Garfieldisn’t just one of the funniest, most iconic comic strips in history because of the hilarious antics the beloved fat orange cat gets up to,but because it’s a comic strip that isn’t afraid to break the rules.Created by Jim Davis in 1978,Garfieldgoes above and beyond to make readers laugh, even if that means shattering the divide between reality and fiction by having Garfield break the fourth wall.
Garfield is no stranger to being hilariousby breaking the fourth wall, as he’s regularly shown doing so in a number of ways. From the classic method of speaking directly to the reader, to utilizing cartoon-logic powers that only he has access to, to even acknowledging the fact that he is a fictional character who knows that he exists in a comic strip. Here are10Garfieldcomics that broke the fourth wall to make readers laugh!
Garfieldhas made the leap from comic strips to our screens with a series of movie adaptations:
Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue (1990)
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10Garfield Made His Debut Breaking the Fourth Wall, Setting Up His Entire Character
Garfield, 6-19
While Garfield doesn’t always break the fourth wall (though he does do it fairly often), he certainly did so upon his official debut right alongside his person, Jon. In this historical firstGarfieldcomic,Jon and Garfield introduce themselves, speaking directly to the reader. Jon says that he’s a cartoonist, and that Garfield is his cat, while Garfield introduces himself as a cat, and that Jon is his cartoonist.
the real takeaway is how it effortlessly sets up Garfield’s character, as one of his first lines of dialogue is, “Feed me”
It’s a cute back and forth, with reader-participation making it even more memorable. But the real takeaway is how it effortlessly sets up Garfield’s character, as one of his first lines of dialogue is, “Feed me”.Indeed, Garfield is seemingly perpetually hungry, and the first time he breaks the fourth wall perfectly establishes that.
In Jon’s first appearance, the author speaks directly to the reader, laying out the concept of his creation:
9Garfield Breaks the Fourth Wall to Wish His Readers a Merry Christmas
Garfield, 12-25
Garfield is known for his mischievousness, as there are few things he loves doing more than messing with Odie and pranking Jon. However, there are times when Garfield shows his sweet side, and this is definitely one of them. During Garfield’s first year in a syndicated comic strip, he celebrated Christmas by taking a break from the gags to speak directly to the reader.Garfield tells his readers how much they mean to him, and how he hopes they have a Merry Christmas.
This fourth wall breaking moment may not be the funniest of the bunch, but it’s still absolutely a standout, as Garfield goes out of his way to make his readers feel good -which, in the end, is the entire point of his comic strip.
8Garfield Understands What It Takes to Have a Successful Comic Strip
Garfield, 12-27
In a seemingly normalGarfieldcomic strip, the titular cat is standing on the edge of his counter, saying, “cats always land on their feet”. Garfield then jumps right off the counter and falls flat on his face, at which point, he says, “The things I do for this strip”.
Garfield falling on his face isn’t rare in this comic strip series, but it’s not every day that Garfield lets readers know that he knows he’s a character in a comic by commenting on it.It’s as if Garfield is privy to the creative decisions of his comic strip plot lines, and actively agrees to each gag before he does them- like an actor on a TV show - and that thought is utterly hilarious.
7Garfield Bends the Fabric of His Comic Strip Reality (Literally)
Garfield, 8-16
Garfield famously loves to eat, and Jon never misses a moment to comment on his weight, oftentimes threatening to put Garfield on a diet.While Jon is usually all talk when it comes to restricting Garfield’s food intake, he should probably take it a bit more seriously in this case, as Garfield proved heavy enough to quite literally bend the fabric of his reality.
As Garfield walks through the three panels of this strip, he bends the second panel, making it droop down under his own weight. While Jon should definitely put Garfield on a diet after that,the funniest part of this strip is the meta joke Jim Davis is able to tell with the artwork alone, literally pushing the limits of the comic strip medium to the most hilarious extent.
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6Garfield Gets Winded Walking from One Side of the Comic Strip to the Other, & Knows It
Garfield, 6-14
Just about a week before his birthday (which is canonically June 19), Garfield is keeping his spirits high so as to not crumble under the crushing weight of his own mortality. He says that, this year, he feels younger than ever, and he’s not going to let the fact that he’s another year older get him down.Garfield tries to prove how young and spry he is by walking briskly from one side of the comic strip to the other, but gets winded by the time he gets to the third panel.
While this comic is funny enough as is, it becomes utterly hilarious when - in that last panel - Garfield breaks the fourth wall by saying, “Is it my imagination, or is this strip getting longer?”. This comment reveals thatGarfield knows he’s a character in a comic strip, and that he has been for some time.
