Garfield Hits the Big Time: His 25th Book

Garfield #25

by Jim Davis

GARFIELD, the world's favorite feline, marks 15 years of laughs and lunches with this special silver volume, the 25th in his series of side-splitting comic compilations! After 15 years of funnies, GARFIELD's earned some extra sleep. But he'll still move all his muscles for meals and mayhem! Whether he's hogging Jon's chair or hog-tieing Odie, GARFIELD shows us how to grow old disgracefully.

Genres: Comics, Humor, Comic Strips, Fiction, Comic Book, Graphic Novels, Childrens

96 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 24, 1993

About the author

James 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.

Reviews

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was some very funny material here, such as Jon's high school reunion and, as usual, the holiday strips. Certain moments brought back memories of my younger years: seeing miniature versions of the strips on notebooks or folders featuring the cartoon fat cat. However, my copy had a page celebrating fifteen years of the Tubby Tabby in the middle of December strips. Since Garfield's birthday is in June, it seemed odd to have it there. Was my copy misprinted somehow? One wonders.

[Bunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am unashamedly reading all of the Garfield comics from my library.

Because Garfield rules.

[K · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read at the insistence of my book-loving niece, who traded me one of hers for one of mine. While Garfield comics have a fond spot in my childhood memories, it is one example of comic strips that got syndicated and began coasting with recycled jokes. The best thing to come out of these is the terribly bleak version the internet has embraced - Garfield Without Garfield, the story of the world's loneliest and saddest man.

[Iggy Igwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Garfield doesn't want to go jogging.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes you just have to have some cartoons.

[Remo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bueno, qué decir de los Garfields, uno de los compañeros de nuestra infancia (y adolescencia y parte de la vida adulta, recuerdo haberlos leído hasta bien después de acabada la carrera). Recuerdo haberme encontrado el primero en casa de un amigo y habérmelo devorado de una sentada, con 5-6 años, sin entender varios de los chistes pero disfrutando mucho de los más obvios. Hoy en día, en casa, a los ojos entrecerrados con mezcla de desprecio y aburrimiento los seguimos llamando ojos de Garfield:

Esta sensación de saber que siempre iba a encontrar unos cuantos graciosos la tuve durante las dos décadas posteriores en las que Garfield iba apareciendo periódicamente en mi vida. No es una obra culmen de la literatura, pero nos ha alegrado muchos momentos.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Odie and Garfield pretend to be rabid coyotes, Garfield steals the mailman's clothes, Garfield uses a huge slingshot, and Garfield breaks Jon's last potato chip so he can share with him. Also, this is the book with the upside-down shower dripping in the middle of the night.

[Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Great Pack of Garfield Fun

Another great time spent with my favorite fat cat of comics! Couldn't ask for a better way to have spent some free time.

[Tesco Realname · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny orange cat eat lasagna and bully human

[Calvin Barthel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though I read this much after Jim Davis stopped writing Garfield hasn’t lost his charm this book is hilarious after reading my first Garfield I was hooked!!!!!

[Conan Tigard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Garfield Hits the Big Time had quite a few storylines, which is something I really enjoy. Single shots are okay, but the storylines that last a week, or longer, is something I always look forward too. As for the comic strips in this book, they were entertaining, but I did not find myself laughing out loud. In fact, there were only three strips in this book that I had to choose from to display above, and those only made me smile, no laughing.

I'm not sure how long Jim Davis can keep this comic strip going with only three main characters, one of which never talks or thinks. Poor Odie, he just doesn't have a voice. I think it would be great if he starting thinking out loud, like Garfield does. Or, someone else, someone new, needs to be added into the mix. I'm just not sure what or who it should be. Maybe a kid. That could lead to all kinds of trouble . . . and laughs.

Overall, Garfield Hits the Big Time is another engaging book in the Garfield library. Although not as full of laughs as I would have liked, the amount of longer storylines makes this book worthwhile. Still, I would like to see something change with this comic strip. Something needs to be added to make it fresh again. I just hope it isn't like when television show from the 1970's, The Brady Bunch, added Cousin Oliver and it killed the show's ratings, which became known as the "Cousin Oliver Syndrome."

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember getting the Garfield books as Christmas and birthday presents as a child. They were some of my favorite presents.

I reread them often and laughed like crazy at the antics of this crazy cat and his friends. After about ten books, however, I moved on.

Our girls have discovered this series recently and are big fans, too. So we've been borrowing these books from our local library and I've really enjoyed watching them laugh together at the strips just as much as I used to.

I enjoy reading them, too, but more for nostalgia than anything. After all these years, the humor is getting pretty redundant.

[Robert Bussie · Rating 5 out of 5]

All my Garfield reviews are the same. You either get the wonderful humor or you don't. As for me, I grew up reading the hilarious antics of Garfield, Jon, and Odie and years later I still find it funny. It is like a comfortable old friend making me laugh when I need it.

[Marnina · Rating 4 out of 5]

He's hilarious

[Dale Rosso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great laughs as always.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Garfield is back with his usual hilarious antics!

[Nate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny as always

[Bookworm Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

love

[Kevyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was funny