A readable Garfield

While I don't really care for Garfield [1] all that much, I do hold the cartoon in a special place since Jim Davis was the first (and so far, only) cartoonist I met [2] (at a time when I wanted to be a cartoonist). The reason I don't care about Garfield any more is that … well … it's a safe, predictable cartoon with no edge.

Unless you remove Garfield's speech [3]! (And boy, does that improve the strip)

It then, oddly enough, becomes a much better strip—almost cutting edge even.

Take this Sunday's strip [4], and remove the dialog:

[Garfield drawing] [5] [6][Garfield drawing] [7] [8][Garfield drawing] [9] [10][Garfield drawing] [11] [12][Garfield drawing] [13] [14][Garfield showing off an artistic Odie] [15] [16]

Or even this one from last year [17]:

[Bordom sets in] [18] [19][Jon: Yaahhh!!! I can't stand the boredom!] [20] [21][Garfield alone, waving at Jon who's not in the frame] [22] [23]

Brilliant stuff! Or at least not as inane.

You paying attention Mr. Davis?

[1] http://www.garfield.com/

[2] /boston/2000/04/20.1

[3] http://www.truthandbeautybombs.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=4997

[4] http://garfield.com/comics/comics_archives_strip.html?2006-ga060205

[5] /boston/2006/02/08/g-11.gif

[6] http://garfield.com/comics/comics_archives_strip.html?2006-ga060205

[7] /boston/2006/02/08/g-12.gif

[8] http://garfield.com/comics/comics_archives_strip.html?2006-ga060205