History Headscratchers / Garfield

** [[WatsonianVersusDoylist Doylist explanation]]: He hates Mondays because the majority of people hate Mondays. Think whatever you like about Jim Davis, but he is no idiot; the main character of your comic strip, a ''cat'' no less, expressing pretty much what the disgruntled readers are thinking that horrid one day every week? [[MerchandiseDriven Hell yeah people are gonna want to buy a coffee mug with that on it]]. [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny Of course, this was more effective back in]] TheEighties [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny , when Garfield's type of attitude was still brand-new to the funny pages.]]

* How did [[https://www.gocomics.com/garfield/1981/04/13 this strip]] even get past the censors?

** [[[[https://www.gocomics.com/garfield/1992/01/21 In this strip]] Garfield thinks something, and in the same panel Jon shouts from outside the frame "I heard that!" While that is by far one of the best examples of their communication, that's not the only time Jon's said things that would have only made sense if he could see what Garfield was thinking - during the whole of the 1980s and the early 1990s especially, he and Garfield would have loads of interactions that implied that Jon can hear Garfield.

** Why wouldn't he? There's nothing wrong with his eyes.
** He can't. What are you talking about? He usually only gets the gist from Garfield's gestures.

** There was at least one strip where Garfield thought something, and in the same panel Jon shouted from outside the frame "I heard that!" Quite spooky. While that is by far one of the best examples of their communication, that's not the only time Jon's said things that would have only made sense if he could see what Garfield was thinking - during the whole of the 1980s and the early 1990s especially, he and Garfield would have loads of interactions that implied that Jon can hear Garfield.
*** [[https://www.gocomics.com/garfield/1992/01/21 This strip]] is what you are referring to.

** Because the strip has NoFourthWall? Come on. The fourth wall was gone on the first day.
*** Notice the question isn't asking why characters can see Garfield's thoughts -- it's asking why ''Jon'' can see Garfield's thoughts. The cats being able to see each other's thought bubbles makes sense since cats can communicate with each other in RealLife. But it doesn't make any sense for ''Jon'' to be able to see Garfield's thought bubbles.

** There are actually quite a few strips where Jon can hear Garfield's thoughts. [[https://www.gocomics.com/garfield/2000/04/05 These]] [[https://www.gocomics.com/garfield/1987/02/14 four,]] [[https://www.gocomics.com/garfield/1995/05/22 for]] [[https://www.gocomics.com/garfield/2019/04/15 example]]. Soooooo...
** [[https://www.gocomics.com/garfield/2000/09/17 Here's another strip where Jon heard Garfield's thoughts.]]
* What happened to the older, funny Garfield? "NostalgiaFilter" aside, Garfield, the character and the strip itself: were really different in prior years. Nowadays, Jon is sometimes described as a {{Cloudcuckoolander}} but before, ''Garfield'' was the Cloudcuckoolander, ''Jon'' was the StraightMan. At first Garfield was just doing those crazy things cats do, but later on he got more of an imagination. He would take on alter egos such as The Caped Avenger, Banana Man, Amoeba Man, etc. He would dress up in fruit or pretend to be a sumo wrestler. And there were so many more sight gags back then than there are now. Sometime after [[WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends the animated version]] ended, it started becoming what it is today: a bland comic about a cat insulting his pathetic owner and nothing more. The reason ''Webcomic/GarfieldMinusGarfield'' and other variations on the theme work is because Jon became the entertaining one. So why and how did this happen? Did Jim Davis think that after ''WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends'' ended that kids wouldn't be interested in the title character anymore, so he stopped making him interesting? Or did he just run out of ideas? Sure, it's a strip that was just made to make money... but it '''was''' much, much more clever once.
** It's because Jim Davis can get away with it. At first, he had to really work to make money off of Garfield, meaning he actually had to put great jokes in. After ''WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends'' was made, he realised that he had a CashCowFranchise that won't die, so he can chuck in whatever crap he likes. Jim Davis was in it for the money, and he got it.
** To be fair, Jon shows occasional bouts of competency nowadays, and Garfield still has a foiled plan now and then (though much more rarely than in the past).
** Perhaps Davis began to run out of ideas after awhile and fell into a rut. Again, the earlier comics were ''much'' funnier and the newer ones almost seem downright cruel at times.
*** It definitely got worse around the turn of the century.
** Some fans have incorrectly thought that Jim Davis died and somebody else took over writing it! Admittedly, he retired from drawing the strip around the 90's and handed it over to assistants at PAWS Inc, but he's still currently alive.
** Here's an overly-detailed theory: Garfield's current age is more than twice the normal lifespan of his species. As such, he has aged to the point that he can no longer physically partake in - or even complete the mental processes required to dream up - the wacky escapades he used to put on. In his impaired physical and mental state, he is no longer capable of doing very much beyond eating, sleeping, and degrading others. Jon, on the other hand, has spent so many years in isolation and endured so much mental anguish from repeated failures to engage in social affairs with members of the opposite sex that his sanity has gradually slipped away, taking with it his basic knowledge and perception of the world around him (hence his incompetence at daily tasks and utter lack of good judgment). This could be why Garfield has become the StraightMan and Jon is now the CloudCuckoolander. If you want to think about it on a deep level, that is...
** Additionally, Jim Davis got much much older. He was 33 when he began the strip but now is 65.
* Okay, I'll bite. How did [[https://www.gocomics.com/garfield/1981/04/13 this strip]] even get past the censors?

