Cartoon icon: “Our all alter ego”: Garfield inventor Davis is 80

The most famous comic cat in the world named the draftsman Jim Davis almost 50 years ago after his grandfather. “Garfield was my grandfather’s name,” said Davis, who turns 80 on Monday (July 28th), recently at an event of his former university in the US state of Indiana. “He was a big, strict man, but his eyes revealed him. He had a heart of gold and I thought that I wanted to create such a character.”

He had actually worked on comics about a mosquito – “gnorm gnat”. But nobody showed interest in it. “Your jokes are great, but insects – nobody can identify with that,” said a newspaper manager, Davis once recalled in an interview with the British “Guardian”. “I then looked at the comics that existed at the time. I saw that dogs are doing well. But I didn’t see cats.”

Dick, grave and lazy

So Davis invented Garfield in 1978 – a thick, lazy, gray -grown hangoisy who loves lasagna and television. In addition to his grandfather, the dozens of cats were role models that stray on the farm in Indiana on which he grew up. Because he suffered from asthma as a child, he spent a lot of time in the house and discovered his love to draw. He later studied art and worked in an advertising agency before he was assisted by a comic artist in 1969.

Around Garfield, Davis invented more figures: Herrchen Jon, dog Odie, veterinarian Liz and Katzenbaby nermal. More and more newspapers printed the comics – in 1983 there were already around 1000. According to the Guinness Book of Records, they are the most widespread comics in the world.

Thick hangover = thick comic empire

In addition, Garfield is also available as books, films, TV series, musicals, cups, clothing, toys and soft toys. It was only last year that “Garfield – an extra portion of adventure” was again a new movie that recorded more than 200 million euros worldwide. The thick hangover has given its inventor a thick comic empire.

Davis’ recipe for success is simple: wit and humor Garfields remain in general so that everyone can recognize themselves. “In the first two or three years I cleared all the obvious cat jokes,” says Davis. “Now I can benefit from the fact that people know him.”

The philosopher does not get over the lips of the philosopher among the cats. “I consciously stay away from everything political, because that is in the rest of the newspaper. They can handle it better,” says Davis. “I take care of the basic things: eat and sleep – and I predict that even in 40 years everyone will still eat and sleep.”

The “cat in human fur” with the “perfect figure for your weight” has changed over the years, mouth and eyes have grown, the body smaller. “We live in a time when we are guilty of eating too much, sleeping too much and not moving. Garfield not only does it all, but he also thinks it is a good thing. In a way he takes us feelings of guilt. He is our age ego.”

The Garfield comics should spread cheerfulness and cheer up people, says Davis-and in the Internet age his hangover has become the King of Cat Content. Davis himself is still working on the comics, supported by a team and since 2011 on the computer. “Simply the thing that people like what I do – that is what makes me get out of bed every morning to create something that people really like.”