Hi folks! Welcome to my My Own Personal Nerdy Disney and Animation Scrutinizing Analysis blog. A blog where I'm analyzing several Disney films, Disney or Animation in general! These entries are just meant to be my analyses. Not reviews or statements. Just fun analyses! Though I'll make some personal remarks now and then, the content of these entries are meant to be depicted objectively. They're made for entertainment purpose only and the pictures/clips are copyright Disney or other companies.
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And finally; If you haven't seen the films, beware of spoilers! And the funny lines aren't meant to be nothing than funny. So I hope you won't find them offensive. If so, I apologize
With the release of The Garfield Movie, it would be a perfect synergy to write about the character and the franchise that his movie is based off...
This is what 4XD does to ya :) |
Yes, it`s comfortable to lay like this. No joke :) |
If you`re going to mention Comic Strip characters who`ve made the transition to animation, Jim Davis` Garfield is one example that will most likely come to mind. This tabby, lazy and food-loving cat, with an appropriate cartoony look, has been a part of Pop Culture and people`s consciousness since it`s premiere in the 1970`s. And Garfield` is among the most famous and well-known of the comic strips to this day. And has managed to become a huge franchise through TV shows, movies and merchandise. Of course an relevant issue about Garfield is whether he`s mostly known for the comics or the animated shows. However, most people have been introduced and exposed to Garfield in one way or another since it`s release. But as to this date, Garfield has become relevant again with a new Full-Length animated movie. Which had it`s premiere in May this year.
The Origins and History of Garfield
Yes, I was distracted by your stripes and way to clear orange :) |
No, it`s not my tongue. It`s a towel who looks like one :) |
The anthologies books helped increase Garfield`s popularity. And the larger newspaper layout of the book was referred to as the Garfield format. Garfield was included to the Licensing Hall of Fame (1998), but received
prized awards from his peers in the National Cartoonists Society. For Best Humor Strip (1981 and 1985), the Elzie Segar Award (1990) and Reuben Award (1990) for overall cartooning.
Part of Garfield`s appeal and intention is it`s lack of social or political
commentary. Not everyone loved Garfield. Editors in Chicago, Salt
Lake City and Little Rock, Ark., canceled it after test runs. But readers forced them to reinstate it. Davis has stated that the appeal of Garfield is that cats have the
courage to live by the same urgues as humans and how Garfield`s personality is a little bit like his own. Despite how he loves mondays and is an optimist. The model for Garfield was Charles Schulz’s Peanuts, but the humorless monotony of it`s first years (which funny enough, Davis`son called Snoopy).
The Premise and Characters of Garfield
We`re Indiana Jones` descendants :) |
If we`re going to describe Garfield and his surroundings, he`s known for living with his owner, Jon Arbuckle
and his goofy dog, Odie (who was renamed from Spot to
avoid confusion with a dog from comic strip Boner's Ark). Which makes Garfield awfully remarkable to have the dog act natural and the act anthrophomorphic, as it`s owner (due to the usual nature of cats and dogs). Most strips center around interactions among the three characters'
conflicting personalities: Jon's frustration with
Garfield's antics; Garfield's disdain for Odie; and Jon's interactions
with his girlfriend and the pets' veterinarian, Dr. Liz Wilson. But it also deals with Garfield`s manipulation and cynicism to his characters. Many strips feature Jon, Garfield, and Odie visiting Jon's parents and brother Doc Boy on their family farm.
Don`t be fooled, it`s exhausting to be here :) |
Other side characters
include many mice and spiders in the house (both frequent targets
of abuse and scorn from Garfield), Garfield's teddy bear
Pooky, Garfield's girlfriend Arlene, a pink cat, Nermal, a gray striped
kitten whoenjoys plaguing Garfield about his perceived age; and other pets in the neighborhood. Originally the strip was only about John and Garfield for
several months. After about three months, Lyman and Odie moved in. Jon and Garfield could communicate nonverbally, which made Lyman
unnecessary and forced him out of the picture. The other characters came from Davis' personal experiences. While it`s setting is rarely mentioned, Garfield takes place in Davis's hometown of Muncie, Indiana, according to the TV special Happy Birthday, Garfield. And yes, there`s no need to mention Garfield`s love for lasagna, who`s been another of his trademarks.