*** Thank God for separate continuity. But there used to be an indication that underneath Garfield and Arlene's jerk/tsundre BelligerentSexualTension they really [[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther did care]] ([[http://garfield.nfshost.com/1984/04/08/ yes, even Garfield]]).

* Why doesn't he walk on all four anymore? [[PunctuatedForEmphasis HE! IS! A! CAT!]]

** Garfield has always become less of a cat and acting [[HumanityEnsues more like a human]] as the comics progressed. He drinks coffee, eats human foods like lasagna, burgers, pizza and ice cream and [[https://www.gocomics.com/garfield/1979/08/01 even takes tennis lessons]].

* How exactly did Garfield prevent Oddie from entering the house again through the pet door if he used it to sneak back into the house? By the way, how was Garfield prevented from entering the house through the same door after Jon kicked him out for the mess he caused?
* During the climax, how do Pernskitty, the animal control pound dogs and the rats appear out of nowhere to save Garfield and Oddie from Happy Chapman if Garfield never told any of them that he was going to the Union Station to rescue Oddie? Yes, Garfield told them that he was gonna rescue Oddie, but he never specified that he was going to a train station.

** Because he can't read minds?

** Also, Garfield's a voracious BigEater who demands large portion meals. Jon needs to bring Garfield with him everywhere he goes to keep him constantly fed but the same most likely doesn't apply to Odie.
** Jon probably thinks it's too much of a hassle to bring both Garfield and Odie on a trip. Garfield and Odie enjoy fighting with each other especially with physical violence.

* Okay, I'll bite. How did [[https://www.gocomics.com/garfield/1981/04/13 this strip]] even get [[GettingCrapPasttheRadar past the radar?]]

* What does Jon actually sit on at the table? You never see a chair behind him, and the angle he sits it when he is eating just doesn't look natural.

*** [[http://strips.garfield.com/iimages1200/1992/ga920121.gif This strip]] is what you are referring to.
** Perhaps the most explicit example of this happening is [[http://garfield.dale.ro/ga860520.gif this strip.]]

** There are actually quite a few strips where Jon can hear Garfield's thoughts. [[http://strips.garfield.com/iimages1200/2000/ga000405.gif These]] [[http://images.ucomics.com/comics/ga/1987/ga870214.gif four,]] [[http://images.ucomics.com/comics/ga/1995/ga950522.gif for]] [[http://strips.garfield.com/iimages1200/2019/ga190415.gif example]]. Soooooo...
** [[http://images.ucomics.com/comics/ga/2000/ga000917.gif Here's another strip where Jon heard Garfield's thoughts.]]

** Some fans have incorrectly thought that Jim Davis died and somebody else took over writing it! Admittedly, he retired from drawing the strip around the 90's and handed it over to assistants at PAWS inc, but he's still currently alive.

