History ComicStrip / Garfield

* OhWaitThisIsMyGroceryList: [[https://garfield.com/comic/2020/05/29 Jon mistakes]] Garfield's shopping list

** The humor was often topical in nature. Early strips reference Weight Watchers, bachelor magazines, the Mickey Mouse Club, Labor Day, Milk Duds candies, and other things that would largely be familiar only to American audiences) and feature a [[UnintentionalPeriodPiece range]] of '70s and '80s slang and trends (such as Lyman donning a white disco suit in an early strip). Some strips had wordplay and puns (such as Garfield calling a diet "'die' with a T" and Lyman quipping that his motivation to view a film where a boy places a tack on his teacher's chair lay in his liking for films where "the boy gets the girl in the end").

*** "[[http://images.ucomics.com/comics/ga/1984/ga840116.gif I love it when the Good Humor man comes]]" had "Good Humor" translated literally, as if it were just a friendly man who inexplicably hands out ice cream to cats.

* PowerCutPlot: A 1984 arc deals with a power outage in Jon and Garfield's house. The two talk and sit around in the dark with only their eyes visible. When the power comes back on, Jon jinxes it and it [[HereWeGoAgain immediately turns back off]]. However, this storyline is [[AbortedArc abandoned in the next strip]].

** In a 1983 strip, Garfield knocks a Ming vase off the shelf and explains, "I know I destroyed a priceless Ming Dynasty vase as an overt expression to communicate my contempt for the politically oppressive doctrines of their early 17th century administration."

-->'''Garfield''': Quality... Quality... Quality... Quality... [[OneOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers Dreck...]] Quality... Quality... [[DelayedReaction Woah, back up there!]]

** [[http://garfield.com/comic/1978-08-06 In a ''very'' early strip]], Garfield is shown hanging onto the screen door complaining of his boredom. He wishes for something to happen, which does when Jon slams the screen with ''him'' still on it to announce lunchtime.

[[folder: A]]

* ActuallyPrettyFunny: That one Monday Garfield fell into a sinkhole in his own house, even he can't help but be amazed at Monday's originality.
-->'''Garfield''': Cool! A sinkhole, right here in the kitchen!

--->'''Jon''': I have some bad news, Garfield. I ran out of your favorite cat food.
--->'''Garfield''': I'll survive.
--->'''Jon''': Odie chewed up your scratching post.
--->'''Garfield''': Big deal.
--->'''Jon''': And Frank left Marcia for Stephanie.
--->'''Garfield''': (''dramatic expression'') HOW COULD HE?!

--->'''2003 Garfield''': So I was you, huh?\\
'''1978 Garfield''': A long time ago.\\
'''2003 Garfield''': How did I see out of those itty-bitty eyes?\\
'''1978 Garfield''': First explain how you stand on those two spindly legs.

[[folder: B]]

[[folder: C]]

[[folder: D - F]]

** And during one AprilFoolsDay, Garfield [[http://www.april-fools.us/blondie980401.gif came across]] the TropeNamer itself.

[[folder: G - I]]

[[folder: J - M]]

[[folder: N & O]]

[[folder: P - R]]

[[folder: S]]

-->'''Jon''': It's the weekend, and you know what that means... Two words, Garfield... “Board games”.\\

[[folder: U - W]]

* WaitingSkeleton: The comic used this trope at least 3 times.

-->'''Jon''': Garfield, do you know there's a mouse in the garbage?
-->'''Garfield''': I think so... (singing) Oh, there's a mouse in the garbage, and I don't care...

-->'''Garfield''': Help! I'm being eaten by a cookie jar!
-->'''Jon''': Get out of there!

--> '''Woman on TV''': Bob, we've only got 3 seconds before the bomb explodes! Cut the red wire, not the green one!
--> '''Man on TV''': Bernice, there's something I've always wanted to tell you…
--> '''Woman on TV''': Yes?
--> '''Man on TV''': I'm color-blind.
--> '''Garfield''': Bye-bye, Bob and Bernice.

[[folder: X - Z]]

--->'''Jon''': This camping trip's been a total disaster. The wind blew our food everywhere, the ants ate my cherry pie...
--->'''Garfield''': No, Jon! Don't say it!
--->'''Jon''': What else could go wrong?
--->(It promptly starts raining.)
--->'''Garfield''': You said it!

--->'''Garfield''': He's gonna say it.
--->'''Jon''': (''looks left'')
--->'''Garfield''': I just know he's gonna say it.
--->'''Jon''': (''looks right'')
--->'''Garfield''': It wouldn't be Jon if he didn't say it.
--->'''Jon''': (''looks left'')
--->'''Garfield''': 4... 3... 2... 1...
--->'''Jon''': (''looks right'') What a long train.
--->'''Garfield''': '''''ARRRRGH!'''''

--->'''Jon''': Well, there's a blizzard outside...
--->'''Garfield''': Don't say it.
--->'''Jon''': We're snowed in...
--->'''Garfield''': Don't say it.
--->'''Jon''': The cable tv has gone out...
--->'''Garfield''': Don't say it.
--->'''Jon''': And we're out of hot chocolate.
--->'''Garfield''': Don't say it.
--->'''Jon''': What else can go wrong? [lights go out]
--->'''Garfield''': You said it.

* MiningForCookies: This strip has Jon casually going to work in the donut mines. Garfield then realizes he's dreaming.

* TheDogBitesBack: Garfield had a few laughs at Nermal's expense in [[https://garfield.com/comic/1987/01/18 this strip]], but Nermal got the last word.

** The [[https://garfield.com/comic/1984/09/17 diet arc from September 1984]] is even worse, though.

* UnwinnableByDesign: Spin-off game ''Garfield: Big Fat Hairy Deal'' is a Cruel variant. You play as Garfield, who has a constantly depleting hunger meter. If the meter depletes and Garfield doesn't have any items, it's GameOver. Otherwise, Garfield eats whatever he currently has. The game is full of {{Moon Logic Puzzles}} and {{Red Herrings}}, so it's hard to figure out what you actually need and what's just there to refill the hunger meter.

* SpidersAreScary: One running gag involves Garfield swatting spiders.