I`m the Pig Version of Lancelot :) |
However, regarding other characters in the Garfield universe, the truth is that Garfield also shares his title with other companions. With U.S. Acres (known as Orson's Farm outside the U.S.). While it started as a sister series to Garfield, it became a huge success on it`s own. It centered on a group of barnyard animals, with the main character Orson, a small pig who had been taken from his mother shortly after being born. The other animals are Roy, the farm's joking rooster. Wade, a duck who is afraid of everything. Lanolin and Bo, two sheep twins. Booker and Sheldon, two chicks that Orson hatched. Blue, a mellow cat and Cody, an enthusiastic puppy. The style and humor was inspired from Looney Tunes. Despite how they haven`t interacted with Garfield himself, they still live in the same Universe.
Franchise
Yes, we`re doing a stretch jump pose. Don`t ask us why :) |
However, we all know that Garfield has starred in many properties before. His animation debut was on The Fantastic Funnies, which aired on CBS on May 15, 1980. From 1982 to 1991, 12 Garfield cartoon specials and one hour-long documentary celebrating his 10th anniversary was aired. A Saturday morning show, Garfield and Friends, aired for seven seasons from 1988 to 1994. (which probably was many people`s introduction to Garfield, nonetheless). Which, yes, I remember actually watching in my childhood. The Garfield Show, a CGI series, was made to coincide with the strip's 30th anniversary in 2008. And ran from 2009 to 2016. Garfield Originals is a 2D animated short series created by Davis. It premiered and ran from 2019 to 2020. A new series is currently in development at Nickelodeon after Paramount Global acquired the franchise.
You did well in our "don`t eat cats"-therapy :) |
However, regarding Garfield`s entries to the Movie World, we`ll have to remember that he`s starred in movies before. In 2004, he graced the screen with Garfield: The Movie. A live-action/computed animated film starring Breckin Meyer as Jon, Jennifer Love Hewitt as Liz and featuring Bill Murray as Garfield. The sequel, including Billy Connolly, was released two years later. Despite receiving negative reviews from critics (which let`s be real here, guys, it was expected), the films were both
commercial successes. As for animated movies of our tabby cat, three direct-to-video films were released by Paws, Inc. with Davis Entertainment: Garfield Gets Real in 2007, Garfield's Fun Fest in 2008, and Garfield's Pet Force in 2009.
The Garfield Movie (2024)
The light behind comes from your yellow skin, Odie :) |
But as for the purpose of this entry, Garfield has become relevant once again in a movie. But this time an completely animated one. Directed by Mark Dindal (who was a fan of comics) and from a screenplay by David Reynolds (both of The Emperor`s New Groove), it was released in the U.S. by Columbia Pictures through Sony Pictures on May 24, 2024. Starring Chris Pratt as Garfield (playing another happy-go-lucky character), alongside with Samuel L. Jackson (as Garfield`s father, Vic), Ving Rhames (as Otto), Nicholas Hoult (as Jon) and even Snoop Dogg (as Maurice). John Debney, who`s also collaborated with Dindal, composed the score. Dogg collaborated with Keith Urban on an song for the film called Let It Roll. As for the plot, it serves mostly an origin story for our tabby cat and a family story, as Garfield reuintes with his long lost father. So while the story is nothing groundbreaking or innovative (no offense), it still wasn`t expected to be so.
I need no introduction, which is why my name is absent ;) |
The production took six years. Davis also served as an executive producer. Alcon`s hoping to launch a new CG-animated franchise with this movie. Davis approved Pratt's casting, believing his performance embraced all of his sides and not just his deadpan humor. Pratt was also Dindal's first choice to voice Garfield, imagining his voice coming out of him for years. As for my personal opinion of the movie, I enjoyed it and liked it. Sure, it was nothing but expected to be pure, relentless fun and fluff. But it was still good enough for me, as I usually don`t mind such light entertainment. Sure, the movie was predictable. Sure, the animation was not particularly outstanding (no offense) and the tone of the film goofy and silly. But it was still enjoyable, nonetheless. While the critical reception has been lukewarm, the audience`s reception has been better. But at for this date, it has grossed $207,659,155 Worldwide.
Epilogue
No, I`m not a cake. I`m the real thing :) |
We were too lazy to dress up like Santa`s helpers :) |
As for my own personal experience with Garfield, I remember liking the comics and the TV show well enough as a kid, despite not being completely gaga for them. But the show was still fun and enjoyable and I liked the most of the characters well enough. The same goes with the comics, which I owned back then. I had some other merchandise and frankly my mother told me that I, just like Garfield, loved food. But at the end, there`s no doubt that the character of Garfield will still live on forever through many generations for many years. Regardless of it should be through it`s comics or animation.
The stitchers are going to love us :) |
I smashed the title with my weight :) Cause you don`t need my logo when you have me in person :) Duuuh :) |
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