While it seems absurd to consider thatGarfieldcould be anything other than a cat, there was a moment in Jim Davis’ career where Garfield could have been anything - including a dog. However, for one surprisingly simple reason, Davis decided to make his now-iconic cartoon character a cat, one that was destined to win the hearts of millions around the globe. And, interestingly enough, Davis’ first choice for his comic strip star wasn’t a cat or a dog (or even a human).
In a 2018 interview withThe Guardian, Jim Davis opens up about his career, offering fans unparalleled insight into the history ofGarfield. The interview covers everything from Davis’ decision to keepGarfieldaway from politics, to his ultimate goal for the series moving forward. While the entire piece was a fascinating read, one part that really stood out wasGarfield’s real-world origin story.
At the start of Jim Davis’ cartoonist career, he worked as an assistant cartoonist while he was coming up with an original comic strip of his own. While workshopping ideas and sending out samples of his work to newspapers, Davis got invaluable advice from a syndicate editor, who told Davis that his gags were good, but he needed to come up with a better lead character. Davis admits that, at that time, cartoon dogs were popular with readers (including and especiallyPeanuts’ beloved Snoopy). But, rather than jumping on that proverbial train, Davis decided to go another direction.
Jim Davis: “I took a long hard look at the comics. I saw dogs doing well. But no cats. I thought, ‘Huh!’”
Jim Davis took a surprisingly business-focused approach to creatingGarfield, as he simply saw a niche and filled it. Thus, in 1978, the iconic lasagna-loving, Monday-hating cat, Garfield, was born - and Jim Davis still writes new comic strips to this day.
Jim Davis’ Original ‘Garfield’ wasn’t a Cat or a Dog… He was a Bug (Yes, Really)
Gnorm Gnatwas Jim Davis’ Comic Strip BeforeGarfield
Back when Jim Davis was still trying to get one of his comic strips picked up by a newspaper, he workshopped a few different ideas, including a fully-realized (though poorly received)comic strip namedGnorm Gnat.Gnorm Gnathad Jim Davis’ classic style both in terms of the artwork and humor (indeed, there are a number ofGnorm Gnatstrips that were later reworked to star Garfield). However, there was just one problem: Gnorm Gnat is a bug.
The editor who gave Jim Davis the aforementioned advice specifically called attention to the fact that Gnorm Gnat is a bug, pointing to that as an example of why Davis’ comic strip wasn’t getting picked up by newspapers. Jim Davis recalls the wording the editor used in The Guardian piece:
“Your gags are great, but bugs - nobody can relate to bugs”
Jim Davis took that advice to heart, which is what inspired him to look into other comics and see what was there - and what was missing. Eventually, Davis decided that there weren’t enough cats in the medium, and took a chance on a cat at a time when no other cartoonist seemed to - and the payoff speaks for itself.
Garfield Originally Starred a Completely Different Character (but Jim Davis Never Forgot Him)
Jonwas Jim Davis’ Comic Strip that Eventually Morphed intoGarfield
Funny enough, after Jim Davis decided thatGnorm Gnatwas a no-go, he didn’t immediately transition toGarfield. Instead,Davis created a comic strip namedJonin 1976. Davis pulled from his own life as a cartoonist, creating a human character named Jon who was also a cartoonist, and putting him in hilarious situations. While Garfield was present from the start, he took a backseat to Jon, and was little more than a side character for two years before Jim Davis decided to make the cat the star.
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There are so manyfascinating aspects of Garfield’s history. From Garfield originally being a bug named Gnorm Gnat, to the fact that he wasn’t even originally the star of his own fictional world’s comic strip, to the idea that cat characters were once a niche market. But, as fascinating asGarfield’s history may be, the reasoning behind his creation is incredibly simple: too many dogs, not enough cats - and a hard pass on bugs.
Source:The Guardian
Garfield
Garfield is the central character in Jim Davis’s comic strip, which officially began in 1978 under the same name. Garfield is an orange tabby cat with a love of lasagna and a disdain for Mondays. He tends to torment his owner and dog while trying to secure more food - and quiet.