5When It Comes to His Age, Garfield Tells Readers to Mind Their Business
Garfield, 6-18
The day before his birthday, Garfield is apparently feeling a bit insecure about his age and his appearance. This comic shows him looking at himself in the mirror, initially in good spirits, saying, “I’m not showing my age” while smiling. Then, Garfield’s expression sours, as he seems to have noticed some things about himself that he feels insecure about. He then continues his previous statement by looking directly at the reader and saying, “Not for you or anyone else”.
At first, Garfield was saying that he looks younger than he actually is, but after looking in the mirror a bit too long, he decides that’s not actually true, soGarfield changes his statement to mean that he’s not going to reveal his age - especially not to the reader.
4When Garfield’s on a Diet, It’s Unclear if His 4th Wall Breaking is Meta Awareness or Madness
Garfield, 10-13
In this comic, it seems Jon finally stuck to his guns and made Garfield go on a diet, just as he’s been threatening to do for years. As expected, Garfield isn’t taking it very well. When Jon mistakenly asks Garfield how he’s handling the diet,Garfield totally ignores him, and instead turns his attention to the reader. Garfield says that “somebody out there’s eating!” and then starts shouting about “bacon” while sticking his face out of the comic strip, peering into the real world.
Garfield claims that he can see some reader out there eating bacon while they’re enjoying his comic strip,and he’s so hungry that he’s ready to crawl out of the panel to get some. However, this example of Garfield breaking the fourth wall is arguably a bit different, as it could just be a case of hunger-induced madness - impossible to tell for sure.
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3Garfield Flexes His Cartoon-Logic Powers by Kicking Odie Into Next Week
Garfield, 6-29 & 7-2
Sometimes, breaking the fourth wall isn’t simply speaking directly to the reader, or making it clear that one knows they’re fictional,but by freely doing things that are clearly impossible because they know - as a fictional character - that they can. In this case, Garfield flexes his ‘cartoon-logic power’ by kicking Odie into next week, literally.
While the first comic strip in this arc could have been played off as a solitary gag, it’s confirmed that Garfield really did kick Odie into next week upon Odie’s return in the arc’s final comic strip. This proves thatGarfield has godlike powers in his universe, as he can freely rip a hole through time and space and send Odie right through it- and Garfield can only do it because he’s aware that he’s a cartoon character.
2Garfield Invites Readers to Participate in His Favorite Activity: Being Mean to Jon
Garfield, 5-2
As Garfield is walking through his home, he’s causally breaking the fourth wall, saying to the reader, “Life is funny”.Then, as if on cue, Jon tumbles down the stairs while carrying his laundry basket, and all his dirty clothes cover his injured body - along with the laundry detergent. Without skipping a beat, Garfield stops to laugh at Jon’s misfortune, and then looks back at the reader to continue what he was saying, “For some of us”.
Garfield regularly causes Jon discomfort in the form of pranks and general mischievousness
By laughing at Jon’s pain mid-conversation with the reader,Garfield is inviting the reader to laugh at Jon along with him. Garfield regularly causes Jon discomfort in the form of pranks and general mischievousness, but he doesn’t always allow readers to participate beyond simply observing, making this comic especially hilarious.
1Garfield Pays a Hilariously Meta Price for His ‘Contagious Laziness’
Garfield, 5-5
In this instance of Garfield breaking the fourth wall, he doesn’t speak to the reader, but rather one real-world person in particular: his creator, Jim Davis. Garfield is lying on the ground, thinking to himself, “Laziness is contagious”, then he asks, “Right, Jim?” referring to his creator personally.Then, Garfield’s entire existence starts to change, as Garfield becomes a decreasingly detailed version of his cartoon self. And when he finally realizes it, Garfield talks to his creator again with a final, “Jim?…”.
It seems Garfield’s laziness was so contagious that Jim Davis himself caught it, and got lazy while drawing this comic strip,reducing Garfield to little more than a stick figure by the end. This is perhaps the funniest, most clever meta joke in the entire series, making it one of the 10 funniest strips whereGarfieldbreaks the fourth wall.
The Evolution of Garfield’s Character Design Over the Decades
There are few cats in the public eye as recognizable as Garfield. But despite this, many wouldn’t recognize Garfield’s very first appearance.
Garfield
Garfield is the central character in Jim Davis’s comic strip, which officially began in 1978 under the same name. Garfield is an orange tabby cat with a love of lasagna and a disdain for Mondays. He tends to torment his owner and dog while trying to secure more food - and quiet.
