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No. 5560: Odie's Birthday, Part 1: 1995 to 1978

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Odie's Birthday, Part 1: 1995 to 1978

First | Previous | 2024-08-08 | Next | Latest

Permanent URL: https://mezzacotta.net/garfield/?comic=5560

Strip by: Nyperold

{Jon and Odie are wearing party hats; Jon is looking disapprovingly at the arriving Garfield}
Jon: Today is Odie's birthday, not that you care!
Caption: 1995
Caption: How much do you care, Jon?
Caption: Let's find out...
{Who has at least one thumb and a lazy cat? This guy}
Jon: I spent the day doing good deeds
Caption: 1994
{Jon provides shade for a sleeping Garfield, but he also has something to give us: an Aside Glance}
Garfield: Z
Caption: 1993
{A full Garfield rests amongst the containers, dishes, scraps, and inedible parts of food}
Jon: Well, Garfield, for dinner you ate all the food in the house
Caption: 1992
Jon: You're a pig!
{Garfield holds his stomach, which he claimed contains a basketball he swallowed when he was young}
Garfield: It's been digesting for years
Caption: 1991
{Garfield stands on his tail and heels with his forelegs out, seemingly flattened against nothing}
Jon: What the...?
Garfield: Moth on a windshield
Caption: 1990
{Jon and Garfield look into the open refrigerator}
Jon: It can't be time to clean out the refrigerator again
Garfield: The meat loaf has toadstools
Caption: 1989
{Jon is clad in a tank top}
Jon: I don't suppose you'd like to exercise with me?
Garfield {off-panel}: You got it again
Caption: 1988
{Jon has a plate of steak, a fried egg, and peas, with no flatware in sight, almost as if he knows he won't be needing them; he's reading the newspaper such that his vision of his food is blocked}
Jon: Hey, Garfield, they're developing computers with artificial intelligence
Garfield: Big deal
Caption: 1987
{Jon and Odie are dressed as golfers; Odie happily presents Jon with the golf ball he dug up}
Jon: Let's talk
{Garfield, standing by as he holds the flag, shields his eyes from the sun as he looks with a smile}
Garfield: Here comes the grounds keeper, and, yes, I believe he's carrying a gun
Caption: 1986
Smaller caption: Hey, at least it's an activity with Odie
{Jon has a mug of coffee while Garfield has a lettuce leaf, served on a plate}
Garfield: Ah, there is nothing more refreshing than a leaf of fresh lettuce for the weight conscious
{Is that a compliment to lettuce or a slam against healthy food in general?}
Caption: 1985
{Garfield lies on a tree branch with his legs dangling over the side}
Garfield: Why do I do it? Why do I climb up trees when I can't climb down?
Caption: 1984
{Garfield lies at his empty food dish with cat food bits around it; his belly has grown past his legs}
Garfield: My legs are shrinking!
Caption: 1983
Caption: Before this, Lyman was still around, so you could surmise that he did something for Odie's birthday, but for the sake of completeness...
{Jon is watching television; Garfield is standing on a footstool that has been pushed up in front of the TV so he can pretend to be part of the action}
Jon: Down in front, Garfield
Garfield: Quiet, you fool! You could blow my cover!
Caption: 1982
{Jon holds Irma's hand, to her surprise and delight; Garfield is not so pleased}
Garfield: Except make passes at ugly waitresses
Caption: 1981
Jon: Now that you're on a diet, you're feeling better about yourself
Garfield: You bet
Caption: 1980
In-comic caption: Ol' Fluffy got his clock cleaned by the even more legendary "Matt-the-Rat"
{The literal rat, Matt, dribbles Fluffy, the legendary ratter}
Caption: 1979
Lyman {off-panel}: Here boy!
{In Odie's first appearance, he bounds by Garfield as Garfield's eyes register shock}
Caption: 1978

The author writes:

Not a lot of actual Odie content, huh? Now, I don't do birthdays, myself, but if Jon's going to say things like that when his life has documentation, he can expect some scrutiny...

Watch this space -- though not like Caspar Milquetoast -- for how Jon's celebrated since, if at all...

Original strips: 1978-08-08, 1979-08-08, 1980-08-08, 1981-08-08, 1982-08-08, 1983-08-08, 1984-08-08, 1985-08-08, 1986-08-08, 1987-08-08, 1988-08-08, 1989-08-08, 1990-08-08, 1991-08-08, 1992-08-08, 1993-08-08, 1994-08-08, 1995-08-08.