# Garfield the cat turns 40! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 14, 2018, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garfield-the-cat-turns-40/816100 "2018-06-14T17:49:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garfield-the-cat-turns-40/816100/1 "2018-06-14T17:49:25Z")
For some inexplicable reason, it is fashionable on this board to sneer at Garfield. But–thankfully–he is still going strong. > [@](#): > > Garfield the cat is turning 40, and people attending this weekend’s Denver Comic Con can lead the birthday celebration. > > * * * > > The comic strip made its debut June 19, 1978, in 41 U.S. newspapers. Today it’s syndicated in more than 2,100 newspapers worldwide. > **[Crowd at Denver Comic Con will help celebrate the big 4-0 for Garfield the cat](https://gazette.com/news/crowd-at-denver-comic-con-will-help-celebrate-the-big-4-0-for-garfield-the/article_1d8d4f7e-4ee6-52c7-bc62-902d9fabecf2.html)** > > Garfield the cat is turning 40, and people attending this weekend's Denver Comic Con can lead the birthday celebration. A new book, "Age Happens: Garfield Hits the Big 4-0," celebrates ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garfield-the-cat-turns-40/816100/2 "2018-06-14T17:50:50Z")
I miss Lyman and Nermal. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garfield-the-cat-turns-40/816100/3 "2018-06-14T17:53:26Z")
One of two official prides of Ball State University! Chirp Chirp! ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garfield-the-cat-turns-40/816100/4 "2018-06-14T17:54:44Z")
No, no, [that’s his weight](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOPXRq-HgPw). ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garfield-the-cat-turns-40/816100/5 "2018-06-14T18:00:24Z")
I remember being introduced to Garfield by a friend of mine. His Grandmother would have to cut it out of the newspaper and mail it to him because Garfield hadn’t made it yet to our local newspaper. And we lived in a big city too. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garfield-the-cat-turns-40/816100/6 "2018-06-14T18:17:44Z")
My first cat was a little grey kitten, whom I named Nermal. She was indeed the world’s cutest kitten. As Jim Davis kind of alludes to in the article, it’s not that Garfield got lamer, the world just got harsher. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garfield-the-cat-turns-40/816100/7 "2018-06-14T19:12:10Z")
[![](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/c1/06/15/c10615fe46d4c2ffdf8bdd37008e5b8e.jpg) ](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/c1/06/15/c10615fe46d4c2ffdf8bdd37008e5b8e.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garfield-the-cat-turns-40/816100/8 "2018-06-14T20:57:22Z")
I remember in the earlier years of Garfield they used to have a birthday cake with the appropriate number of candles every June 19. I don’t know if they’ve kept this up, but if they have, the cake alone must take up all three panels of the strip. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garfield-the-cat-turns-40/816100/9 "2018-06-14T23:15:44Z")
I have two copies of one of the Garfield cartoon collections. One is in English, the other is in German. It’s fun comparing the translations. They aren’t always just the same, because jokes translate poorly. But they are still fun. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garfield-the-cat-turns-40/816100/10 "2018-06-15T00:06:25Z")
Actually, the reason why people sneer at Garfield is very explicable: It’s because it just isn’t very funny. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garfield-the-cat-turns-40/816100/11 "2018-06-15T00:20:05Z")
Jon should bake one of [these](https://popcornplays.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/dscn1343.jpg) for Garfield’s birthday. ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garfield-the-cat-turns-40/816100/12 "2018-06-15T00:39:41Z")
Evil never dies… ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Me](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d2c977/32.png) [@Mr.Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Me)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garfield-the-cat-turns-40/816100/13 "2018-06-15T01:28:17Z")
Some people think it’s better without Garfield. [Garfield Minus Garfield](http://garfieldminusgarfield.net/). ---
**Author:** ![Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba8739/32.png) [@Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Backwater_Under_Duck)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garfield-the-cat-turns-40/816100/14 "2018-06-15T01:39:35Z")
Due to an unfortunate, almost in-law relative’s desires, when we get together at Christmas, well, Garfield is always there. I’ve never liked Garfield. But, gee, Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas, without… you know. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garfield-the-cat-turns-40/816100/15 "2018-06-15T14:52:46Z")
Back in the 1980s I named my cat Garfield after a friend suggested it. My father, in all seriousness, asked how come I named him after James Garfield. The outstanding comic strip wasn’t carried by “Wall Street Journal” or “New York Times” so he wasn’t aware of it. Happy Birthday Garfield! I will have some lasagna in your honor. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garfield-the-cat-turns-40/816100/16 "2018-06-15T17:00:59Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > As Jim Davis kind of alludes to in the article, it’s not that Garfield got lamer, the world just got harsher. He’s wrong: the world didn’t change much in the time it took for Garfield to get repetitive. Besides sheer repetitiveness, the other thing that Davis blew: I remember one of the early strips where Garfield says: “I **love** Mondays. You know why? Because **I** don’t have to get up and go to work.” (With each sentence in a different panel, of course.) Which was exactly the right attitude for _any_ cat, but Garfield especially. Sounds good, right? Then Davis switched gears and had Garfield doing “I hate Mondays” strips for _years_. WTF, dude? That just made no sense, and completely undercut Garfield’s persona. ---
**Author:** ![Philliam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/philliam/32/3011_2.png) [@Philliam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philliam)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garfield-the-cat-turns-40/816100/17 "2018-06-21T20:01:56Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Actually, the reason why people sneer at Garfield is very explicable: It’s because it just isn’t very funny. Perhaps it’s because Garfield isn’t actually 40 - just 1, repeated 40 times. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garfield-the-cat-turns-40/816100/18 "2018-06-21T21:13:15Z")
Credit where it’s due: When he jumped the shark and had Jon and Liz start dating, it actually worked: For a while, the strip had fresh material again, and was actually funny. But then, that started getting repetitive, too. How many times has the punchline been Jon showing up for a date in hideous fashions? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garfield-the-cat-turns-40/816100/19 "2018-06-21T21:51:30Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Davis switched gears and had Garfield doing “I hate Mondays” strips for _years_. WTF, dude? That just made no sense, and completely undercut Garfield’s persona. Makes perfect sense to me. Garfield started hating Mondays for an entirely different reason: [it meant something bad was imminent](http://images.ucomics.com/comics/ga/1982/ga821115.gif), usually involving a “[splut](https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fc.garfield.dale.ro%2Fstatic%2Fimages%2F1996%2Fga960101.gif&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fc.garfield.dale.ro%2F1996%2F&docid=gJ9Dcg4Hyt4GNM&tbnid=ko3I6n_J1bTxGM%3A&vet=10ahUKEwjXtvmd3uXbAhUCmVkKHd2MAXgQMwhkKA4wDg..i&w=1200&h=357&bih=1070&biw=1920&q=garfield%20splut%20monday&ved=0ahUKEwjXtvmd3uXbAhUCmVkKHd2MAXgQMwhkKA4wDg&iact=mrc&uact=8)”.