* * * * * A readable Garfield While I don't really care for Garfield [1] all that much, I do hold the cartoon in a special place since Jim Davis was the first (and so far, only) cartoonist I met [2] (at a time when I wanted to be a cartoonist). The reason I don't care about Garfield any more is that … well … it's a safe, predictable cartoon with no edge. Unless you remove Garfield's speech [3]! (And boy, does that improve the strip) It then, oddly enough, becomes a much better strip—almost cutting edge even. Take this Sunday's strip [4], and remove the dialog: [Garfield drawing] [5] [6][Garfield drawing] [7] [8][Garfield drawing] [9] [10][Garfield drawing] [11] [12][Garfield drawing] [13] [14][Garfield showing off an artistic Odie] [15] [16] Or even this one from last year [17]: [Bordom sets in] [18] [19][Jon: Yaahhh!!! I can't stand the boredom!] [20] [21][Garfield alone, waving at Jon who's not in the frame] [22] [23] Brilliant stuff! Or at least not as inane. You paying attention Mr. Davis? [1] http://www.garfield.com/ [2] gopher://gopher.conman.org/0Phlog:2000/04/20.1 [3] http://www.truthandbeautybombs.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=4997 [4] http://garfield.com/comics/comics_archives_strip.html?2006-ga060205 [5] gopher://gopher.conman.org/gPhlog:2006/02/08/g-11.gif [6] http://garfield.com/comics/comics_archives_strip.html?2006-ga060205 [7] gopher://gopher.conman.org/gPhlog:2006/02/08/g-12.gif [8] http://garfield.com/comics/comics_archives_strip.html?2006-ga060205 [9] gopher://gopher.conman.org/gPhlog:2006/02/08/g-13.gif [10] http://garfield.com/comics/comics_archives_strip.html?2006-ga060205 [11] gopher://gopher.conman.org/gPhlog:2006/02/08/g-14.gif [12] http://garfield.com/comics/comics_archives_strip.html?2006-ga060205 [13] gopher://gopher.conman.org/gPhlog:2006/02/08/g-15.gif [14] http://garfield.com/comics/comics_archives_strip.html?2006-ga060205 [15] gopher://gopher.conman.org/gPhlog:2006/02/08/g-16.gif [16] http://garfield.com/comics/comics_archives_strip.html?2006-ga060205 [17] http://garfield.com/comics/comics_archives_strip.html?2005-ga05031 [18] gopher://gopher.conman.org/gPhlog:2006/02/08/g-21.gif [19] http://garfield.com/comics/comics_archives_strip.html?2005-ga050310 [20] gopher://gopher.conman.org/gPhlog:2006/02/08/g-22.gif [21] http://garfield.com/comics/comics_archives_strip.html?2005-ga050310 [22] gopher://gopher.conman.org/gPhlog:2006/02/08/g-23.gif [23] http://garfield.com/comics/comics_archives_strip.html?2005-ga050310 Email author at sean@conman.org .