| 6/23/95 – The dog’s little friend Mr. Wolverine is a clever departure from the tradition “Beware of Dog” theme. It’s enough to scare away Garfield and to give me a little entertainment as I read the comics. 2/8 6/30/95 – This was the first strip that actually given me a laugh since 5/25. It’s a good physical gag that catches you off guard and leaves enough time for a follow up. Plus, it broke a month-long drought of pretty much non-funny strips. 3/8 7/7/95 – The idea of a National Cat Channel that shows constant anti-dog material is a bizarrely funny concept. The third frame makes me laugh every time: “Old Drooler Meets the Electric Fence.” 3/8 7/15/95 – I actually really like board games on the weekend. But I’m comfortable in my dorkulinity to recognize the humor of Jon’s big plans. It’s not particularly funny, but it’s a good utilization of Jon’s nerd role. 1/8 7/17/95 – The strip’s funniest visual gags are often left up to our imagination. This is no exception. Imagining a cat’s restrained belch building up enough pressure to blow out an eyeball couldn’t really be conveyed on paper. But in my head it’s funny. 2/8 7/24/95 – As I said previously, it’s funny to be reminded sometimes that Garfield is still a cat. His consumption of the lesser pets Jon purchases from time to time is generally not a good source of humor in the strip despite it’s repeat appearances. But picturing Garfield eating Raymond the Poisonous Toad, is not the traditional, “cat eats fish/canary/hamster” scenario. 2/8 7/28/95 – There’s a certain morbid humor when it comes to eating the more noble creatures of the world like bald eagles, California condors, or in this case owls. Seeing Jon discover Garfield having a late-night barbecue is wacky enough to be amusing. 2/8 8/6/95 – This is one of my favorites from the book, and I love every time I read it. When Garfield holds the phone up to Odie’s panting mouth, I can only imagine what kind of a disgusting creep Jon must seem like. The obscene phone-answer is a funny idea. 6/8 8/10/95 – There is something funny about Garfield’s interference with Jon’s phone conversations. Seeing Jon answer the phone in the first frame with a, “HelloOOOOOOOOO!!!” has always been one of my favorite Garfield images. In fact the punch line is almost superfluous because the opening is so strong. This strip epitomizes what’s funny about the best Garfield strips: a picture is painted for us to imagine what is going on, and it happens to be a particularly ludicrous, awkward, or overwhelming scenario. Here, Garfield claws Jon’s leg as he answers the phone causing him to scream at the top of his lungs. The caller, for obvious reasons, immediately hangs up. These occasional strips, in which a truly hilarious scenario is built for us, are the glimpses of sunlight that show us Jim Davis can be a truly great cartoonist when he puts his mind to it. 7/8 |
| 1 or 2: These comics are usually simple phsyical jokes. They are amusing, but not funny. This is the most basic level of comics that are at least worth reading. 3 or 4: Usually somewhat more sophisticated humor than just funny drawings. These usually don't make you laugh out loud, but should make you smile wide or chuckle under your breath. This is where the funny begins. 5 or 6: If you find one, you're lucky. These must engage the reader in such a way to generate a truly satisfying belly laugh. They can often be simple jokes, but generally construct a situation to frame and enhance the comedy. 7: One of the best comic strips you will ever see. Either outright hilarious or for some reason a master work in the field. 8: Comic perfection. These exceedingly rare strips offer not only superior content, but artistic style as well. To me, they make the argument that comic strips don't have to be just entertainment - they can be art as well. These will probably only come from Calvin and Hobbes or Bloom County (if i ever get that far). |