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In Dog Years I'd Be Dead: Garfield at 25
Experience twenty-five years of the furry phenomenon known as Garfield with this fun, in-depth, and lavishly illustrated book.
Jim Davis’s grandfather, James A. Garfield Davis, was a big, cantankerous, outspoken man. Garfield is a big, cantankerous, outspoken cat. Coincidence? Of course not. The cartoon affectionately modeled on his grandfather has propelled creator Jim Davis–and Garfield–into the realm of comic superstardom. In this book, you’ll get a unique look back at the humble beginnings and enormous success of America’s favorite feline.
In Dog Years I’d Be Dead takes a comprehensive look at everything Garfield– the comics, the television shows, the zillions of products (who on the planet hasn’t seen the grinning plush doll suction-cupped to a car window?), and, of course, the fans. You’ll get the inside scoop about the pioneering comic-strip books that set the standard for the industry with a shape now called the “Garfield format.” You’ll venture into the studio where the voice talent recorded TV shows, and hear about the antics of special guest stars like Jonathan Winters and Buddy Hackett. Loaded with never-before-seen archival gems from Jim Davis’s personal collection and tribute cartoons from legends like Beetle Bailey ’s Mort Walker, Blondie ’s Dean Young, and The Family Circus ’s Bil Keane, this is a book to treasure.
Jim Davis’s grandfather, James A. Garfield Davis, was a big, cantankerous, outspoken man. Garfield is a big, cantankerous, outspoken cat. Coincidence? Of course not. The cartoon affectionately modeled on his grandfather has propelled creator Jim Davis–and Garfield–into the realm of comic superstardom. In this book, you’ll get a unique look back at the humble beginnings and enormous success of America’s favorite feline.
In Dog Years I’d Be Dead takes a comprehensive look at everything Garfield– the comics, the television shows, the zillions of products (who on the planet hasn’t seen the grinning plush doll suction-cupped to a car window?), and, of course, the fans. You’ll get the inside scoop about the pioneering comic-strip books that set the standard for the industry with a shape now called the “Garfield format.” You’ll venture into the studio where the voice talent recorded TV shows, and hear about the antics of special guest stars like Jonathan Winters and Buddy Hackett. Loaded with never-before-seen archival gems from Jim Davis’s personal collection and tribute cartoons from legends like Beetle Bailey ’s Mort Walker, Blondie ’s Dean Young, and The Family Circus ’s Bil Keane, this is a book to treasure.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
2 people are currently reading
133 people want to read
About the author
Jim Davis
2,293 books628 followersJames Robert "Jim" Davis is an American cartoonist who created the popular comic strip Garfield. Other comics that he has worked on are Tumbleweeds, Gnorm Gnat, Slapstick, and a strip about Mr. Potato Head.
Jim Davis was born in Fairmount, Indiana, near Marion, where he grew up on a small farm with his father James William Davis, mother Anna Catherine (Carter) Davis, brother Dave, and 25 cats. Davis' childhood on a farm parallels the life of his cartoon character Garfield's owner, Jon Arbuckle, who was also raised on a farm with his parents and a brother, Doc Boy. Jon, too, is a cartoonist, and also celebrates his birthday on July 28. Davis attended Ball State University. While attending Ball State, he became a member of the Theta Xi fraternity. He earned the dubious honor of earning one of the lowest cumulative grade point averages in the history of the university, an honor incidentally shared with Late Show host David Letterman.
Davis as of 2007 resides in Muncie, Indiana, where he and his staff produce Garfield under his company, Paws, Inc., begun in 1981. He was married to Carolyn, a singer and elementary teacher whom he met while both were attending college, and has a son named James with her. However, the couple divorced, and Davis since 2000 has been married to Jill, Paws' senior vice president of licensing, who has worked there approximately 25 years.
Ironically, Davis did not own cats when he started Garfield because of Carolyn's allergies, but they owned a Labrador retriever named Molly. With Jill, the family has expanded to include children Ashley and Chris; three grandchildren, Chloe, Carly and Cody; cats, Spunky and Nermal; and a dog, Pooky.
Jim Davis was born in Fairmount, Indiana, near Marion, where he grew up on a small farm with his father James William Davis, mother Anna Catherine (Carter) Davis, brother Dave, and 25 cats. Davis' childhood on a farm parallels the life of his cartoon character Garfield's owner, Jon Arbuckle, who was also raised on a farm with his parents and a brother, Doc Boy. Jon, too, is a cartoonist, and also celebrates his birthday on July 28. Davis attended Ball State University. While attending Ball State, he became a member of the Theta Xi fraternity. He earned the dubious honor of earning one of the lowest cumulative grade point averages in the history of the university, an honor incidentally shared with Late Show host David Letterman.
