Garfield Fandom and Phenomenon Lecture Notes

Introduction

• Discussing the comic strip Garfield starring the iconic orange cat and his owner, John Arbuckle.
• Garfield's traits: surly, adorable, lasagna-loving.
• Created by Jim Davis, reflecting his childhood memories.
• Over 40 years, Garfield has become a global phenomenon.

Fandoms and Source Material

• Exploring fandoms as reflections of their source material.
• Garfield's internet fandom is especially bizarre.
• Mention of absurd fan creations like Garfield porn and "I’m Sorry John” series.

Online Communities

• Subreddit r/alsheimersgroup: 50,000 members reposting the same Garfield comic and role-playing as if it's new.
• “Relax Jon,” an animated series where Jon is trapped in a horrific alternate reality.

Popularity of Garfield

• Initial lack of interest in Garfield by the speaker.
• Found articles arguing Garfield isn't funny and was created for merchandising.
• Disagreement with the cynicism around Jim Davis's intent; focusing instead on making the world laugh.

Longevity and Appeal

• Garfield's jokes considered by many as not funny.
• Understanding the comedy style of Garfield.
• Garfield as an aspirational character: confidence in accepting flaws.
• Relatable and general traits make Garfield widely appealing: hate for Mondays, love for lasagna, sleep.

Simple and Malleable Structure

• Garfield comics' structure: self-contained, three-panel format.
• Designed to be simple and timeless, rarely references current events.
• Easy to create memeable content from Garfield's structure.

Meme Trends and Fan Art

• Popular meme trends: Garfield's last panel replaced with random images.
• Various unique interpretations of Garfield: Silent Movie Garfield, Garfield's Pixel Art, Garfish, etc.
• Presence of wholesome fan art such as fan comic Jon.

Darkness in Garfield Comics

• Garfield's darkness, tormenting Jon Arbuckle over the years.
• Topics such as the repetitive and mundane style reflecting existential themes.

Lasagna Cat and Jim Davis Obsession

• Lasagna Cat, a YouTube series parodying Garfield comics in unexpected ways.
• High production short films and discussions on art and media in the vids.
• Introducing the haunted, obsessive nature around Garfield’s creator, Jim Davis.

Garfield Minus Garfield

• Fan comic removing Garfield to reveal Jon's misery and isolation.
• “Garfield Minus Garfield” shows a more tragic side of Jon Arbuckle.

The True Nature of Jon Arbuckle

• Garfield’s impact on Jon’s life and the subversion of expectations in the comic.

Conclusion

• Garfield's fandom reflects a complex mix of humor, darkness, and aspirational themes.
• Internet culture's transformation of Garfield into both humorous and horrifying contexts.