Garfield is an American comic book and a popular film about the life of a red cat created by Jim Davis.
The Garfield story
- Comic book. The first issue was published in 1978 and soon became the most widely used comic book in the world, which is why it was included in the Guinness Book of Records. Sales revenues have reached $1 billion a year for several years. The phenomenon of the striped cat's success was its uniqueness and comic stories of interaction with others.
- Cartoon series. The comics were adapted into an animated series called ‘Garfield and His Friends’, which was released from 1988 to 1995.
- Film. The American film comedy premiered in June 2004 with the production of 20th Century Fox. The first film grossed $203 million against a budget of $50 million. The sequel, Garfield: A Tale of Two Cats, was released in June 2006.
- Cartoons. Three cartoons were released in 2007-2009: ‘The Real Garfield, Garfield Festival, and Garfield Space Force.
The premiere of the new computer-animated film Garfield at the Movies, developed by Alcon Entertainment and based on the comic books, took place in May 2024.
Garfield's storyline
The main idea of the comics and film adaptations is to show a lazy and fat cat with its own habits, character and desires. Garfield constantly finds himself in unpredictable situations, making fun of his owner and smaller animals, rescuing his friends, and making a mess in the apartment. The cat loves to eat everything, especially lasagne, drink coffee, watch TV, and hates Mondays and diets.
All the stories are told with humour and intertwined with Garfield's surroundings: his owner, the vet, the owner's dog, and many secondary characters who occasionally take part in the adventures. Both children and adults are interested in following the cat's life, as the comics raise many contrasting themes: good and evil, friendship and enmity, mutual assistance and inaction, impudence and politeness, laziness and hard work, etc.
Garfield's main characters
Garfield is the main character of comic books and cartoons, the same red and sleek striped cat. He has a complex and funny personality, with mood swings ranging from lazing on the couch to running around the apartment like a madman. He pokes fun at his friends, has a voracious appetite and a sense of adventure.
John Arbuckle is the owner of Garfield, who works as a cartoonist, constantly prepares food for the cat and complains about life. He is a typical loser with bad taste in clothes, so he has no luck with women. John loves Garfield like his first son, is in love with Dr Liz, and protects his dog Odie from the cat's attacks.
Odie is John's yellow beagle dog, who lives with Garfield and later becomes his friend. He does not speak, but can write and read, and is portrayed as naive, spirited and kind.
Liz Wilson is Garfield's veterinarian and has feelings for his owner, John, which are mutual. John has repeatedly tried to ask her out, but most of his attempts have been in vain. Eventually, they become a couple and Liz often visits Garfield.
The Kite Garfield style
The Kite collection in the Garfield licence is the embodiment of red cheek, feline tenderness and lazy poses on school textiles and stationery. The famous paw prints, striped tail waves and the character's irrepressible urge to eat everything create an atmosphere of carefree and happy. With the popular cat by your side, it will be easier to do your homework and have fun. Garfield will become a true childhood friend who will support and entertain you with Kite products!