Davis as of 2007 resides in Muncie, Indiana, where he and his staff produce Garfield under his company, Paws, Inc., begun in 1981. He was married to Carolyn, a singer and elementary teacher whom he met while both were attending college, and has a son named James with her. However, the couple divorced, and Davis since 2000 has been married to Jill, Paws' senior vice president of licensing, who has worked there approximately 25 years.
Ironically, Davis did not own cats when he started Garfield because of Carolyn's allergies, but they owned a Labrador retriever named Molly. With Jill, the family has expanded to include children Ashley and Chris; three grandchildren, Chloe, Carly and Cody; cats, Spunky and Nermal; and a dog, Pooky.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 28, 2018
This book is more like a history book on how Garfield came to be so popular (rather than a comic book), and there's a lot of really cool pictures of that journey and how he got so big in the 1980's and 1990's. There was a lot of cool information about Jim Davis and his journey too, including talking about how all the Garfield comic characters are actually based on family members of his. I liked how he mentions he was inspired by Charles Schultz and how Schultz helped him draw Garfield upright so Garfield could dance and walk on his two hind legs. Jim learned a lot from Charles and befriended many other cartoonists from way back too. All in all, a really cool book on how far of a success Garfield came to be. I still really enjoy laughing at Garfield comics. He'll probably always be my favorite comic character.
August 29, 2007
a gift from my friend Ola. it's like a treasure for me, thanks pal. in it you'll evidence the long, joyful ride of mr Jim Davis & his feistiest feline entertaining people around the globe in such funny, enlightning ways
July 13, 2014
Love Garfield and the history in here is great!
September 18, 2023
Really good. Made me laugh a lot 🤣 😆
October 2, 2022
I’ve been a Garfield fan since I can remember. I especially loved the thick books of comics and still enjoy reading those as well as occasionally watching a holiday special or TV show episode. It was also my favorite strip in the Sunday newspaper.
This book chronicles 25 years of Garfield and Jim Davis history. The idea for the comic strip is discussed and the earliest sketches are also shown. The evolution of the characters, strip, and popularity is also shown through the years. There are also discussions on events that happened because of the character (such as a string of car break-ins!).
The book not only discusses the comic strips but also the movies, television show, non-comic books, and all of the various collectibles created throughout the years. I wish I’d known about Paws Inc sooner—that sounded like such a fantastic place to work!
Jim Davis’ humor is shown not only in the text but in photo captions and interview questions. There is a lot about Garfield that I didn’t know and I found this book very entertaining. I will definitely have to see if there is a more updated version.
Overall this was informative, humorous, and has lots of illustrations and photos. This volume also includes strips and illustrations of Garfield that didn’t make it to the press. The inside of the dust jacket is also a lot of fun.
Highly recommended for anyone who loves Garfield!
This book chronicles 25 years of Garfield and Jim Davis history. The idea for the comic strip is discussed and the earliest sketches are also shown. The evolution of the characters, strip, and popularity is also shown through the years. There are also discussions on events that happened because of the character (such as a string of car break-ins!).
The book not only discusses the comic strips but also the movies, television show, non-comic books, and all of the various collectibles created throughout the years. I wish I’d known about Paws Inc sooner—that sounded like such a fantastic place to work!
Jim Davis’ humor is shown not only in the text but in photo captions and interview questions. There is a lot about Garfield that I didn’t know and I found this book very entertaining. I will definitely have to see if there is a more updated version.
Overall this was informative, humorous, and has lots of illustrations and photos. This volume also includes strips and illustrations of Garfield that didn’t make it to the press. The inside of the dust jacket is also a lot of fun.
Highly recommended for anyone who loves Garfield!
June 8, 2025
I was recently back home for a week and decided to read this book, which my parents gave me in 2002, that was sitting displayed on the shelves. I was a major Garfield collector growing up and it was fun to revisit this.
This book is half history and half scrapbook, and I love how it feels sort of informal and loose. It's not some overly professional thing trying to do a big serious deep dive here, it's just a big collection of a lot of fun stuff. History, Hollywood, window clings, politics, interviews, worldwide merch, even some funny little fanart.
In a couple more years, Garfield will be 50!
This book is half history and half scrapbook, and I love how it feels sort of informal and loose. It's not some overly professional thing trying to do a big serious deep dive here, it's just a big collection of a lot of fun stuff. History, Hollywood, window clings, politics, interviews, worldwide merch, even some funny little fanart.
In a couple more years, Garfield will be 50!
August 26, 2025
A comprehensive guide into the birth and growing popularity of the world's most recognizable cartoon cat. Plenty of pictures. My favourite section is on the Stuck on You fad. (Hoping to get one of those plush.)
