Garfieldt's Blog: 10 Little known facts about Garfield you may not have known

Hello Friends!

Are you ready for 10 more little-known-facts about Garfield? Let's dive right in! How many of these did you already know? Do you know any little known Garfield facts? Let us know in the comments!

Garfield’s Fear of Mondays:

One of Garfield’s most well-known personality traits is his deep-seated hatred of Mondays, a sentiment many readers can relate to. However, Jim Davis has clarified that Garfield’s disdain for Mondays isn’t rooted in the typical start-of-the-workweek blues—after all, Garfield doesn’t have a job. Instead, the orange tabby simply associates Mondays with misfortune, as they tend to bring him nothing but bad luck. Whether it’s an empty food bowl, an unexpected mishap, or simply a general sense of doom, Mondays always seem to work against him. This running gag has become a staple of the comic, further cementing Garfield as a feline embodiment of grumpy, relatable pessimism.
A Real-Life Garfield Mystery Involved Discarded Comic Strips:

In 2018, a Reddit user stumbled upon a surprising piece of Garfield history—a massive landfill in Ohio filled with countless clippings of Garfield comic strips, many dating back to the 1980s. This unusual find sparked curiosity among fans, leading to an investigation that revealed the source: a newspaper printing facility had discarded years' worth of unsold comics, unintentionally preserving a vast archive of classic Garfield strips. The discovery became an internet sensation, with fans marveling at this accidental time capsule of newspaper nostalgia. It served as a reminder of Garfield’s enduring presence in print media and how even discarded relics of pop culture can resurface in the most unexpected ways.
There’s an Official Garfield Musical:

Garfield: The Musical with Cattitude debuted in 2015 as a lively stage production designed for younger audiences, bringing the beloved comic strip character to life in a whole new way. The story follows Garfield, who, feeling unappreciated and fed up with his routine life, decides to run away from home in search of adventure. However, his journey soon teaches him an important lesson about the value of friendship, family, and the comforts of home. Filled with catchy songs, humor, and heartwarming moments, the musical captures Garfield’s signature wit while delivering a relatable message for audiences of all ages. The production was well-received and has since been performed at various theaters, introducing a new generation to the world of Garfield through live performance.
The Garfield Without Garfield Experiment:

The fan-created comic series Garfield Minus Garfield takes Jim Davis’s original strips and removes Garfield entirely, leaving Jon Arbuckle as a man seemingly talking to himself. The result is an unintentionally surreal and often existential take on the comic, transforming Jon from a well-meaning everyman into a lonely figure engaged in bizarre one-sided conversations. The project, started by Dan Walsh in 2008, quickly gained traction online, with fans appreciating its unexpectedly deep and sometimes melancholic humor. The concept became so popular that Jim Davis himself endorsed it, even collaborating on an official Garfield Minus Garfield book, recognizing the unique and oddly compelling perspective it provided on Jon’s character.
The Garfield Phones Mystery:

For decades, bright orange Garfield-shaped phones mysteriously washed up on the shores of France, baffling beachgoers and environmentalists alike. The phenomenon continued for over 30 years, with no clear explanation as to where the phones were coming from. In 2019, the mystery was finally solved when activists discovered a long-lost shipping container hidden inside a secluded sea cave in Brittany. The container, which had fallen into the ocean during a storm in the 1980s, had been slowly leaking its cargo of novelty Garfield phones into the sea. While the discovery put an end to the speculation, the iconic phones remain a bizarre reminder of both Garfield’s cultural impact and the long-lasting effects of plastic waste on the environment.
Garfield Once Starred in a Horror-Themed Comic Arc:

The 1989 storyline Garfield’s Alone, also known as Garfield’s Halloween, stands out as one of the darkest and most unsettling arcs in the comic’s history. In a stark departure from the strip’s usual humor, Garfield wakes up to find his home abandoned, stripped of furniture, and eerily silent. Jon and Odie are nowhere to be found, and as Garfield wanders through the empty house, he begins to fear that he has been left behind—possibly for years. The sequence, drawn in moody, shadowy tones, suggests that Garfield is either experiencing a terrible nightmare or, more disturbingly, has always been alone and merely imagined Jon and Odie all along. Though the strip ultimately returns to its lighthearted tone, this brief, haunting glimpse into Garfield’s potential loneliness has sparked widespread fan theories and remains one of the most discussed moments in the comic’s history.
A Garfield Theme Park Almost Happened:

In the 1990s, plans were in motion to create a full-fledged Garfield amusement park in Indiana, the home state of Jim Davis. The proposed park would have featured attractions themed around the lasagna-loving feline, including rides, interactive experiences, and a family-friendly environment centered on Garfield’s humor and antics. However, for various logistical and financial reasons, the project never materialized. Instead, Garfield found a home in Indiana’s Holiday World & Splashin' Safari, a popular theme park where he appears in various attractions, meet-and-greets, and merchandise. While fans never got the standalone Garfield theme park, his presence at Holiday World ensures that visitors can still enjoy a dose of feline fun alongside their roller coaster rides.
The Garfield Ride at Kennywood:

Although a full Garfield-themed amusement park never came to fruition, fans of the lazy orange cat got a taste of such an experience with Garfield’s Nightmare, a dark ride at Kennywood amusement park in Pennsylvania. Open from 2004 to 2020, the attraction was a re-theme of the park’s classic Old Mill ride, replacing its traditional spooky elements with a surreal, neon-colored journey through Garfield’s worst nightmares—many of which involved food gone wrong. Featuring blacklight-painted animatronics and comically absurd dream sequences, the ride offered a unique and humorous take on the beloved character. Though it was eventually retired and returned to its original Old Mill theme, Garfield’s Nightmare remains a nostalgic favorite for those who experienced its quirky charm.
Garfield Once Had His Own Phone Service:

In the late 1980s, Garfield fans had the unique opportunity to hear their favorite cat's sarcastic humor through a dedicated phone service. By dialing 1-900-446-3333, callers could listen to pre-recorded messages from Garfield himself, featuring daily jokes, trivia, and witty observations in his signature deadpan style. The service operated on a pay-per-call basis, meaning fans were charged a small fee for each call—though that didn’t stop thousands from dialing in regularly. While it was ultimately short-lived, the hotline was an early example of interactive media marketing, allowing fans to engage with their favorite comic strip character in a way that felt personal and immediate. It also paved the way for later character-driven phone services and digital interactions in the years to come.
Garfield’s Influence on Marketing:

The famous suction-cup Garfield plush toys, which clung to car windows across America, became a pop culture sensation in the 1980s. Originally released as part of a wave of Garfield merchandise, these toys quickly became a must-have accessory for car owners, turning highways into showcases for the lazy, grinning orange cat. Their widespread popularity helped set a trend for licensed car window toys, inspiring similar designs featuring other characters. The phenomenon was so massive that it led to an influx of knockoffs and imitations, but none could quite capture the charm of the original. Even today, vintage suction-cup Garfields remain highly sought after by collectors, cementing their place in nostalgia-driven memorabilia.