The brainchild behind the creation of the “big orange cat” doesn’t want the lasagna-loving creature to be dated by dealing with politics.
Jim Davis, an Emmy Award winner, stated “Garfield”, which holds the Guinness World Record for being the world’s most widely syndicated comic strip, is not going to enter political space ever.
Jim did not want Garfield to be an American, rather wanted him to be an Indian or a Chinese or British.
“I felt that they dealt with politics in rest of the newspapers… it is all about politics and economy. So, I thought that I don’t need to deal with that. Also, those comic strips that deal with politics and social comments, tend to be dated. I didn’t want Garfield to be dated,” Davis, an Indiana native told IANS.
According to an IANS report, Jim felt that had he made a political comment, Garfield would have been automatically identified as an American cat. “I didn’t want to do that and also, people go to comics to have a laugh and have a break… away from the real news and real world that are often depressing,” the cartoonist was quoted as saying.
Though, Jim did not want to make a political statement, but he wanted to make a lot of stories to be told through Garfield. “I would like to step away from the day-to-day licensing and all that one day, but I want to continue with the comic strip because that’s what gets me out of the bed every morning. I would like Garfield to continue whether with people I work or anyone else who can maintain the level of Garfield’s humour and continue to entertain other generations after I am done. I would like to see him go on for a long, long time,” he said.
However, in a witty tone, Jim asked what would the lasagna-loving, Monday-hating cat think of the big orange guy (US President Donald Trump)?
When asked what made him to work with a comic strip with a cat who thinks like a human being, Jim asserted that he didn’t want to work with human beings, and world work with animals as they are adorable.
“Would it still be massively successful had Garfield been another animal? “It would have certainly worked as a dog but as a horse or a bird… I don’t think so, because people don’t see them around the house all the time,” Davis was quoted as saying when asked about the reason for specifically choosing a cat.
The Garfield merchandise is licensed by Animation International India and is copyrighted to Davis’ company Paws. Apart from the comic strip, Garfield had his own shows, movies, stage shows and video games.
To celebrate Garfield’s 40th anniversary celebrations, Jim will be heading to Canada, followed by China to release a book titled ‘Garfield Hits the Big 4-0’. Also, Jim will be traveling to Denver for Comic Con to launch the book.
Published since 1978, Garfield chronicles the life of the title character, Garfield, the cat; Jon Arbuckle, the human; and Odie, the dog. As of 2013, it was syndicated in roughly 2,580 newspapers and journals, and held the Guinness World Record for being the world’s most widely syndicated comic strip.
Jim, who has been doing the comic strips for 40 years asserted that Garfield is going to continue eating and sleeping for a long time.