* Okay, I'll bite. How did [[https://garfield.com/comic/1981/04/13 this strip]] even get [[GettingCrapPasttheRadar past the radar?]]
* What's been up with Garfield and Arlene lately? They seemed to be something of BelligerentSexualTension when Arlene was a regular, but after [[http://garfield.nfshost.com/1999/03/14/ this strip]], she didn't appear for ''nine years'', and when she finally returned, Garfield actually seems to deny that she's his girlfriend! The sad thing is, before she was (inadvertently?) written out, they [[http://garfield.nfshost.com/1993/02/27/ actually]] [[http://garfield.nfshost.com/1995/05/07/ seemed]] [[http://garfield.nfshost.com/1997/01/12/ like]] an OfficialCouple! What the heck, Jim Davis? Garfield and Arlene should be the OfficialCouple, not Jon and Liz!

** Garfield actually ''wants'' to walk on hind legs. [[https://garfield.com/comic/1981/05/17 That way he can reach tables, kick-drop Odie and tap-dance]]. Jon on very few occasions does discourage Garfield from walking on hind legs because it's not very cat-like. What was Garfield's reaction? [[https://garfield.com/comic/1990/10/26 He ignored that and just walked away from Jon]].
** Garfield has always become less of a cat and acting [[HumanityEnsues more like a human]] as the comics progressed. He drinks coffee, eats human foods like lasagna, burgers, pizza and ice cream and [[https://garfield.com/comic/1979/08/01 even takes tennis lessons]].

** Because Jon's screwy in the brain. Read [[https://garfield.com/comic/2015/10/11 this strip]].
** There have been numerous strips that indicate Garfield is the true master and disciplinarian of the house rather than Jon. [[https://garfield.com/comic/1986/05/08 In the May 8th, 1986 strip]], Garfield handed him a legal document that states he is the owner of the house. Jon tried to challenge it as forgery, and Garfield enthusiastically accepted this preparing to take it to court. In conclusion, Garfield ''is'' the legal owner of their property, Jon's only allowed to live in Garfield's house by feeding him. Garfield has every legal right to kick Jon out of the house, NOT the other way around.

*** Jon does state that [[https://garfield.com/comic/1981/01/11 if Garfield didn't do those things, he wouldn't be a cat]].

*** Jon also probably chose to rent the cheapest house in the area because the house that Garfield and Jon live in suffers from [[https://garfield.com/comic/1991/03/04 leaks in the roof]], is ''incredibly'' [[https://garfield.com/comic/2009/07/02 dusty]] and filthy, and has [[https://garfield.com/comic/1985/08/04 very poor structure]].
** In [[http://strips.garfield.com/iimages1200/1988/ga880710.gif this strip]], Garfield won a new house via telephone, but when he was asked to give his name and address, he couldn't because he couldn't speak, and he ended up not getting a new house. Shit.

** True, spiders often survive being squished, but sometimes they unquestionably die. Like in the above strip or the long dead spiders mentioned in [[https://garfield.com/comic/1999/02/07 this one]].

* The strip on [[http://garfield.com/comic/2011-07-25 July 25, 2011]] is exactly same the [[http://garfield.com/comic/2009-11-09 November 9, 2009]] one. Not similar, but exactly the same, word-to-word. Making a joke that he already made once years ago when he's out of ideas, I can uderstand. But giving us the exact same strip... what does this guy take us for, idiots?

** This has happened before as far back as the 80s. [[http://garfield.com/comic/1983-12-12 December 12th, 1982]] and [[http://garfield.com/comic/1984-08-06 August 6th, 1984]]. Also, [[http://garfield.com/comic/1982-04-07 April 7th, 1982]] and [[http://garfield.com/comic/1986-03-20 March 20th, 1986]].

** This also happened in [[http://strips.garfield.com/iimages1200/2001/ga011203.gif these]] [[http://strips.garfield.com/iimages1200/2002/ga021207.gif two]] strips.

** In [[https://garfield.com/comic/2014/03/28 one strip]], Liz admits she really doesn't know [[WhatDoesSheSeeInHim why she started dating Jon]] since July 2006.

*** It turns out, Lyman was originally Garfield's translator. Lyman left when Jon could understand Garfield.