December 24, 2021
Èśà ćûôłśžçñ àî! àî! àî! Èšta büô! Čômûàvè!
August 13, 2023
Read this on tandem with a review of Bill Watterson. Talk about to separate paths! Jim is highly visible and Garfield has been licensed absolutely everything. Bill didn’t. Fascinating juxtaposition
December 5, 2011
In Dog Years, I'd Be Dead: Garfield at 25 by Jim Davis is a history of the Garfield comic strip as well as a biography of the man who created it, Jim Davis.
The Garfield comic strip debuted two months and a bit before my fifth birthday. At the time I was busy moving from my toddlerhood home to the house that would become my childhood home. My mother was also remarrying and I had fittings for the flower girl dress I would be wearing.
So by the time we were settled as a new family in our new house, Garfield was a part of our new evening routine. See back in those days there were two news papers, a morning and an evening edition. We always got the evening edition. I would sit on the floor after dinner and read the comics. My favorites were: Garfield, Spider-man, Beetle Bailey, Peanuts and For Better or Worse (which debuted a year later).
By the time I was ten, Garfield had transformed into his current shape (more or less). He was thinner, could stand up right, and had those ridiculously big feet. By that time as well, I was a complete and utter fanatic. I was otaku for Garfield. I had Garfield sheets, pillow cases, comforter, and towels. I made my own Garfield throw pillow. Later I even had a coffee mug (not that I drank coffee back then) and a telephone (which went with me to college).
So a couple months ago when I was in mid project chaos I spotted a copy of In Dog Years, I'd Be Dead: Garfield at 25 by Jim Davis. Now if you're counting, Garfield turned 25 in 2003. But it was a new to me book and I've since become a fan of Garfield Minus Garfield, a strip now maintained by Dan Walsh, but a concept not created by him (as he notes in all his interviews). So Garfield, though out of sight, wasn't out of mind.
The book starts with the time line of Garfield's creation and how the cat has changed over the years. It talks about characters who have come and gone and what their original plans in the strip were and how those changed as the strip evolved. Later sections are devoted to the business behind the strip, the merchandizing and of course all those other fans out there.
The book being eight years old is an interesting time capsule of the Garfield comic strip. It's incomplete, of course, and the last chapter with its predictions for the future isn't spot on but it's eye opening. If anything the book suffers a bit too much from Garfield marketing. It really feels like a puff piece about the strip, which I suppose it is. It would be interesting to see the same history written by a neutral third party.
The Garfield comic strip debuted two months and a bit before my fifth birthday. At the time I was busy moving from my toddlerhood home to the house that would become my childhood home. My mother was also remarrying and I had fittings for the flower girl dress I would be wearing.
So by the time we were settled as a new family in our new house, Garfield was a part of our new evening routine. See back in those days there were two news papers, a morning and an evening edition. We always got the evening edition. I would sit on the floor after dinner and read the comics. My favorites were: Garfield, Spider-man, Beetle Bailey, Peanuts and For Better or Worse (which debuted a year later).
By the time I was ten, Garfield had transformed into his current shape (more or less). He was thinner, could stand up right, and had those ridiculously big feet. By that time as well, I was a complete and utter fanatic. I was otaku for Garfield. I had Garfield sheets, pillow cases, comforter, and towels. I made my own Garfield throw pillow. Later I even had a coffee mug (not that I drank coffee back then) and a telephone (which went with me to college).
So a couple months ago when I was in mid project chaos I spotted a copy of In Dog Years, I'd Be Dead: Garfield at 25 by Jim Davis. Now if you're counting, Garfield turned 25 in 2003. But it was a new to me book and I've since become a fan of Garfield Minus Garfield, a strip now maintained by Dan Walsh, but a concept not created by him (as he notes in all his interviews). So Garfield, though out of sight, wasn't out of mind.
The book starts with the time line of Garfield's creation and how the cat has changed over the years. It talks about characters who have come and gone and what their original plans in the strip were and how those changed as the strip evolved. Later sections are devoted to the business behind the strip, the merchandizing and of course all those other fans out there.
The book being eight years old is an interesting time capsule of the Garfield comic strip. It's incomplete, of course, and the last chapter with its predictions for the future isn't spot on but it's eye opening. If anything the book suffers a bit too much from Garfield marketing. It really feels like a puff piece about the strip, which I suppose it is. It would be interesting to see the same history written by a neutral third party.
June 22, 2007
I READ ALL OF THEM WHEN I WAS SIX-TEN!
April 13, 2012
Fun, light-hearted look at 25 years of Garfield. Pretty amazing how huge an empire the fat cat created.
October 21, 2015
I learned a lot of things about Garfield that I wouldn't have know. It is a great research book on Jim Davis and Garfield.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews