips ended up with each others dialogue.

* FollowTheLeader: Jim Davis developed a book format for the first ''Garfield'' compilation, which featured very wide pages to accomodate the three-panel strip horizontally as it appeared in the paper, as opposed to being vertically stacked like most comic strip trade books of the day. This wide-page format came to be known as the "Garfield format". Many other comic strips soon followed suit with their own books, including ''TheFarSide'' and ''FoxTrot''. Ironically, since 2001, ''Garfield'' itself no longer uses the Garfield format for its compilations, and the earlier "Garfield format" compilations have been republished in a more standard style.

* {{Bowdlerize}}: In one farm-based strip, Garfield says "wanna swap sheep jokes?" His editor, concerned over this being misconstrued for a bestiality reference, changed it to "dirt jokes".

* Two [[LiveActionAdaptation live action]] movies, starring a CG Garfield voiced by BillMurray and the remaining animals are in live action. Beckin Meyer played Jon and Jennifer Love Hewitt played Liz.

* FollowTheLeader: Jim Davis developed a wide but short book format for the first ''Garfield'' compilation, which came to be known as the "Garfield format". Many other comic strips soon followed suit with their own books, including ''TheFarSide'' and ''FoxTrot''. Ironically, since 2001, ''Garfield'' itself no longer uses the Garfield format for its compilations, and the earlier "Garfield format" compilations have been republished in a more standard style.

* DroppedABridgetOnHim: Given the small stature, the long eyelashes, and the gender-neutral name, it comes as an almost-universal shock to readers when they first discover Nermal is a "he".